HEAVY METAL
It may be exalted for its trend-defying endurance, but the Gucci Beloved cast of revered classics is not one to shy away from daring details.
As the Gucci Exquisite collection held a mirror to the phantasmagorical power of fashion, the history-enriched Gucci Beloved line expresses Alessandro Michele’s kaleidoscopic vision of the house’s identity. This season, the Gucci Diana and the Gucci Horsebit 1955 are punctuated with a generous sprinkle of grommets, studs and spikes.
But the sensational standout goes to the Gucci Bamboo 1947 with the full suite of metal hardware, lending a subversive, tough-luxe edge. Oscillating between punk rock and fetish play, the provocative spikes look even more menacing with a row of them lining the bag, and even the iconic bamboo top handle.
Truly, it is an emblem in evolution. Born out of desperate ingenuity, the durable handle has withstood the tides of change over the past 75 years. Scarcity of traditional materials in post-war 1947 led the resourceful Guccio Gucci to the lightweight bamboo. The house’s skilful Florentine artisans deftly conceived the process of crafting the ergonomic curve of the handles forged by a flame. Since then, it has come to symbolise Gucci’s grit in overcoming obstacles, and an innovative spirit that defines its heritage.
Like everything else, motorsport was hit hard by the pandemic. Races stopped, race cars were kept in storage together with tyres, race suits and just about anything to do with motor racing. Simply put, it really was hard to race.
I am only one of a handful of Singaporeans who officiate at international races, and I have been doing so since 2016. In my position, I work with other race stewards – usually another two – to ensure that the race is conducted according to the prescribed regulations and the principles of fair play. If anyone – driver or team – errs, the stewards are tasked with imposing penalties. Often, a penalty can affect the final standings in a race, hence the role carries a high level of responsibility.
Right before 2020, I was the Series Steward for a few race series, most notably being GT World Challenge Asia – a position I have held since end 2017. As its name implies, this series is held at race circuits across Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, China and Japan. When these countries went into lockdown, at various junctures from April 2020 onwards, Benjamin Franassovici, my colleague who is the general manager of SRO (the company that organises GT World Challenge Asia), made the painful decision to cancel the series that year.
Since its inception in 2017, the series has grown incredibly. In 2019, every race featured grids of over 25 GT cars, with drivers of myriad nationalities and experience, piloting cars from Ferrari, Porsche, Mclaren, Lamborghini, Nissan, BMW and Mercedes-amg. That year, we had two ex-formula One drivers competing in the series as well. GT World Challenge was the most popular international race series during that time.
So, in one fell swoop, everything that was painstakingly built ground to a halt. The end of 2020 was followed by even more uncertainty in 2021 and when 2022 started, the borders of Malaysia, China, Thailand and Japan were still restricted in one way or another. This is unlike in Europe or USA, where things were pretty much back to normal. Mind you, Formula One resumed in the second half of 2020, albeit with a reduced number of races (17 instead of 22).
Benjamin has always been gung-ho. I remember him enquiring about my availability for 2022 – and the question that instantly crossed my mind was: Is he serious? The next query that followed: Who in the right mind wants to travel and put up with all the PCR tests, quarantines, immigration checks and so on?
Then he shared his plan – we will have most of the races in Japan. What a brilliant, and bold, idea. Japan has the longest history of motorsport of any nation in Asia and its race circuits, such as Fuji International Speedway and Suzuka International Circuit, which are regular stops on Formula One’s annual calendar, are among the world’s most iconic and highly regarded.
That’s not to say the plan was without its difficulties – the most significant ones being Japan’s constant border restriction changes and Covid control procedures. Still, Benjamin was optimistic that things were stabilising
– and how right he was. It has been four months since the series kicked off and when this story is published, the final race, which is held from Sep 23 to 25, would have finished.
On average, around 20 cars have competed in each race. While this number is less than that of 2019, it is very healthy and bodes well for 2023, which I am sure will see increased participation.
As for me, I informed Benjamin that I was glad to resume my role as a Series Steward after his message to me this April. Some friends did feel it was rather bold of me to travel so frequently again but honestly, boldness had nothing to do with my decision. I have had my necessary number of vaccinations and I always practise good hygiene. I was ready.
The dictionary defines bold as necessitating courage and daring.
Benjamin exemplifies this to a tee. His leadership coupled with calculated risk-taking and intelligent decision-making are the main reasons why GT World Challenge Asia is up and running again. It is also the reason I decided to re-join the rest of my colleagues to return to motorsport.