ALL HAIL THE MAVERICKS

We have a soft spot for the trailblazers, those courageous souls who dare forge their own uncharted paths, regardless of the risks. Their don’t-give-a-damn, come-what-may attitude is what forces the rest of us to push the envelope in an attempt to emulate their bravery, to get just a sprinkling of that magic stardust that makes these renegades such alluring leaders and risk-takers.

This issue gathers several of these original thinkers. From Michimasa Fujino, CEO of HondaJet who devoted much of his professional life in developing an aircraft that could very well prove to be a game-changer in the industry to his fellow countryman, designer Naoto Fukasawa, whose original way of thinking gave us furniture pieces that are at once iconic and beautiful. Michel Parmigiani, of the Parmigiani watch brand, is both a watchmaker and a restorer of classic timepieces. As such, he has a foot in both worlds and makes use of this insight to create timepieces that hark back to iconic watches while employing cutting-edge technology. There is also Ben Schlappig, whose love for air travel made him find ways to, well, game the system so that he got to travel first and business class all over the world, all while making use of little known strategies to earn air miles. His way of travelling is ingenious and yes, just a tad rebellious, because he bypasses the usual way many of us travel.

And of course, there are those who literally go into hostile territory – like the speed week racers who try to outrace each other in the salt bed of Lake Gairdner, Australia. Their self-declared “sickness for quickness” is matched only by the bravery of the elite soldiers who piloted That’s All, Brother and thus helped give the Allies the victory in World War II, possibly helping to stop the war before even more died.

Yes, we celebrate the rebels, the mavericks, the original thinkers in this issue. They inspire us to try harder, reach farther and think better. They push us to perfection. Here are their stories.