a moment in time
AS WE CONTINUE to search for more precedented times in this most unprecedented of times, it seems more important than ever to really confront the present. In this issue, which we created in the maelstrom of Hong Kong’s wave five, we try to look as unflinchingly as possible at the absurdities the world is living through. We open with our fashion shoot “work hard, play hard” ( page 24), where we examine the realities of working today and how working on-site and remotely have topsy-turvied traditional ideas of work and play. Sometimes it seems going into the office is that last vestige of what we once knew to be normal. There’s no ignoring the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and as a luxury lifestyle magazine, we dive into the luxury response and investigate how brands have responded to a conflict that few saw coming in the aftermath of the Beijing Winter Olympics in “No Sale” ( page 40). Then there’s our interview with designer Glenn Martens of Y-Project fame, exploring his vision for taking his unique radicalism and implementing that into his creative directorship at Diesel and what it means to push boundaries at a mass fashion brand ( page 44). Be it good or bad, the fashion cycle never really gets thrown off-kilter so in some kind of tradition past, we present our seasonal men’s report for spring/summer 2022 ( page 50) and Oscar Wang tells us what timepieces he has his eye on ahead of this year’s Watches & Wonders presentations ( page 78). In features, we’ve compiled stories for those of us who are stuck at home sheltering from plague, from a guide to what foods pair best with whisky and Champagne ( page 112) to what meal plans those of us who can’t bear the thought of cooking subscribe to ( page 116). For the culinary aspiring, we’ve interviewed Christopher Ho, the chef behind @ho_la_ho_sik, on how he went from a Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver programme watcher to bonafide chef ( page 120). Of course, we can’t not talk about our cover – a literal representation of time. It’s a first-in-tech experience that we’re bringing to you but for more, I point you to our creative director Gordon Lam – one half of publishing’s visionaries of the future – for more on the subject. IT’S NOT EVERY day we get to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an icon! Ever since we brought to you our 6th-anniversary NFT-themed issue in March, we’ve been waiting to deliver yet another mouldbreaking, forward-looking cover. We believe that tech integration is the next step in publishing and with our cover, found the perfect opportunity to bridge a legend’s past with its future. What is it to be luxury fast-forward? We think, this is it. Our April cover star continues the theme set by our six NFT covers by bringing our readers and brands something new while embracing the future of technology. We at #legend are proud to present Audemars Piguet’s iconic Royal Oak timepiece with a webAR experience that can only be created through technology in order to tell its own success story. It might look simple on the surface, but it has taken months of preparation and a vast technical know-how. Everything you see relating to the Royal Oak is brought to you by state-of-the-art CGI technology with 3D graphics, down to the minute details in super realistic surroundings. As real as it all may look, it also brings in the heritage elements of this “50 years young” icon. Nothing is more exciting than telling a story through the use of technology and seeing the final result come to life is something we are all proud of at this publication. This has to be one of the most exciting and iconic covers we have done in the history of #legend, and we hope that we can continue to take you, our readers, on a technical journey unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Welcome to a new chapter in #legend’s journey, where we are spotlighting legends across the spectrum. Be they celebrities or celebrated objects – we are going to tell the stories of any icon and you can be sure we’ll tell them in an interesting, thought-provoking way. So, pick up your phone, scan the code on the cover or the inside story, and hold your camera over the images. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!