COMMON MAGAZINE EUROPE - SUMMER 2017

COMMON. 

SUMMER 2017 $9.99 

TOTAL GROOMING

1 

//2017 SUMMER//COMMON

COMMON//SUMMER 2017// 

IN THIS ISSUE 

07 

ONE TO WATCH 

COTCAS LEGACY 

08 

FOR WELL-MANNERED 

REBELS 

R.CULTURI POCKET SQUARE 

09 

UNITE AND CHARGE 

WITH YOUR GI 

GI WIRELESS CHARGER 

2

2017 SUMMER//COMMON 

IN THIS ISSUE 

#COMMONCOVER: 

THE GAY BEARDS, 

BRIAN & JOHNATHAN 

COLLECTION OF 

SUMMER SHOES 

10 

16 

IT'S NOT THAT DIFFICULT 

FOR PATRICK EKWALL, JUGGLING 

BETWEEN HOSTING AND 

DESIGNING MEN'S FASHION 

IS A BREEZE 

20 

3


IN THIS ISSUE 

34 

36 

CHANGING THE WAY 

YOU TRAVEL 

NO ONE DOES SUITCASES 

BETTER THAN BUGABOO 

NEW ORLEANS, 

HERE WE COME! 

54 

A NEW SPIN ON 

PERSONAL THEATER 

AVEGANT GLYPH 

4


MESSAGE TO READERS 

Moving into the new season, we will continue 

to bring you interesting stories that cover 

lifestyle, fashion, travel, grooming, fashion as 

well as the latest gadgets. Let COMMON. take 

you through the summer holidays with 

information that is timely, fun and interesting. 

Sit with a copy as you wind down after a busy 

day. You may want to flip to our travel article 

on New Orleans, pack your bags and then 

head to the airport. If you're not ready to just 

f**k it and go, the Avegant Glyph is the perfect 

gadget for you. We have plenty of other cool 

stuff in this issue but most importantly, 

grooming tips for the summer. Let's face, it dry 

skin and acne will be our ultimate enemy this 

summer, but the products featured in this 

issue will have you looking fresh as hell. So, flip 

through the pages and see you in Autumn! 

Azhar.A 

Editor-in-Chief 

5


WHAT DOES THE BOX SAY? 

INKBOX 

www.inkbox.com 

By Azhar Ahmad 

Inkbox is the newest way to get a tattoo minus the regret. It feels identical to the real tattoo 

and it lasts for two weeks. Why get a fake tattoo when you can get a real one? It's so you're 

able to decide how it looks or if it's in the right location, that's why. We tried on a few designs 

and they look as real as it gets. How does it work? It is applied at home just like a temporary 

tattoo would in 15 minutes. The patent-pending inkbox changes the colour of the top layer of 

skin and lasts for two weeks. It's 100% organic formula looks and feels identical to a traditional 

tattoo but fades naturally as the skin exfoliates. 

6


ONE TO WATCH 

COTCAS LEGACY 

www.cotcas.com 

Like many new arrivals to the horological marketplace, Cotcas started with quartz movements. 

I have no issues with quartz, unlike some watch lovers. Cotcas Legacy is a beautiful watch but the 

first thing you notice about the watch is that it's heavy, but in a good way. It's not overly large, at 

40mm, but it is substantial. The leather strap is superb, and comes in cognac, dark brown and 

black. The wrist presence here is serious. A domed sapphire crystal means good scratch resistance, 

the stainless steel case is solid, and it is waterproof up to 50 meters. The face is either matte black 

or matte white, the sword hour and minute hands are either chromed or gold-plated, a nice 

contrast with the face. The indices are big too which is a huge plus. We highly recommend the 

golden-plated case version as it'll guarantee to turn heads. 

• Case Material: Golden plated solid Stainless Steel 

• Glass: Crystal Sapphire glass - Slightly domed 

• Movement: Seiko VD78 Quartz movement 

• Strap: Black - Genuine Italian Leather 

• Waterproof: 5 ATM/50 meters 

• Weight incl. strap: 62,7 grams 

• Case diameter: 40 mm 

• Case height: 10 mm 

• Lug width: 20 mm 

7


FOR WELL-MANNERED REBELS 

CARPATHIANS SILK TWILL POCKET SQUARE 

www.rculturi.com 


Pocket squares have been a style statement with men's fashion historically and it will continue 

to be that way as it complements the outfit by adding sophistication along with a touch of 

elegance. By choosing the right pattern to opting for a right fabric can add extra sophistication 

to the overall personality. One of our favorites in the fashion world right now is R. Culturi. 

They have a collection of amazing designs as they work with illustrators, painters, and digital 

artists from all over the world. This Carpathians Silk Twill Pocket Square is made of 100% silk 

and crafted from start to finish in Italy. This pocket square is suitable to be paired with darkercolored 

jackets, but feel free to try out combos that contradict traditional guidelines as the 

Carpathians can be pulled off with panache no matter what. 

8


UNITE AND CHARGE 

WITH YOUR GI 

GI WIRELESS CHARGER 

www.shopvhbox.com 


Nikola Tesla would be a very proud man. His principle of conducting electricity by capacitive and 

inductive coupling is finally making headway in smartphone chargers. The Gi wireless charging pad 

is not only beautifully designed, it's what all wireless chargers should strive to be. Charging with Gi 

will protect your device from overvoltage and current flow with its equipped TI 33K chip. This 

simply means you will get a longer battery and device lifespan. Think it only protects your phone 

on the inside? Its surface is made of soft leather to protect your phones from scratches and 

abbrasions too. There's more to love with Gi, its minimalistic design, choice of colors, and 

packaging. Trust us when we say that the Gi wireless charging comes in the most beautiful 

packaging we've seen to date. 

9


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

#COMMONCOVER: THE GAY 

BEARDS, BRIAN & JOHNATHAN 

READY TO TAKE YOUR BEARD GAME TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF 

EPICNESS? 


Tell us more about yourselves. 

Our names are Johnathan Dahl and Brian 

Delaurenti. We grew up in Portland, Oregon 

and have been best friends since we were in 

4th grade (18 years!). Johnathan by trade is a 

musician and Brian is a painter and 

photographer. Both being very artistic 

individuals, it was no surprise to our friends 

and family that we created a project like The 

Gay Beards. Humor is also very much a basis 

for what we aim to do in life, and it's often 

our hope to spread the most amount of love 

and laughter that we possibly can. 

How did The Gay Beards came about? 

The Gay Beards started back in July of 2014. 

A mutual friend of ours, who went through 

school for film, suggested we try putting 

flowers in our beards so he could take some 

photos. Initially we were turned off by the 

idea because naturally, we were worried that 

maybe a bug or two would call our beards 

home after that! Once we saw the images, 

we posted them to our social media accounts 

where we received such positive feedback, 

that from there we wondered "what else 

could go in our beards?" And thus, The Gay 

Beards was born! 

What was the first memory of you meeting 

each other? 

Back in the day, Brian had gone over to 

Johnathan's house with a mutual friend to 

just hangout as most youngsters do. After 

our buddy left, Brian stayed and hung out a 

while longer and we both quickly discovered 

a new friendship that was a hit from the start. 

Pretty much every day since that moment we 

have hung out and as of now, have still yet to 

get sick of each other! 

Who grew the beard first? And who has the 

best? 

Brian grew his beard out about 6 months 

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AAAA 

before Johnathan decided to grow his out 

(October of 2013). Being best friends, it isn't 

surprising that we do everything together, 

and growing a beard was no different. As for 

who's is best, we don't necessarily think 

either is better than the other. Both of us 

feel that every beard out in the world is 

beautiful in its own right. Some are long, 

short, curly, straight, black, brown, red, so on 

and so forth. Both of our beards have held a 

variety of bizarre items, and for us, that is 

beautiful enough. 

How is it like being two creative individuals 

as friends? How do you resolve conflicts or 

how do you agree on a project? 

Creativity has been the basis of our 

friendship for a very long time, and it 

probably is one of the main reasons we are 

so close. Though we are similar in a lot of 

ways, our creative backgrounds are very 

different, and in turn, our individuals 

perspectives tend to compliment one 

another quite well. As in any relationship, 

conflicts arise, but we tend to understand 

that our mutual goal is the same, and with 

that, it doesn't take much for us to get on the 

same page. 

Tell us about your beard routines. How long 

did it take to grow and how did you 

maintain it? 

The length that our beards are at now (we 

"Positivity is the 

backbone of our 

mission, and in 

this life, we want 

to contribute 

every last bit of 

that we can." 

11


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

trim them occasionally) is about a years 

worth of beard. Generally we shower, (wash 

our beards once or twice a week) dry 

completely before applying beard oil, then 

comb them with our boar bristle brushes. 

Depending on how wild it's looking will 

determine if we apply more product like 

beard balm or hair spray. It usually takes 

about 20 minutes to get it looking the way 

we want, especially if we're going out in 

public! You'd be shocked to see how 

ridiculous we can look when our beards 

aren't taken care of properly. 

Out of all the stuff you put on your beards, 

what was the most difficult and thought, 

“we’re never doing this again”? 

Glitter is probably the hardest to get out, and 

at some point in the beginning, I think we 

said we wouldn't do it again, but we definitely 

did! Nothing has really become off limits for 

us (what fun would that be?). Although one 

time we did use real moss only to find out 

later that tiny little organisms call moss home 

and that kind of freaked us! Needless to say 

we haven't done that one since. 

And what was the weirdest? 

Recently we photographed milk beards for 

National Milk Day. In theory it sounded like a 

fun idea, and it was to some extent, but trying 

to get it out of our beards was nearly as rough, 

if not rougher, than glitter. It took a couple 

shampoos before we finally didn't feel like our 

beards were moo-ing! 

Take us into a journey of your everyday life. 

Both of us decided a long time ago that living 

behind a cubicle wasn't an endeavor that 

would make us happy. We wake up most days, 

brew a cup of coffee, and begin the process of 

figuring out what we can create, how we can 

create it, and what message we can send with 

it. Positivity is the backbone of our mission, 

and in this life, we want to contribute every 

last bit of that we can. Art and humor run 

deep in our veins, so whether it's music, 

painting, laughing, or exploring, we try and get 

out as much as possible and see where 

negativity still exists, and how we can do our 

12


"Glitter is probably the hardest to get 

out, and at some point in the beginning, 

I think we said we wouldn't do it again, 

but we definitely did!" 

part to overcome it. 

