Menswear maestro Nick Wooster rocks the freshest gear from India’s top fashion designers for a new definition of global cool
He’s an American menswear icon and street style god who at 59 shows up guys half his age just by being in the room. Maybe it’s his enviable wardrobe filled with a long list of Japanese designers. Maybe it’s his badass swagger, that had every influencer excited about his presence at the GQ Style & Culture Awards. Or maybe it’s his keen eye for relevant fashion that made him an iconoclast long before social media even hit the scene. Whichever way you look at it, there’s no denying Nick Wooster a place in the upper echelons of high fashion. His dynamic CV includes being an ex-buyer for Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys, and design director for Polo Ralph Lauren. He’s a favourite with editors and critics alike, a serial collaborator with the world’s leading fashion brands (he’s just finished a collection for Paul & Shark men’s and is on to designing a women’s line). So when he came to India to receive his crown for International Man, we thought: Why not dress him up in urban luxe Indianwear from the country’s top designers, for a fresh take on the most virile human being in America, touted as a one-man fashion army?
How would you define what you do?
So, I need an elevator pitch, because I can’t. But essentially, I’m a model; I’ve actually been on the cover of GQ twice. I’m not a designer but I have products bearing my name. I make money three ways: I consult with brands and stores, I design and put my name on products and I get paid for pictures on social media.
Does social media have a lifespan?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.