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 Editor-in-Chief

Contributors

The Rake

arbiter • WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY; HAIL MARY; RESTA’S LAURELS; WET DOG; BEAU BY NAME…

BILLY THE BRAVE • Billy Haines was one of Hollywood’s brightest leading men — until Louis B. Mayer asked him to choose between stardom and love. Haines’s response summed up his quietly radical life.

BLOOD LUST • What do you want your Bloody Mary to say about you and your tastes? Don’t hold back…

POP PSYCHOLOGY • Ilaria Resta, the Chief Executive of Audemars Piguet, tells us why relevance matters more than exclusivity — and what AP’s headline-grabbing collaboration with Swatch was really designed to achieve.

HOW I FOUND COD • Our guest pooch, a Portuguese Water Dog, laments his breed’s ignoble transfer from oceanic fishing adventures to suburban gardens.

VIVE LEBEAU! • Her famous close-up lasted only a few seconds, but Madeleine Lebeau’s story spanned occupied France, refugee ships and an escape from the Nazis. Now she is immortalised alongside Bogart and Bergman.

articles • GREAT GAL; TREASURE CHEST; ANIMAL INSTINCT; JOIN THE PACK.

THE WONDER YEARS • Behind the superhero armour is a mother of four, a life-threatening health scare, and a woman who nearly walked away from Hollywood. Gal Gadot, the star of The Runner, talks to TOM CHAMBERLIN about trauma, staying positive, and forging her second act.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY • A new book containing Marilyn Monroe’s final interview and hundreds of unpublished photographs has prompted a reassessment of the 20th century’s most mythologised woman. How, nick scott asks, did such remarkable material stay hidden for so long?

AFRICAN LEGACY • The safari lodge Cha Cha Metsi in Botswana’s Okavango Delta feels like a chapter from a forgotten age of travel. THE RAKE was happy to play catch-up in an extraordinary setting.

PREP WORK • You get out what you put in when it comes to packing — literally. But in this instance, we mean preparation for the big occasions. Here is some inspiration for the major events of the social calendar over the next few months.

compendium • IT’S THE CLIMB; ON THE ARPELS; THE ARMS OF THE ANGELS; A GENTLEMAN’S GENTLEMAN.

THE DAY I NEARLY DIDN’T LEAVE THE CABLE CAR • Come along for the ride, they said. Enjoy the views. In the shadow of Mont Blanc, THE RAKE got a taste of the high life with Richard Mille and the legendary alpinist Charles Dubouloz…

SLOW MOTION • Van Cleef & Arpels’ Poetry of Time hopes to change the wearer’s relationship with the passing hours and minutes, research and development director Rainer Bernard tells THE RAKE. In other words: celebrate the moment.

ANGEL WINGS • Château d’Esclans built an empire on the sensation that is Whispering Angel, and they are proving that rosé is ever more serious and ambitious. THE RAKE’s Libation Correspondent tours the famous Provençal estate.

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A MAN’S MAN • In an age enamoured of noisy brilliance, Reginald Jeeves, the...