What’s in store for The Gay Beards in 

2017? 

This is a fantastic question. When starting 

The Gay Beards, we didn't quite know what 

it would become and where it would take us. 

To some extent, this is still the case. Too 

often it seems that people become 

disappointed with their dreams because 

sometimes they just don't turn out how one 

expected them to. For us, we have left our 

future wide open and hope that wherever 

this project takes us, it finds us happy and 

healthy, encouraging others to live out their 

own passions and achievements. We have 

long hoped to get into the publishing world, 

perhaps with a coffee table book, and even 

more so, we have plans to release a 

children's book down the line. When like 

waiting until something feels right, and 

when it does, we aim to make it happen. 

Beyond that, you can expect to see a lot 

more video content from us via YouTube, 

and who knows, you might even see us hit 

the road later this year and create content 

on the road! 

Brian Delaurenti 

Love Brian and Johnathan? Follow their 

journey to epic beardness on Instagram: 

@thegaybeards 

Johnathan Dahl 

13



THEY'VE GOT GOOD JEANS 

QUALITY JEANS WITH THE PERFORMANCE TO MATCH THEIR LOOKS 

www.tarik.my 

Jeans have been around since Jacob Davis 

and Levi Strauss teamed up in the late 1800s 

to bring functional, lasting pants to men. 

When they became unsightly and wornthrough 

at the knees, the wearer ordered a 

new pair. Today, the more aged the better — 

giving the wearer individuality. But good 

jeans that can age beautifully (without a 

hefty price tag) are really rare. 

That search is about to come to a halt. 

Established in 2010, Malaysia's own Tarik is a 

sustainable denim line that has been known 

to cater to those who appreciate 

craftsmanship and jeans that are capable to 

age beautifully (check out #tarikfades on 

Instagram). After months of research and 

consistent visit to the drawing board, the 

result is an updated line which will definitely 

give any of the international denim brands 

currently in the market a run for its money. 

They also recently announced the drop of 

their new and updated jeans that comes in 

both slim and skinny cut. Still maintaining 

their names that has become synonymous 

with fans, the updated Premium Slim Ramlee 

and Skinny Din will feature new elements 

that are introduced solely to creating highquality, 

responsibly sourced, well-fitting and 

long lasting jeans that Tarik has always been 

known for. 

Constructed from 13.5oz raw denim with 

two percent elasticity stretch material, tied 

off with an interlocked inseam stitching and 

selvedge accent on the outseam stitching, 

these jeans pack just enough cool factor 

without overdoing it. Inspired by the vintage 

construction with shorter waist band and 

longer zipper fly, the jeans’ one-way sewing 

with single needle stitch will also enforce the 

lower chain stitch of the waist. 

If you are on a hunt for a great pair of 

denim, then these updated jeans from Tarik 

would just be the one that you are looking 

for. It ticks all the important boxes and 

bottling all the emotions required because 

admittedly, finding a good pair of denim is 

like looking for a lifelong partner. 

Follow them on Instagram: @tarikjeans 

14


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

AAA 

EXPENSIVELY ACQUIRED TASTE 

THE C3-1 BACKPACK FROM CARL FRIEDRIK IS PRICEY BUT ULTIMATELY 

WORTH IT 

www.carlfriedrik.com 


Carl Friedrik (formerly Oppermann London) is 

one of the legions of London's best men's 

designer catering to the fashion accessories 

need of the city's elegant (and wealthy) gents. 

But let’s get the obvious thing out of the way 

first: you don’t need to spend upwards of 

$300 for a decent backpack to house your 

laptop, camera, and Nintendo Switch. Just like 

you don’t need to upgrade your flight to 

business class and you don’t need a BMW in a 

world full of Volkswagens. Economy and 

business passengers all land at the same time, 

and with speed limits, all cars trudge along at 

the same speed. But we spend more on those 

higher-tier goods and services because of 

how they make us feel. 

And how do I feel about Carl Friedrik’s C3-1 

backpack? Very positive. They’re made with 

the smoothest Vachetta leather combined 

with heavy-duty fabric made with Italian 

nylon. 

The C3-1's elegant and not at all pretentious 

aesthetic feels refreshing, and there’s an 

honesty in the materials used, which are 

exactly what they look like: real. 

The backpack has to contend with the 

contradictory demands of fitting every piece 

of equipment that you need and giving you 

easy and immediate access to all of it. Trus =t 

us when we say this bag delivers. 

It features two main zippers: a wide zipper to 

access the main compartment and a separate 

padded laptop compartment that could 

laptops up to 15". A logo patch and vertical zip 

pocket for frequently accessed items are 

located on the front and internally, the 

backpack features a zip pocket, two fabric 

pockets and two penholders. 

The days of having to dash back home to pick 

up forgotten items are no longer here as the 

backpack comfortably fits all your esentials. 

15



Wholecut Benson Oxford 

Harrison Loafer 

Madison Derby Brogue 

THE SHOES THAT WORK 

THOMAS BIRD SHOES ARE ALL ABOUT ELEGANCE AND THE EXPANSIVE 

USE OF BEAUTIFUL LEATHER 

www.thomasbirdshoes.com 

Without question, these are the best-looking 

shoes I've ever worn. To me, they look and 

feel way more expensive than their price. At 

just shy under $300, you get a very luxurious 

pair of shoes that feel and look good. 

I wore the Wholecut Benson Oxford for 

work as they go well with dress pants. The 

wholecut design, meaning the upper is one 

continuous piece of leather, is very clean and 

the silhouette of the shoe is elegant. Several 

people who I know are shoe geeks 

immediately asked me who made them when 

I had them on. These are absolutely my go-to 

shoes for any formal events I have coming up. 

When it comes to casual shoes, three 

factors stand out as important to me: look, 

comfort, and danceability. The look on 

Harrison Loafer is pretty undeniable; they 

are objectively attractive shoes, and wearing 

them, I felt good about the version of myself I 

was presenting to the world. In terms of 

comfort, I was a bit nervous about the sizing 

because I’ve always had a problem with 

width in shoes, but my pair was a perfect fit. 

And while I haven’t gotten to take them to a 

wedding yet, based on the results of a 

preliminary danceability study conducted in 

my living room, these kicks pass with flying 

colors. 

As someone who has never worn brogues 

before, wearing the Madison Derby Brogue 

was a bit of a shock. I’ve always had a lovehate 

relationship with brogues. I love how 

they look, but never tried them on because I 

was afraid about how they will look on me. 

But I was wrong, they looked amazing! If 

you’re the type of person who notices others 

footwear, you should definitely invest in your 

own stylish pair. You very well may find 

yourself thinking that your shoes look better 

than your suit. 

16

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

ALL SHOES ON DECK 

IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO TAKE THE BOAT OUT, BE SURE TO 

WEAR YOUR SEBAGO 

www.sebago.com 

//2017 SUMMER//COMMON 

Boat shoes are one thing that we'll never going to stop 

wearing. They are such a versatile shoe, and they look 

great with chinos, jeans, shorts and basically everything 

except a suit or tuxedo 

That being said, there are ways to ensure that one 

doesn't give off too much of a fraternity vibe when wearing 

boat shoes, which is why we like these shoes from 

American shoe brand, Sebago that is perfect for the 

summer. 

The warmer weather is here and in full effect, so many of 

us will most likely find ourselves chilling around water 

sources. Whether on a boat, the beach or even just at the 

pool, we all know how crucial it is for our footwear to be 

Dockside Ariaprene 

just as versatile. Trust Sebago to give your feet the comfort 

it needs with over 70 years of experience in footwear. 

First up, the Dockside Ariaprene in grey is their iconic 

boat shoe reinvented. It is extremely lightweight and of 

course, water-friendly. Sebago combines the Ariaprene 

uppers with an EVA cushioned, removable footbed for 

added comfort. While we don't have a boat to test this 

baby in, we did test it down by the Rhine where it ticked all 

our boxes in terms of water-handling. 

Then there is the multi-colored Spinnaker leather which 

is our favourite of the lot. The sole is thick and sturdy; it 

gives us the impression that it won't wear out quickly, so it 

may have a chance of lasting longer than one summer. The 

Spinnaker Leather 

other element that stood out was the construction around 

the heel; it looks like it will hold its shape rather than get 

smashed down with repeated use. Its genuine handsewn 

moccasin construction wraps the foot in a single piece of 

leather, creating a fit that’s uniquely yours. 

Another versatile pair is the Kedge in brown oiled wax. 

You can wear them in the backyard with gym shorts and a 

tee. Take them to the office with a linen suit. They work on 

the beach or at a bar. Accommodating as they are, 

however, these shoes aren’t flimsy, thanks to their sturdy 

soles. The harder sole both ups the durability quotient and 

ensures no one will mistake them for your bedroom 

slippers. 

Kedge in Brown 

Oiled Waxy 

17


ALL BLACK, ALL LEATHER, 

ALL PLAY 

LOVE AT FIRST WEAR WITH THESE HANDSOME SHOES FROM SNEAKY 

STEVE 

www.sneakysteve.com 

Whether you’re attending a wedding, 

heading into the office for a particularly 

big meeting, or just dressing up for a night 

of cocktails with friends, a top-tier pair of 

dress shoes can help make your look pop. 

And while it might seem as though style 

and look are the most important aspects 

when shopping for some new fancy 

footwear, you also want something 

comfortable — something you can really 

can move around in. 

Sneaky Steve is a company that has set 

out to make the most comfortable leather 

shoes on the market. Founder Måns 

Månsson has been in the footwear 

industry for 25 years before starting a 

brand of his own. With Sneaky Steve, he 

has taken some of the innovative 

approach that make your sneakers so 

comfortable and applied it to various shoe 

styles. 

The results are, in fact, some of the most 

comfortable shoes you can find to wear to 

work, wedding, or just about anywhere. 

Outfitted with an environmentallyfriendly 

microfiber lining, these are not 

your average leather shoes. And we mean 

that in the best way possible. 

Stanhill is a mid cut boot made from a 

washed and tumbled, pull up leather 

which gives each pair a unique and 

characteristic vintage look. We liked that 

they came with treads already on, so they 

were ready to wear right out of the box. 

