For some, like stylist and editor in chief of German fashion magazineAchtung, Markus Ebner, that’s nothing new. For him, as for many fans of the game from around the world, soccer is part of life, whether it’s a World Cup year or not. