The Rake

The world’s preeminent publication dedicated to the renaissance in gentlemanly sophistication and style, THE RAKE recaptures the codes of classic men’s elegance. Inspired by icons such as Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, the Duke of Windsor, Gianni Agnelli, Sean Connery, and their contemporary counterparts, THE RAKE provides incisive, in-depth commentary on magnificent menswear, and the many other elements of gentlemanly living, from manners and ethics, to art and design, tasteful travel, health and well-being, the intellectual and philosophical, to homes, modes of transport, entertainment, food and drink. THE RAKE is the modern voice of classic elegance.

Letter from the Founder

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Contributors

The Rake SG

arbiter • VITA SASSOON; CRUZ CONTROL; THE WONG DIRECTION; DARED, WON; LIKE FATHER, NOT LIKE SON; I FEEL PITTI; HOUND XOLO; SHAKE SHACK.

SONG OF A DEATHLESS LIFE • Sir Philip Sassoon indicted himself as ‘a thing of naught, a worthless loon’. But this interwar politician, fixer, aesthete and man of mystery was anything but.

‘THE CLOSER I COME TO FINDING WHAT IS REALLY AUTHENTIC, THE LIGHTER I FEEL’ • Ismael Cruz Córdova comes from what he describes as a tough childhood in Puerto Rico. It’s why his success in film and television nowadays is not just for himself.

LET THERE BE LIGHT (AND SHADE) • James Wong Howe overcame ignorance, complacency and racism to become one of the most important figures in the history of cinema. But if you’re not familiar with his work — well, may we offer this as a remedy…

ONWARD, CHRISTIAN SOLDIER • A lesson from the rake’s hard-won experience: don’t try to win an argument with Christian Craighead by asking him to show you his medals. This, to be clear, is what a lifetime of fine military service looks like…

THE CORINTHIAN MAN • In the first of a new series that celebrates the character and calibre of our favourite rakes, Tom Chamberlin honours the man who has taught him everything he knows about la vie raffinée. Introducing Tom’s father, Nick Chamberlin.

WHAT A PITTI • Colour, flash, dash, civility and community… Pitti Uomo is back.

THE BALD SUPREMACY • The clean-shaven look of the Xoloitzcuintle might appear freakish to the narrow of mind, but be in no doubt: this Mexican hound is one of the warmest creatures (literally and figuratively) on the planet.

THE RAKE • THE MODERN VOICE OF CLASSIC ELEGANCE

BIRDIES AND BOGEYS • Cindy Morgan’s eighties breakthrough — as the scene-stealing Lacey Underall in cult screwball comedy Caddyshack — should have prefaced a long and fulfilling Hollywood career…

atelier • INVESTMENT HANKER; THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL.

INVEST • Investments can be unpredictable, but not so with these four winners, which we have handpicked to provide you with sound and secure appreciation — aesthetically, spiritually and financially.

CIFONELLI DREAMS DO COME TRUE • Even Hollywood directors need their own superheroes. Paul Feig’s is a vision in a white double-breasted waistcoat — the French master himself…

articles • THE ACTOR’S ACTOR; SLICKER THAN YOUR AVERAGE; CORINTHIAN STYLE.

‘YOU WOULD THINK THAT AFTER DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS, I’D BE A GENIUS’ • Michael Shannon is still trying to figure out a few things. Minor issues, like, what the hell is America about? And why do our vocations not contain the keys to a simple life? Shannon has recently added a directing credit to his extraordinary acting C.V., but in most other respects he’s just one of us. jeremy huxley sympathises…

THE CAT’S MEOW • In Tokyo, a troupe of vintage-style devotees maintain the sartorial standards of the roaring twenties. Their name is The Cat’s Meow, a term that derives from the United States and refers to something stylish and...