After about a day, they were as 

comfortable as shoes we've owned for 

years. 

Silvermine low is a classic sneaker on a 

unique rubber sole, stitched all the way 

around. We were a pretty big fan of the 

way they looked. It took about a day of 

wearing them around town before full 

comfort set in, but once that happened, 

they quickly jumped to one of our favorite 

pairs in the closet. We were out for drinks 

while wearing them, and we had enough 

drinks to think walking back home across 

town was a good idea, but these shoes 

handled the journey with ease. 

Immediately after getting them, we put 

the Sneaky Steve's Ice Charcoal to the 

ultimate test. We wore them to a back-toback 

meeting that required us to walk 

about 15 minutes each time for one full 

day. Not only do the shoes look great, but 

even after wearing them day in and out 

for a couple of days, our feet are still fine. 

If you're a person who has to wear shoes 

and is out at meetings or on your feet a 

lot, there are no better pair for comfort. 

Stanhill 

Silvermine 

Ice Charcoal 

18

PERFECT BREATHABILITY 

THESE SHOES FROM CANO ARE THE ULTIMATE SUMMER SHOES 

www.thecanoshoe.com 


PANCHO VILLA 

OXFORD 

Summer usually means I spend 75% of 

my time knocking around the city in my 

boring old sneakers (which by the way, 

everyone else have). They're completely 

ubiquitous and unoffensive to almost any 

outfit, and they mean I can transition 

from walking 40 blocks in the heat to 

happy hour drinks with friends easier 

than flats allow. However, even given 

their long-held spot as my summer 

MVPs, these extremely comfortable and 

stylish shoes from CANO might unseat 

them from that number one pick. 

My first interaction with them was a 

surprise. They're made of 100% Vaqueta 

leather, which is one of the softest and 

flexible leathers. The exceptionally 

detailed weaving is adapted from 

traditional Mexican huarache sandals, 

which makes them breathable. Speaking 

of breathability, I never really thought 

about how much I minded being stuck in 

hot cotton socks in 30 degree weather 

until I experienced that situation in heavy 

Southern European humidity in my 

CANOs. I honestly didn't even break a 

sweat in these and my feet stay dry all day 

long. 

ZAPATA DERBY SHOES 

BENITO SANDAL 

The PANCHO VILLA Oxford that I have 

features a classic design and goes so well 

with everything. Work, casual and even 

to a nice dinner, the Oxford is minimalist 

enough and so addictively breathable. 

Then there is the BENITO Sandal, which 

is their more contemporary design. The 

playful woven detail is is a head-turner as 

people have asked me about it all the 

time. If you prefer a more typical 

Huarache, then the ZAPATA DERBY 

Shoe is right up your alley. They have 

color options too; from black, brown to 

even blue and red. 

19



IT'S NOT THAT DIFFICULT 

FOR PATRICK EKWALL, JUGGLING BETWEEN HOSTING AND DESIGNING 

MEN'S FASHION IS A BREEZE 


Tell us a little bit about yourself and your 

role in the company. 

I have been working as a TV nhost for 

Swedish TV4 Sports since 1993 and has 

always been interested in what we have been 

wearing during the shows. So, one day I asked 

if I could do the styles for a handball world 

cup in 2011. The bosses said ”yes”, because I 

think they had no sponsor offers at the time. I 

got in touch with a Swedish suit producer, 

Cavaliere, that had done suits for ages and I 

was taught roughly about the procedure. I 

had my design ideas, both about the models 

and the fabrics, and it turned out really nice. 

The TV station were contacted by people 

that wanted to buy the same suits. So that 

made me think about starting Difficult By P, 

because I love fashion and designing. Mostly 

as a hobby. People play golf, collect stamps, 

painting, play poker or whatever - I was into 

design. I started with suits and have tried a 

little bit of everything. Everything grew and 

now its more than a hobby, even though I still 

do TV shows. It’s tough and sometimes, dirty 

business and if you are just a small player in 

the whole industry you really have to 

struggle and will easily be seen as a ”nobody”. 

I am happy (and a bit proud) that DBP has 

survived for about five years, and that we are 

producing high quality products and that we 

can continue doing that without having 

anyone investing extreme amounts of money. 

The only way for Difficult By P to grow 

stronger will probably be with investors, but 

it has to be someone that let me do what I 

love (design and quality) without thinking of 

earning money in one or two years. Now, I'm 

still designing everything myself, choosing 

the fabrics, going to the factories and get 

some help with packing orders, website and 

PR. 

What inspires you to create the fashion 

brand? How did the name Difficult came by? 

I am inspired mostly by having the chance to 

create something myself. It’s probably like 

painting, you get a kick out of creating and 

when you are done and see what you have 

created, I am like a child on Christmas Eve. I 

also love to learn more all the time. It's never 

20



AAAA 

to late. Difficult By P came out of the 

Swedish word ”svårt”, which means Difficult, 

and is a trademark word I have used during 

my days in TV. By P is short for By Patrick. 

Not only you’re the CEO, you’re also the 

Head of Design. How do you juggle between 

these two different roles? 

It's not a problem at all. DBP is still lika a 

small family, where everyone has to do a 

little bit of everything. No one sees me as a 

CEO or Head of Design, I am just Patrick. 

When it comes to designing, what comes 

first? Is it difficult to design for both men 

and women? 

First comes the vision together with the idea. 

Then I look for fabrics, seasons, models, 

colors, details, etc. Like everyone else, I 

watch what others have done, but that is 

mostly when I am done myself. I never want 

to lose my ideas or vision. Then, a white 

sneaker is a white sneaker and it is not like 

creating a new world. And therefore I am 

really keen about the quality of the material. 

Usually quality makes the difference, not the 

design. I am producing mainly for men, a part 

from sneakers. They are more unisex. I would 

love to design more women clothing (love to 

design a dress!), but I need more time 

because this is not my full time job. 

to be the right people/companies. I really 

love to design and produce quality. I am not 

interested in making money out of mass 

produce, bad quality clothing. As for the 

moment, we are expanding all the time by 

getting more and more customers using 

personal referrals. Which means that we are 

producing larger quantities. That's a step in 

the best possible direction. If we continue 

doing that, we will expand on our own. But to 

make it explode we need something else, of 

course. 

What do you hope to achieve this year, 

professionally and personally? 

My achievement is to continue improving as 

a designer, to learn more and more and to 

keep on producing products that I love. 

Personally? To get some more time for my 

family. 

Visit www.difficult.se and follow their 

Instagram: @difficultbyp 

What is the plan of expansion for the brand? 

I don’t know yet. It would be great (and 

realistic in every sense) to grow bigger, but 

then we would need investments and it has 

21



HEART AND SOUL OF 

GOTHENBURG 

MEET THE GUY BEHIND SNEAKY STEVE, OUR 

NEW FAVOURITE SNEAKER BRAND 


First, tell us about yourself and your role in 

the company. 

My name is Måns Månsson and I´m the CEO 

and founder of the brand Sneaky Steve. I live 

in Gothenburg, Sweden where I was born 

and I will probably never move because I like 

the city too much. I live together with my 

wife. Caroline and our two children, Jack and 

Mathilda. My wife is also a designer but 

we're not working together as she is working 

as clothing designer in a big Swedish chain 

store. 

What’s the story behind the brand and its 

catchy name, Sneaky Steve? 

The brand name Sneaky Steve comes from a 

late night with frustration over an old 

partner that tried to backstab me. No, his 

name wasn’t Steve. The word in Swedish can 

mean to be trashy and also works really good 

with sneakers. Our goal has always been that 

Sneaky Steve is for everybody and we don’t 

exclude anybody. Maybe a cliché but that’s 

truth. 

What made you decide to be in the 

shoemaking industry? What’s your history 

with shoes? 

I've been working with footwear for nearly 

25 years, all from shop salesman to brand 

manager. I worked as a salesman with 

different shoe brands such as Caterpillar, 

Wolverine, Le coq sportif, Camper and Paul 

Smith for many years. After so many years in 

footwear business I realised that the brand I 

worked with didn’t give me the kick I wanted 

so I decided to start my own brand. 

Has your philosophy changed over the years 

now that footwears are a culture 

phenomenon? 

When you breathe and live footwear 

everything comes naturally. That’s why we 

now take a bigger responsibility in our 

products with eco leather and microfiber 

lining that’s also eco friendly. 

What is the design ethos for the brand? 

How/where do you source for inspiration 

when designing the shoes? 

We think that when you buy a pair of Sneaky 

Steve´s, you buy into our idea that great 

footwear comes from the hearts, souls and 

dirty hands of people with passion. Our 

22



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inspiration comes from real people around 

the world. 

How do you keep the design fresh in a 

market over-saturated with echoing 

designs? 

Sneaky Steve has a deep-rooted DNA that 

shows in our styles. We also want to give our 

customer something more than just the shoe. 

Like us, you believe that no computer 

software or automated production line can 

replace human body, brain and spirit. 

Who wears Sneaky Steve? 

Everybody! Sneaky Steve goes from size 

24-46. 

What’s the best way to take care of Sneaky 

Steve’s shoes? 

Treat them with respect and with clear 

natural shoe wax. All footwear start with 

great leather and because leather is a living 

material it needs your love and care. 

Any plans of expansion for the company this 

year? 

We are planning some new product ranges 

for SS18. The range that we give most focus 

is bags. It will be collection of eight bags with 

the same canvas that we use on the shoes 

but just a little thicker. We also use some of 

the leftover leather from the production of 

the shoes for details. 

Visit www.sneakysteve.com 

and follow them on Instagram: 

@sneakysteveshoes 

23



YOUR 

PERSONAL 

BARBER IS 

HERE 

THE BEST GROOMING 

PRODUCTS DELIVERED TO 

YOU MONTHLY 


Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

My name is Bradley Jones, the founder of 

The Personal Barber wet shaving 

subscription. I’ve had a longtime obsession 

with male grooming products that started as 

a teenager trying to find products that would 

result in clear skin (as they all promised). 

Nothing ever worked but I was still 

fascinated with the different ingredients and 

how they were supposed to affect the skin. I 

always hated shaving, despite buying the 

latest vibrating, 5-blade monstrosity I would 

always come away with razor burn and 

bumps that would persist for days. What’s 

more it just seemed like a boring task that 

would take up valuable time without 

providing any beneficial results. As soon as I 

could grow a convincing enough beard, I 

ditched shaving for a long time. 

How did the company started? What is the 

ethos behind the brand? 

After being introduced to classic shaving 

gear using a proper double-edge safety razor, 

The Personal Barber was spawned not long 

after. I remember thinking how archaic it 

looked, surely technology had made these 

razors obsolete? But a friend that introduced 

me to them was so excited about it, he 

couldn’t stop going on about how much it had 

revolutionised shaving for him, so I gave it a 

go. And he was absolutely right. There is just 

something immensely satisfying about 

whipping up your own shaving lather with a 

brush and honing your technique at using a 

DE razor; you have to focus on the angle, 

pressure and direction that you shave. You’re 

left in the driving seat with full control over 

the quality of your shave and that turns it 

from a mindless chore into a genuinely 

enjoyable activity. Best of all, because there’s 

only one blade, it’s much gentler on the skin 

so you can get a close, smooth finish without 

any of the irritation. Some people worry that 

the razor looks dangerous and you’re bound 

to cut yourself but it’s really not. It’s called a 

safety razor for a reason, it’s not a cut-throat. 

The head only exposes a tiny bit of the blade, 

just like with modern razors (which are also a 

type of safety razor). Once you’ve tried it 

once, you realise it’s easy. After discovering 

how I could get an enjoyable shave that 

didn’t leave me with razor burn or bumps, I 

wanted to introduce more people to this 

style of shaving and show them how much of 

a difference it can make. The Personal 

Barber’s focus is on getting people to enjoy 

their shaves and take pride in the quality of 

their grooming habits. 

Who is The Personal Barber for? 

The beauty of a shaving subscription box is 

that you’re getting everything you regularly 

buy anyway, it’s incredibly convenient to not 

have to worry about running out of blades or 

shaving cream ever again, because it arrives 

at your door just as you’re running low. But 

it’s so much more than just a convenient box 

of essentials. The Personal Barber is about 

discovery; a better way to shave and exciting 

new products. Receiving completely 

different goods in each box keeps things 

interesting, combine this with the fun of 

using a brush and mastering the technique of 

a single blade and you genuinely start to look 

forward to your daily shave. And how many 

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

AAA 

people can say that? So, really, the 

subscription is for all guys that shave. You’ve 

got more important things to do than 

remember to go to the shops in time before 

you run out of blades and no one deserves to 

sit through a boring chore every day so start 

doing things differently! 

How do you select products for the 

subscription box? 

We scour the planet for new products on a 

daily basis focusing and absolutely 

everything that goes into the box has been 

rigorously tested beforehand. Just because a 

products description says “creates a 

bountiful lather that softens the hairs”, 

doesn’t mean it actually does. Me and a small 

group of testers will sample the product to 

make sure it is of the level of quality that we 

expect. However a lot of aspects are 

subjective so we don’t worry about those too 

much. For example, aftershaves are very 

personal so when we do feature them we just 

check that they use good ingredients, don’t 

smell too synthetic like some can and try to 

be interesting. 

the subscription box industry is still in its 

infancy in the UK. We’re focusing on getting 

in front of as many people as possible to 

become the number one shaving 

subscription in the country and then we’ll 

start focusing on the rest of the EU. 

What about you personally? 

Personally, I want to learn more about design 

and entrepreneurship. Having an idea, 

researching it, creating it and then ultimately 

having people tell you how much they like it 

is immensely satisfying. As The Personal 

Barber grows I want to be more hands on at 

creating our own products that help people 

look and feel their best. 

Any plans of expansion for the company? 

It’s a very small start-up at the moment and 

25



WHAT'S IN THE BOX? 

THE PERSONAL BARBER WET SHAVING SUBSCRIPTION BOX IS FULL OF 

GOOD STUFF! 


Getting everything you need delivered right 

to you without having to so much as lift a 

finger is no longer some far-off futuristic scifi 

dream -- it's now a reality for people all 

over the world thanks to the ever-growing 

popularity of subscription boxes. 

Subscription boxes for men are as hot as 

ghost pepper chiles right now. For the 

unacquainted, subscription boxes make 

shopping more convenient by shipping you 

cool things you need (or really want) for your 

day to day life. Grooming products, 

fragrances, clothing, gourmet food — 

whatever you need, straight to your door. 

The idea is cool, no doubt, but some theme 

box companies are a bit like getting presents 

from your colleagues on your birthday — you 

might get some socks, or a really cool 

sweater, but it isn’t going to be all that 

exciting. The Personal Barber does things a 

little differently as they help men getting the 

clean shaven they deserve minus the fuzz. 

On your first box, you will receive a 

complimentary shaving brush and a sleek 

three-part safety razor for all your future 

shaving needs. Each month a new box 

arrives, providing you with different 

products for you to try out. Don't like the 

them? Simply opt out with their zero 

commitment subscription. But honestly, the 

stuff they ship is impressive. 

Our first box contained a shaving soap, 

after-shave balm, razor blades as well as the 

complimentary shaving brush and safety 

razor. But let’s talk about the razor first. Now 

I’ve never used a traditional razor before (I’m 

26



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guilty of using disposable razors) and this 

provides some really high quality shaving. It 

was almost effortless, and very minimal 

pressure needed to ensure a smooth shave. I 

usually ended up with cuts, especially around 

my neck area, but the safety razor has kept 

my neck blood-free. 

The shaving brush is made of synthetic 

nylon, but it’s still feel extremely soft. I used 

it with the Albion shaving soap that came 

with the box, and it lathered up pretty nicely. 

The best part about the brush is that it’s easy 

to clean with just a flick, and place it 

downwards and let dry. The Albion shaving 

soap is bergamot, lavender and grapefruit so 

it smells amazing. It’s loaded with 

moisturizing and nourishing ingredients to 

whip up a healthy lather. I appreciate the 

simple and natural ingredients which are a 

blend of essential oils and lavender versus 

the 25 or so manufactured ingredients that 

are hard to pronounce in my old shave gel 

aerosol can that smell so artificial. 

I then finish off the shave with the aftershave 

balm from Skin Stuff 4 Blokes. This is 

ideal for me as I have really dry skin that are 

prone to cuts and nicks. Balms are ultra 

lubricating and stay towards the surface of 

the skin, which is especially important postshave 

when it is in dire need of protective 

and soothing elements, especially when it’s 

equipped with Aloe Vera. Because it’s 97.5% 

natural, you never have to worry about 

putting too much, even with acne prone skin. 

For just about $32 a month (cheaper with 

12 months prepaid subscription), you’ll get 

an amazing, well-curated box so you don’t 

have to spend hours looking online or in 

stores. The best part, you’ll get different 

products each month, and there will be no 

repeats. That way you’ll get to try as many 

products as possible! 

Visit www.thepersonalbarber.com 

and get your first box! 

27


LOOKING FRESH AS HELL 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 


LEAVE IT UP TO TRIUMPH & DISASTER TO GIVE 

YOUR SKIN THE FOOD IT NEEDS 


First tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Well I used to play cricket for New Zealand, 

but that was a long time ago. I play guitar but 

have my own sense of timing. I like reading 

and Jazz, usually at the same time. I’m 

passionate about making natural skin care 

and changing the game for our fans so that 

they have a better experience. 

How did you go from being an athlete to 

founding a skincare company? 

Well truth is I was always a closet user. So 

really it was just part of the process of 

coming clean. But I mostly used womens 

brands and although these worked fine on my 

skin and for my needs they did not connect 

with me on an aesthetic or brand level. So I 

set out to change that and create a range that 

I could connect with, and I thought that this 

would resonate with others as well. So it was 

really that simple, plus I am basically 

unemployable so it was easier to start a 

business that take direction. 

Tell us about the company and its name. We 

can’t help but be intrigued by this unique 

(and badass!) name. 

Triumph & Disaster comes from a poem my 

father gave me when i was about 13 called 

‘IF’ by Rudyard Kipling. The poem is advice 

from a father to his son on how to be a man. It 

is about humility, honour, risk and reward. 

The actual line is, ‘if you can meet with 

Triumph & Disaster and treat those two 

imposters just the same’ and the last line of 

the poem is you’ll be a man my son. So it's a 

kind of personal nod to my dad, its also a 

great looking name on its own, but has this 

nice meaning that is cool to discover, plus it 

kinda sums up my life. 

How long does it take to create one product 

and how do you know when you have the 

perfect ingredients? What was the “ah-ha!” 

moment? 

Great question, and a hard one to answer. We 

have left many grand ideas for formulations 

on the cutting room floor. In many cases we 

got to the end having made the product and 

simply decided that it was no good. So we 

28



AAAA 

have a very high bar for ourselves, in that 

once we have a final formulation in our hand, 

if we do not think it's improving the category 

we don’t make it. So as far as aha moments go 

they happen in stages, firstly in identifying 

what we can make that adds to the range and 

serves our client base best. Then from an 

ingredients standpoint you will research and 

find a combination of ingredients that no one 

has put together before and that together 

can deliver the performance you want. 

Finally we need to answer the question , have 

we improved on what is already available? 

But assuming it all goes well generally 

speaking you can get a product to market in 

about 9 to 12 months. 

What advice would you give to people on 

skincare regime for the summer? 

Well it's always a three step process for me; 

Prepare, refine and protect. That means 

clean and exfoliate regularly using either 

Ritual face cleanser and/or rock n Roll suicide 

face scrub. The key to doing any job well is 

preparation and looking after your skin is the 

same - so keep it clean, get rid of old dead 

skin and oil build up through regular cleaning. 

Refine means shaving and toning, using 

natural shave creams and toners that do not 

use alcohol or menthol. These are both 

irritants and have no right on your skin. 

Check out our ‘old fashioned shave cream’ 

and keep an eye out for our toner soon to be 

released - you heard it here first! 

For someone who has never used skincare 

products, where do they start? 

Cleaning and moisturising - both these things 

will change your world. Bt keep the products 

you use natural, it really does make a 

difference in how they interact with your 

skin and ultimately how they make you feel. 

Synthetics are exactly that - synthetic. 

And get yourself into a routine with a few 

daily rituals, take the time to enjoy the 

process, think of it as time out from the 

machine. 

Lastly, any plans of expansion for the brand? 

What about you personally? 

We have naturally evolved to a unisex space 

which excites us as it gives us a wider 

audience to speak to. We are still super 

excited about the category and the products 

we are making and we believe we have a 

sincere take on the industry. That is, that it 

needs a shake and a good dose of honesty 

and logic. So we are pushing the anti, antiageing 

campaign, because anti ageing is 

nothing more than bollocks, faux science and 

fear based marketing that needs a jab in the 

ribs. We want to sell health and skincare 

solutions that make our customers feel great 

and we believe the secret to staying young is 

about attitude not about tibetan calf 

placenta (too much?). So yes lots of plans for 

expansion - watch this space. 

Visit www.triumphanddisaster.com 


@triumphanddisaster 

29


LOOK BETTER THIS SUMMER 

WITH THE LATEST IN GROOMING PRODUCTS 

30


1) Duke Cannon Big Ass Tank Soap; 2) Molton Brown Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel Grooming 

Set; 3) Oars + Alps Full Kit (Active Man Hydrating and Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer and Eye 

Cream, Active Man Odor Blocking Deodorant Aluminum Free, Active Man Power Cleansing Face 

Stick); 4) Carbon Coco Activated Carcoal Toothpaste; 5) Tom Ford Vert D`encens Eau De Parfum; 

6) Brickell Purifying Charcoal Face Wash; 7) Rock & Roll Suicide – Volcanic Ash & Green Clay 

Face Scrub; 8) R + Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste 

31



ASK A MAN WHO KNOWS 

TOP TIPS FOR BEARD GROOMING WITH DANIEL MAHONY OF 

THE GROOMED MAN CO. 



I grew up in Bunbury, a country town in 

Western Australia and moved to Perth to 

study commerce at university. Eventually I 

realised it wasn’t for me and that I wanted to 

move to Melbourne, and in 2008 I packed up 

and moved. My background is in the 

franchising and food industry, which is 

interesting considering what I’m doing now, 

but I think it takes an outsider to shake things 

up a bit. As a child I had a lot of problems with 

eczema and a range of other skin issues, so I 

spent a lot of time in my teens to mid-20’s 

going to dermatologists and learning about 

skincare and haircare products. Other than 

that, I’m a typical 30 year old guy who 

probably works too much, sleeps too little, 

and can’t party like my former 21 year old 

self. I’m also trying to own the worlds most 

expensive dog, we’re up to 23 visits to the vet 

in the first year! 


skincare/grooming industry? 

I was travelling around the US in 2013 with a 

freshly grown beard, and when I arrived to 

NYC I was welcomed by a friend with some 

gifts, of which included beard oil. I really 

loved the product, as it solved a lot of the 

common problems of growing a beard such 

as dry, itchy and flaky skin. On arrival home 

there really wasn’t any local options so I 

decided to take my love of oil products and 

make my own blends. This eventually turned 

into my friends asking for it, and their friends, 

so I decided to work with Australia’s leading 

manufacturer in oil products to take my 

home formula and have it professionally 

developed and manufactured. 

TEA, mineral oils, microbeads or synthetic 

fragrance and we proudly display all our 

ingredients instead of a select few. I’m 

fortunate to work with some of the best 

minds in the field for formulation and 

manufacturing, who appreciate and are 

excited by my constant drive to challenge the 

way things have always been done. Without 

them my brand and ideas would be nothing 

What grooming mistakes do you often see 

guys make? 

I think grooming is a really personal thing, 

and each person is different, so it’s hard to 

say what someone does is wrong. However, a 

big mistake men make is ignoring their body 

and focusing on their face only. Your body 

makes up most of your skin, so why not look 

after it? My only other advice to men is to 

keep their grooming routine simple, but 

effective. Select products that cover all your 

bases (face, body and hair) and ask the 

company questions so you know more about 

what you’re buying! 

Tell us about the process of developing the 

products. 

Most products take 14-24 months to develop 

but my process has always remained the 

same, with a customer over cost approach in 

everything we do. We want to create 

products that look, feel and act differently, 

instead of relying on marketing to sell it 

because we know that if what’s in the bottle 

doesn’t speak volumes, our customers won’t 

come back. We refuse to use any parabens, 

phthalates, PEG's, sulphates, silicones, DEA, 

What is the plan of expansion for the brand? 

I've finalised 6 new formulations that have 

been in development since 2015 and we 

hope to release as many of them before 

Xmas as possible to fill the gaps in our range. 

It won't be an easy task, but they'll be a game 

changer for us. Our focus is educating men 

on products, to be fussy when it comes to 

ingredients, to look past the marketing spin 

and see what the brand really stands for. 

Lastly, we want to continue growing our 

retail footprint across international markets! 

32


Morning Wood Beard Oil 

Cool Cola Hair and Beard 

Shampoo and Conditioner 

These are some key steps you can take to 

avoid your beard becoming dry, itchy, rough 

and unmanageable. 

Step 1 

Calm down on the hot water when showering 

as it removes a lot of the natural oils and 

contributes to the skin becoming dry 

underneath. 

Step 2 

Condition the beard more than you shampoo. 

Using a shampoo 1-2 times a week is more 

than enough, and on alternate nights you can 

condition. Using an effective and gentle 

beard shampoo is a great way to wash the 

beard. Ours contains no parabens, 

phthalates, PEG's, sulphates, silicones, 

glycols, mineral oils or synthetic fragrance. 

Step 3 

Rinse and dry the beard completely when 

getting out of the shower. Leaving water dry 

in your beard absorbs the moisturise from 

the skin which leads to 'beardruff' (dry, flaky 

skin). 

Step 4 

Apply a natural and high quality beard oil 

after a shower to restore the skin barrier and 

promote healthy growing conditions. At all 

costs, avoid synthetic fragrance and stick to 

beard oils that use high quality and organic 

oils where possible. 

Step 5 

Comb and trim your beard regularly, and 

don't be afraid to visit a barber you trust to 

keep everything in check! 

Step 6 

An odd one, but ensure you're sleeping on 

clean linen as your pillowcase collects dust, 

dirt and bacteria, all of which could be 

working their way into your beard and skin. 

Step 7 

Eat well, exercise and stay hydrated (a little 

bit of beer doesn't hurt!) 

Visit www.thegroomedmanco.com 

33


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

CHANGING 

THE WAY YOU 

TRAVEL 

NO ONE DOES SUITCASES 

BETTER THAN BUGABOO 


Rolling luggage is both a blessing and a curse 

for hurried travelers. While we no longer need 

gym-toned biceps to heft our sundries 

through the airport, the slightest misstep can 

send a two-wheeled suitcase rocking and 

spinning into an uncontrollable disaster. 

Thankfully for us, Bugaboo is here. 

Already popularly known as producing the 

best pushchairs for infants and toddlers, 

Bugaboo continues to impress us. Its latest 

addition, the world's first travel system called 

the Bugaboo Boxer rocks our socks off. Here's 

our thoughts: GENIUS! 

A rolling suitcase is inherently wobbly 

because the force we apply at the handle is 

misaligned with the wheels. But the Bugaboo 

Boxer is completely different than your 

standard suitcase. You can easily steer it out 

front or pull it behind. The Bugaboo Boxer is 

made to move however you move. Its push 

steering and two-wheel pull create a glide so 

effortless, it almost feels like you're not 

traveling with luggage at all. And thus the end 

of the wobbly suitcase era. Just. Like. That. 

If you think that's all it does, then you're 

sorely mistaken. The suitcase itself is built 

with an integrated daypack that disguises as a 

liner, which means you're already traveling 

with two case at once. This daypack can be 

easily unzipped from the case and used as a 

day bag at the destination. And when you're 

ready to leave, you can pack all your souvenirs 

and reattach it on the outside of the case with 

its easy click-on feature. 

While most companies are busy figuring out 

what else they can add onto a suitcase (such 

as built-in weighing scale and power supply), 

Bugaboo solved the problem by attacking the 

34


AAA 


clicked into a cube. By that we mean, the 

wheels can be stowed away to turn the 

suitcase into non-rolling object. The whole 

system is just so smooth, and so natural to 

use. Although it comes with a guide book, we 

didn't even bother to go through them as it's 

so user-friendly. 

Our only reservation is that the cabin case 

isn’t light, weighing in at 5.2kg empty when 

combined with the chassis. But we didn't 

mind it since it's completely changed the way 

we travel, and the way we pack as well. The 

large case however was ideally sized and 

surprisingly light even when filled to capacity. 

Bugaboo Boxer suitcases are extremely 

attractive, and the handful of innovative 

features included are sure to attract both 

weary travelers and early adopters. If all goes 

well, who knows, the company might just 

venture into connected technology to make 

traveling a little less of a chore. But whatever 

it is, Bugaboo Boxer has completely changed 

the suitcase industry. 

design. You can easily attach a smaller cabin 

case onto a larger case and still only push one 

luggage. No more fumbling around with two 

rolling suitcases and the best part, you can 

push the Boxer with just one hand. 

In addition, it also has a dedicated 

removable laptop case that's big enough for a 

laptop, more electronic devices and essential 

travel documents that needs to be readilyaccessed. 

How's that for modular? 

To top it all off, the whole case can be 

Ready to own a Bugaboo Boxer? Head to 

www.bugaboo.com and follow their journey on 

Instagram: @bugabooluggage 

35



NEW ORLEANS, 

HERE WE COME! 

THE HISTORICAL CITY COMES TO 

LIFE AT NIGHT, BUT ITS BUILDINGS 

ARE NOT WITHOUT THEIR 

INTERESTING PAST 

RIDDLED WITH 

MYSTERIES 

New Orleans is so many amazing things at 

once. Old and new. Elegant and bawdy. 

Urban and tropical. Loud, and yet also 

beautifully and peacefully silent. There is 

sadness, but also so much humor. And there 

is a heat that flows through, swirling around 

and pulling you along, encouraging you to 

taste and experience as much as you can. It's 

lusty. It's indulgent. 

It’s low season in New Orleans from June to 

September, which is great for sightseeing 

without the crowd. If you love music, New 

Orleans is indeed for you. To say that music is 

everywhere in New Orleans is to state the 

obvious, but it still bears repeating. Indeed, 

author Michael Murphy reports there are 

more than 100 live-music venues in the 

Crescent City. He also notes that you can 

hear live music at a jazz brunch, in hotel 

lobbies, on dinner cruises and even in 

bowling alleys. Of course, music is heard in 

the city's many clubs, bars, dance halls and 

juke joints. 

Before we get into that, let’s focus on 

exploring the city first. Our favourite? Its 

buildings, particularly at the French Quarter. 

It's best to start your exploration of the 

quarter outside Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop at 

941 Bourbon Street which, like so much of 

the Big Easy is now a bar with a wonderfully 

36



AAAA 

bad piano and dubious drinks. It looks like it's 

about to fall down, but in fact it's been there 

since before 1772, when this low-rise 

property first changed hands. French pirates 

Jean and Pierre Lafitte are supposed to have 

lived here. 

Leaving the bar, walk south down Bourbon 

Street and turn right into Royal Street. Look 

out for the cast-iron fence that surrounds 

number 915, a New Orleans landmark and 

testimony to the 19th-century wealth of this 

city. 

Constructed in 1834, this palisade is more 

famous than the hotel it protects because it 

was cast – and then painted – to look like a 

forest of cornstalks. Enter the gates and 

pause for a drink at the Cornstalk Hotel 

where they'll tell you that writer Harriet 

Beecher Stowe, a guest here, visited the 

nearby slave markets and was moved to 

write Uncle Tom's Cabin. This may be a touch 

of embroidery, Harriet's brother Charles 

having written to her about the slave market. 

On the other side of the street stand the 

three Miltenberger Houses about which 

there is no historical doubt. In 1838 Widow 

Miltenberger commissioned numbers 900, 

906 and 910 as a block of houses wrapped 

around by graceful balconies on two floors. 

Mrs Miltenberger's favourite granddaughter 

Alice is a New Orleans heroine. Not only did 

she become a duchess on marrying the Duke 

de Richelieu in 1875, but after his death she 

became the second wife of Albert I of 

Monaco and thereby the nearest thing to 

royalty you'll find in the French Quarter. 

History is jumbled up in this part of the 

quarter. Cross the junction of Royal Street 

and Dumaine Street and you lurch further 

back in time. Today Papier e Plume, an 

37


upmarket stationery shop, stands on this 

corner. But in 1814 a young boy called 

Charles Gayerré stood on the balcony of 842 

Royal Street to watch General Andrew 

Jackson lead his troops out to fight the 

besieging British army. Gayerré would go on 

to become the great 19th-century historian 

of Louisiana, recording this and many more 

events. 

Turning round and heading back east down 

Royal Street, you pass the pretty house of 

19th-century architect James Gallier Jr at 

number 1132 with its delicate apple-green 

balcony. Almost next door at 1140 is the 

LaLaurie House, the most notorious building 

in the Quarter. In the 1830s Mrs Delphine 

LaLaurie dazzled New Orleans with her 

parties, but she was suspected of brutally 

mistreating her slaves. 

When a fire broke out in 1834, rescuers 

found seven slaves chained up by neck and 

leg in a smoke-filled room. Delphine had 

meanwhile escaped to France where she 

later died. Her body was returned in secrecy 

to New Orleans, but ghost tours of the city 

claim you can still hear screams emanating 

from the LaLaurie House late at night. 

In 2007 it was bought by Nicolas Cage for 

$3.45m. The actor said he liked the idea of 

owning the "Most Haunted House in 

America", although he no longer owns the 

property. 

Turning south down Governor Nicholls 

Street and right into Chartres Street, the 

neighborhood becomes increasingly 

residential and indeed reverential. At 618 

Governor Nicholls, Saint Francesca Cabrini 

(the first US citizen to be canonized) kept a 

school for orphans in the 1890s and at 

number 1100 stands one of the city's oldest 

buildings, the serene, box-hedged Ursuline 

Convent dating from 1752. 

This was the first nunnery in the state of 

Louisiana and remains the oldest continuallyoperated 

Catholic school in the United 

States, an extreme contrast to the cheerful, 

lager-swilling decadence party street two 

blocks to the north. 

But enough about history, let’s jump to the 

fun bits. Music and alcohol go hand-in-hand, 

so why not beat the heat with some cocktails 

and moves? Our good friends at Thrillist 

compiled these bars just for you so get on it! 

38

39 

//2017 SUMMER//COMMON


TROPICAL ISLE 

Home of the Hand Grenade, touted as the 

"world's most powerful mixed drink," 

which tastes like Midori, sugar, and pure 

grain alcohol. Do NOT have more than 

one. The balcony's worth a visit, however. 

600 Bourbon Street 

GALATOIRE'S 33 BAR & STEAK 

Adjacent to one of the most famous 

restaurants in New Orleans, 33 is 

Galatoire's new steakhouse. If you're 

looking for a cold beer or cocktail in an 

elegantly masculine room where you can 

still watch the game on a pair of huge flatscreens, 

this is your place. 


BOURBON "O" 

Refreshingly, there's no neon here, but 

actual candles for ambient lighting. Also 

refreshing is the list of well-curated New 

Orleans classic cocktails, plus an Abita 

root beer float with rum and cream 

cheese ice cream. 


BOURBON PUB & PARADE 

The only gay nightclub in NOLA that's 

open 24/7. FYI. 


40


SAINTS & SINNERS 

If Channing Tatum were to open a bar on 

Bourbon Street... wait, that's not a 

hypothetical. Channing Tatum DID open a 

Bourbon Street club, and this is it. It's a 

stylized version of a Victorian bordello, 

only, you know, more modern and stuff 

with a swanky VIP section, if that's your 

jam. 


LAFITTE'S BLACKSMITH SHOP 

This is the oldest structure that's served 

as a bar in America, and you can tell by all 

the charming old stone and wood. Expect 

a mixture of old and new, lighting by both 

candles and video poker machines. 

Beware the "purple drank," Lafitte's 

signature daiquiri. 


OLD ABSINTHE HOUSE 

Dating back to 1806, it's an old Bourbon 

Street favorite. Famous patrons have included 

Oscar Wilde, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, 

General Robert E. Lee, Franklin Roosevelt, 

AND Liza Minnelli. The copper bar is a sight to 

see. And, yes, it has plenty of absinthe for you. 


MUSICAL LEGENDS PARK 

Statues of Louis Armstrong, Pete 

Fountain, and more welcome you to this 

little garden jazz oasis. This is the kind of 

place you'd want to bring your parents if 

you happen to have them tagging along 

while you're on Bourbon Street (for some 

reason). 


41


RECLAIM YOUR BAGGAGE SPACE 

WITH CABINZERO, IT'S THE ONLY BACKPACK YOU'LL EVER NEED 



CABINZERO is the best backpack I’ve ever 

owned. It has the perfect amount of 

compartments, it's huge and it's also 

extremely durable. When I leave the house, 

the bag goes with me. It’s on the road 

whether I travel by train or plane, on my back 

to work around town and generally within a 

few feet of me. 

In addition to carrying everything I need, 

the bag looks amazing. The design is 

perfectly modern, and the materials are top 

notch. The main part of the bag is water 

resistant made of polyester. The zippers are 

lockable with a padlock and are tucked away 

so it's difficult for pickpocketers to reach 

(useful when you're traveling). 

It’s tough to find the right mix of pockets 

and organizational compartments on a 

backpack, but CABINZERO nails it. There is a 

vertical zippered compartment on the 

outside suitable for random stuff that needs 

to be accessed or added last minute. Inside, 

the mesh zippered pocket at the top is a 

handy place to put important documents. 

The bottom zippered compartment is 

suitable for electronics or wires and cables. 

The main compartment is wide open and 

can fit quite a bit. And when I say quite a bit, I 

mean a lot. I can store as much as two weeks 

worth of clothing and still able to pack 

souvenirs from trips. A separate elastic 

compartment reveals a spot for your laptop 

and tablet. You can easily fit a 15-inch laptop 

with room to spare. 

What I like about this bag is that it opens 

flat and wide as oppose to the normal top- 

loader style backpacks. If you have to check 

in this bag, it's good to note that it's 

completely TSA compliant. The only 

improvement we could ask for is a little more 

padding on the bottom of the laptop section 

to give us peace of mind when setting the bag 

down on hard surfaces. 

The attention to detail starts on the 

outside, and carries through to using the bag 

and importantly carrying it with you. 

Another cool feature that most people often 

take for granted is the top and side handles 

for easy carrying. As if that's enough, all bags 

are built with Global Luggage Tracker 

powered by Okoban. All you have to do is 

register them online and you're all set. 

CABINZERO is not terribly expensive and 

it's available in variety of colors and styles. If 

you're like me, then you love to organize 

your clothes into packed cubes. For that, 

packing cubes in three sizes are available for 

extra cost. Although this bag is durable, it's 

good to know that they have included a 10- 

year warranty and if you give them a 'like' on 

their Facebook page, that warranty will 

automatically be extended to 25 years. 

Visit www.cabinzero.com 

to purchase and extend your warranty at 

www.facebook.com/CabinZero 

42



AAA 

STINK-FREE OUTDOORSING 

NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT UNBOUND MERINO 


When summer hits, people go bonkers. A 

typical sunny Saturday might consist of rock 

climbing in the morning, longboarding in the 

afternoon, and grabbing a six-pack before 

paddling out to a distant beach to watch the 

sunset. 

Your cotton thrift store tee isn’t going to 

cut it on days like these. Thankfully, a new 

breed of synthetic wool shirts offers a 

lightweight, tough, breathable, and stinkresistant 

alternative. Combining the durable, 

sweat-wicking qualities of synthetic nylon 

with the super-soft, odor-killing abilities of 

Merino wool, these shirts raise the bar for 

blended synthetic tees. For several weeks, I 

took Unbound Merino running, rock 

climbing, tooling about town, and through 

the most grueling endurance test of all—the 

washing machine. 

Upon first trying the shirt, what was 

immediately clear was just how comfortable 

it actually is. Not only is it relatively light in 

weight due to their mostly Merino build, but 

the shirt hugged my body pleasantly. The 

shirt has a unique ability that stretched and 

tightened perfectly with my every move. 

While this makes even the simple act of 

walking a positive experience, running and 

sweating in them proved even more 

enjoyable. 

Over the course of the few weeks, my 

Unbound Merino shirt proved to be more 

than capable gym buddy. As I spent time at 

the gym, and simply commuting to and from 

work, there never appeared to be an instance 

in which the shirt weren’t a viable clothing 

option. It is minimalistic and stylish, so 

they’re also a great fit for anyone looking to 

wear them as part of their casual attire. 

Because of the odor-free nature of the 

material, it stays clean and fresh for longer 

days, sometimes even weeks. It's a great 

travel buddy, which means you spend less 

time packing and on check-in luggage fees. 

Even when you wash it, it's very stress-free 

as it dries extremely fast and best of all, 

wrinkle-free. 

Unbound Merino comes in shirt, socks and 

underwear so you can have all the comfort 

you want in the places that really need them. 

The overall comfort coupled with the fact 

that they all just looked good had me 

enjoying my time wearing them all week long. 

It may not necessarily appeal to everyone but 

for anyone looking for a versatile clothes at a 

reasonable price, these are as good a choice 

as any. 

Visit www.unboundmerino.com 


@unboundmerino 

43


BRING ON YOUR WILD AND 

GLAMOROUS SIDE THIS 

SUMMER AT HOTEL 

ZOO BERLIN 

SPOIL YOURSELF THIS SUMMER AND ESCAPE FROM HEAT WITH FUN 

AND LUXURIOUS STAY AT THIS ANIMALISTIC HOTEL 


44



AAAA 

The Hotel Zoo Berlin was built in 1891 as a 

private residence for a well-heeled Prussian 

architect, and now sandwiched in-between 

an Apple store and Hugo Boss. The building 

itself survived two world wars, and then rose 

from the ashes when it became the official 

hotel for guests of the Berlin International 

Film Festival in the 50s. 

With clienteles such as Grace Kelly and 

Sophia Loren, it’s no wonder that the hotel 

has such artistic with a luxurious twist feel to 

it. As I entered the lobby, I was greeted with 

by monochrome leopards sprawled on the 

jade green carpet that led to reception. It was 

a brilliant homage to the name of the hotel, 

and very apt indeed. In case you didn’t know, 

Berlin has an amazing zoo located just 

nearby, which added to this hotel’s charm. 

Two themes are at play in Hotel Zoo. The 

first is obvious: animals. You’ll notice them 

everywhere. The other theme, silver screen. 

Not that there’s an actual silver-lined screen, 

the theme focuses more on old school 

Hollywood glamour. You’ll notice this as you 

entered the elevator, where you’ll be greeted 

with “paparazzies”. Flashes of lights from the 

wall of the elevator served as these fake 

paparazzies that will make you feel 

glamorous, especially when you’re on the 

way to a party. Very Instagram-worthy too, 

and can be proven from my 100s (yes, 

hundreds) of photos taken inside this 

elevator alone. 

The hotel lobby is a reminiscent of Alice in 

Wonderland, with its huge door in the lobby 

making everything seem miniature. Of 

course, the door is just a cool, massive prop. 

The furniture includes leather-stitched 

hippos and topiary giraffes that peer down on 

the interior courtyard. 

The rest of the living space is complete with 

plush furnishings, indoor brickwork and an 

enormous crystal chandelier. The combos are 

fun and bizarre and certainly in keeping with 

the quirky, animalistic, Hollywood glamor 

theme. 

Although parts of the hotel are sort of a 

mismatch (in a good way), the bedrooms are 

unequivocally elegant. My room is larger 

than your standard hotel room, but the 

45



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 

layout is extremely bizarre. Upon entry, I was 

greeted by a small living room with classic leather 

armchairs. 

Then, a small walkway led me to the bedroom, 

where the magic really is. Big windows overlooking 

the courtyard, walls are shades of white and beige, 

but the shocking red ruby drapes that’s taking the 

limelight of the room. Simply the embodiment of the 

50s glamor. 

On the walls, the artwork is a fun mix: a tastefully 

done nude shot as if overlooking into someone else’s 

window, and another in the bathroom with a creepy 

bunny reminiscing of Donnie Darko. Don’t worry, 

the bathroom is big enough that you won’t notice it 

staring at you while you shower. 

The bed is comfier than any king-size bed I’ve ever 

slept in, and the pillow is fluffed up to my liking. It 

also didn’t hurt that I get to sleep in the most 

expensive night robe ever, with Maison Martin 

Margiela’s brand slapped on the tag. Is this how 

Hollywood stars spend their nights at luxury hotels? 

Because I certainly didn’t want to leave after 

46


spending a night at the hotel. 

Daring and distinctive, Hotel Zoo Berlin shows 

through in the flamboyance, plus quirky touches that 

sets it apart from other hotel in its range. If you’re 

planning to go wild this summer while still looking 

like a star, this is the place to be seen at. Who knows, 

you might bump into a star or two during your stay. 

Hotel Zoo Berlin 

Address: Kurfürstendamm 25, 10719 Berlin 

Website: www.hotelzoo.de 

Phone: 030 884370 

Instagram: @hotelzooberlin 

47



MASTER OF FOOD 

GOODBYE CHEF'S TABLE, HELLO BEST MEAL EVER 


Modena is a small town in Italy, which these 

days is famous as the home of Ferrari, but 

also has a university dating back to 1175 

(older than Cambridge, but a little younger 

than Oxford). The town is situated in the Po 

valley, just over 100km south of Verona. 

Here, the world’s best restaurant sits 

quietly on Via Stella, offering patrons like us a 

food experience like never before. Osteria 

Francescana, owned and run by Chef 

Massimo Bottura, is a three-star Michelin 

star restaurant since 2012. We managed to 

book a couple of seats (half a year in 

advance!) and had the best meals of our lives. 

Now, I won’t be describing the taste of the 

food as I’m afraid l won’t do it justice, but so 

I’ll let the pictures do the talking. 

At the door, three men in black suits call us 

in, with smiles. The building is ancient but all 

scrubbed out. The carpets are brown; the 

walls are grey. They brought us a to small 

room which only had four tables – cosy and 

bright as it was during lunch time – and a 

large abstract painting anchored the room. It 

could easily be mistaken as an art gallery, one 

might assume. 

First, they bring bread: hot, brown bread 

with a hard crust, and the best olive oil I have 

ever had, thin and sharp as needles. We 

chose the ‘Everything’ course, which is a 10- 

course menu (not including three 

complements from the chef to start). We also 

opted for the wine pairing, which was a 

mixture of reds, whites, a bottle of local beer, 

and a cocktail. Suffice to say, we were buzzed 

after three hours of sitting and eating and 

drinking. 

Out of the 10 dishes, my favourite was 

definitely the Five Ages of Parmigiano 

Reggiano in different textures and 

temperatures. So many complex flavours 

mingling with each other as it hit my tongue, 

48


Oops, I Dropped the 

Lemon Tart 

Five Ages of 

Parmigiano Reggiano 

Tagliatelle al ragù 

and my palate was struggling to figure out 

this newfound taste structure. It simply can’t 

register it, I just knew it was pretty damn 

delicious. 

Then there was the dessert. Bottura’s most 

well-known dish is the dessert called “Oops! I 

Dropped the Lemon Tart”. It comes on a plate 

made to look like it’s been smashed and then 

glued together by a three-year-old. Wearing 

mittens. The smashed tart (artfully flicked on 

to the plate, finished with lemongrass ice 

cream and then topped with a broken 

biscuity pastry disc) is the delicious chaos of 

the south of Italy, they say. 

I’m still grinning days later at the memory of 

this meal. Eating Michelin three-star food on 

mismatched granny plates has been like 

having an opera singer taking to the stage at 

a karaoke session. It’s a meal like the man 

himself: clever, funny and more than a little 

bit fabulous. 

49



PERFECT TIMING 

NIKLAS DAHLGREN IS ON A MISSION TOWARDS BUILDING THE PERFECT 

MODULAR WATCH WITH BOOM WATCHES 


First, tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Born and raised on the coastline of the 

Swedish West Coast, temporarily settled 

down in Stockholm for the last 15 years. A 

proud father of three lovely children, a 

fortunate husband to a supportive adorable 

wife with an amazing heart. I have always 

been a restless soul, spending majority of my 

last 25 years working with different projects 

i.e. everything from a short career as 

politician to bartender at trendy bars. 

Whatever I have done, I have always ended 

up going back to the fashion industry 

somehow. Efficient, logical and street smart 

as a person with a unique ability to identify 

efficiencies and business opportunities. Love 

to challenge traditional ways of doing 

business. Believe everything is possible. 

I understand that you were in fashion watch 

industry, what was lacking in the industry 

that led to the creation of Boom Watches? 

After a long day on the road selling watches 

in Sweden in the 90’s, I felt disillusioned by 

what I had been selling and frustrated by the 

lack of watch options available for people 

who wanted to wear a timepiece for both the 

practical ability to tell the time and as a 

fashion statement. At this moment, I sold 

watches under the brand name “Storm of 

London” in the Scandinavian market. The 

collection contained mainly steel watches 

with colorful dials and/or crystals. Lovely 

watches, but challenging to match different 

outfits. The available watches just weren’t 

flexible enough to allow users to change 

them to suit their mood, outfit or occasion. 

This was all the inspiration that I needed to 

create Boom Watches! There were no, high 

quality, beautiful watches which enable the 

wearer to have flexibility and a range of 

style, and color options. Almost 20 years 

later, the concept is fully developed. 

Have you always wanted to be in the 

watchmaking industry? Tell us about your 

first ever watch. 

I have never ever had a genuine interest in 

watches, especially not exclusive watches. 

My interest is purely in the fashion segment 

where the watch is affordable and treated as 

an accessory prior to a prestige product. 

There are only a few accessories available 

for men and I believe that watches are one of 

the most important accessories. Despite this, 

I’m surprised to see how few people that 

care about what type of watch they put on 

their wrist, and even more interesting to see 

how often that people do not realize what 

signal their watch gives to the people you 

50



AAAA 

meet. I believe that my first watch must have 

been one of those digital watches, but I really 

do not remember. 

What is the design ethos behind Boom 

Watches? 

BOOM Watches stands for Brand Of Open 

Mind, and I believe that everyone enjoys 

designing their own watches. Each person 

has own style, and meeting people on 

different occasions. They have no time to 

stuck in a watch that doesn’t match to their 

outfit. BOOM Watches let wearers design 

watches themselves to match their style and 

mood to express themselves every single 

moment. I would love to support consumers 

to create their affordable dream fashion 

watches, thus they are our designer! I believe 

that our open mind is exactly the Swedish 

way to create opportunities and give 

possibilities to all who would like to sail with 

us to new adventures. Our watches are 

always happy to spend time together on your 

wrist. Time goes fast and a moment is always 

precious. I’m always inspired by Swedish 

lifestyle and BOOM Watches is its reflection. 

I really love the idea about designing your 

own watch. Tell us what are the best 

combination for these occasions; first date, 

outdoor activity, business meeting. 

The unique thing with BOOM Watches is 

that we have no limitations. Our watches are 

suitable for anyone and any occasion. We will 

launch limited editions for those who search 

for a more prestige product and play- and 

colorful designs for those that love fashion 

and would like to match their watch to daily 

outfit. Having said that, the perfect 

combination comes once our watches are 

carefully matched with the users’ other 

accessories such as belts, scarf, shawls, ties 

or why just not match our “Brinna Midnight” 

with a lovely shirt in matching blue color. 

How will Boom Watches expand from this 

point onwards? What about you personally? 

We would like to establish BOOM Watches 

as the leading fashion accessory. Focus will 

be given to the northern European region 

during 2017 and we plan to expand more 

during 2018. 

Visit www.boomwatches.com 

and follow them on Instagram: @boomwatches 

51



AROUND THE WORLD IN 

ONE WRIST 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU MIX CLASSIC TIMEPIECES WITH YOUR 

FAVORITE EUROPEAN CITIES? 



My name is Ashkan Mirghadiri and I was 

born and raised in a small Swedish town 

known for our chocolate factory. The best 

thing I know is to explore places around the 

world, the joy and learning experience of 

discovering new places is endless and I just 

like many others can’t get enough of it. Aside 

from travels my passions include sports, 

watches and recently my newfound hobby 

piano, which I have yet to master. 


watchmaking industry and what was the 

story behind the brand? 

I still remember the watch that got me 

interested in the watchmaking industry. It 

was a gift from my grandpa and it’s still today 

one of the most valuable watches in my 

collection. Not due to the price but rather 

the sentimental value it holds and the story 

of how I got it. That’s for me the essence of 

what a timepiece actually is. It’s not just a 

timekeeping instrument or even a fashion 

accessory; it’s often a sentimental symbol 

that reminds us of exceptional moments in 

life. When I decided to launch my own brand I 

wanted to embrace this philosophy by 

making the timepieces meaningful. We 

choose to combine our two passions, 

watches and travels, to create something 

unique by design emblematic watches 

inspired by places around the world. 

The Classic - Anniversary Editions are based 

on major cities in Europe. What’s the 

concept behind it and why these cities? Any 

plans to add more cities? 

We choose classic European cities that were 

different from each other. All cities 

(Stockholm, London, Rome & Paris) are 

different yet equally impressive in our eyes. 

Europe was an easy way to start since we’re 

based in Sweden but we’ve also added more 

distant places known for expeditions. Since 

all places we visit is different in both 

architecture and heritage each watch gets 

their own characteristic design. Now we’re 

working on something new that will be 

completely different from what we have 

previously designed. 

52


How do you choose which materials to be 

used when designing and manufacturing the 

watches? 

No matter if you’re climbing Mont Blanc, 

sailing past Portofino or white-water rafting 

in Fiume Noce all true explorers know the 

importance of quality equipment during 

adventures. It could actually be the 

difference between life and death. Although 

a watch probably won’t save your life, quality 

is a serious matter for us. That’s why we only 

use premium material such as surgical grade 

steel, calfskin leather and sapphire crystal 

glass to make sure all our watches handles 

the pressure during adventures. 

What do you hope to achieve with the 

company within this year? Any plans of 

expansion? 

With happy customers from Hong Kong in 

east to LA in west we’ve started to build an 

active community of design loving 

globetrotters online, during our two years 

we’ve never had a single international return. 

We hope to keep building our team by 

expanding to new parts of the world. You can 

find our watches on three different 

continents and we provide worldwide home 

deliveries via our online boutique 

amantwatches.com, the goal is to have 

entered with physical stores in the last 

continents by the end of the year. 

Visit www.amantwatches.com 

and follow their Instagram: @amantwatches 

53



A NEW SPIN ON PERSONAL 

THEATER 

EDWARD TANG IS THE MASTERMIND BEHIND AVEGANT GLYPH, 

YOUR NEW PORTABLE THEATER SET 


First, tell us a little bit about yourself and 

your role in the company. 

I’m Edward Tang, CTO and Founder of 

Avegant. Before Avegant, I did a lot of 

research in the biomedical space, including 

how to interface cutting-edge 

micromechanical and micro-electrical 

technologies with the human body. 

What was the inspiration behind the Glyph? 

Why was it created? 

At the time, we were all consuming more and 

more media on mobile devices but trying to 

watch a movie on your four-inch phone was a 

crappy experience. You could get great audio 

in your headphones, but there wasn’t a 

solution for video and we set out to solve 

that issue. 

The design of the Glyph is very futuristic. 

Tell us about the journey from design 

manufacturing. 

We knew that it was already difficult enough 

to get someone to wear a device on their 

face, especially in public. We wanted to 

create a design that was familiar, so it didn’t 

look completely alien. It looked like a pair of 

headphones, but it was intuitive to use. It 

also helped that many of our users are 

travelers who like consolidating multiple 

devices into one for convenience sake. 

What was the best and what was the most 

difficult part along that journey? 

I would say the best part about competing is 

being involved in the growth of this industry 

and being in the middle of this revolution. 

We’ve always known the future of computing 

is a wearable device and it’s amazing to be a 

part of that process and driving where the 

industry is going. That being said, every day 

is a difficult day. There are challenges in 

being a startup and one is that you’re 

constantly putting out fires. You have to 

wear a lot of hats in a small company and I 

think that’s one of the most difficult parts 

about starting something from the ground 

up. 

Aside from its inevitable demographic 

(movie-lovers, drone-pilots), who else uses 

the Glyph? 

The third largest Glyph user category is 

people using it as an extension of their 

54


"...the best part 

about competing is 

being involved in 

the growth of this 

industry and being 

in the middle of this 

revolution." 

computers. Our retinal imaging technology 

not only allows them to have a crystal-clear 

image for movies and drones, but also to 

view content on their smartphones and 

computers. For instance, people use Glyphs 

on planes to view content privately. 

Any plans of expansion for the product/ 

company this year? 

Development is never ending here and our 

excitement around Light Field is a big 

indication of that. We’re not ready yet to 

release product roadmap plans, but cuttingedge 

mixed reality technology is a big deal 

for us, so sit tight. 

What about you personally? How are you 

growing with the company? 

When we launched initially, I couldn’t have 

imagined we’d be here today. Every once in a 

while, you look back and realize, holy crap, I 

can’t believe how far we’ve all come. 

Imagining the opportunities that we’ve 

created, the technologies we’ve created and 

then looking ahead… it’s always really 

exciting and it’s on the job learning to the 

next order of magnitude. People can talk 

about dreams from afar; we’re fortunate 

enough to be making cool things happen 

every day. 

Visit www.avegant.com and follow their 

Instagram: @avegant 

55


WARDROBE EMPORIUM 

THIS SUMMER'S LATEST FOR YOUR SARTORIAL ARSENAL 

56


LEFT: Wundrwatch, www.wundrstore.com; C3 Blackout Rose Gold Mesh, www.circulr.co; 1815 

Rose Gold Chronograph, www.about-vintage.com; PURE Nox & Lux, www.kapten-son.com 

RIGHT: #C Sun Black, www.izipizi.com; ONU Stretch Jacket, www.onu.is; No-show socks, 

www.nicelaundry.com; Slim Leather Wallet Costa Rica Greenery, www.cafeleathersupply.com; Cap 

with Oak Brim, www.two-o.com 

57


PUT YOUR BEST CASE ON 

READY TO JAZZ UP YOUR PHONE THIS SUMMER? 

Mujjo Full-Grain Leather Case for 

Galaxy S8; www.mujjo.com 

The case is extremely well made and 

feels very high quality with its fullgrain 

leather. It fits the Galaxy S8 well 

and provides access to all the 

important ports as you would expect. 

The case offers good protection to the 

device and would offer basic 

protection to the sides and rear of the 

device. The case is available in sleek 

cool black and elegant saddle tan. 

Artwizz Smart Jacket; www.artwizz.com 

Unlike other folio cases, the Smart Jacket 

does not add any bulk to the phone while 

still manage to provide an overall protection. 

Although the case does suffer from some 

typical folio issues — you still have to hold 

the flap to the back of the case while using 

the phone, and taking pictures is awkward — 

Artwizz Smart Jacket has done a better job 

than most within the limits of the design. 

58


Hybrid Case Slide (Leaf Pattern); www.gmyle.com 

The case is made of TPU and hard polycarbonate, 

offering full bumper and back protection. Because 

of the high protective function, Hybrid Case Tough 

ensures shock absorption as well. 

Tom iPhone Case; www.woodup.shop 

This is an absolutely gorgeous-looking 

wood with an interesting grain 

pattern. At first glance, it’s a horizontal 

grain blending lighter and darker 

colours, but a closer look reveals a kind 

of mottled overlay. It’s a very 

attractive Cherry wood and also 

available in Chestnut wood, which is 

darker. 

Galaxy S7 Case Flex Pro; www.obliq.com 

This case has a rubberized and texturized design for maximum protection and grip. The corners 

are thick to provide added insulation from bumps and scrapes. Sleek and attractive, the ultra slim 

Flex Pro military grade Galaxy S7 case is not bulky despite it's heavy-duty look. Effortlessly slip on 

the Flex Pro and it will stay on tight due to its secure exact fit molding. 

59

Published by Jungle Bird Media GERMANY junglebirdmedia.com

COMMON MAGAZINE EUROPE - SUMMER 2017

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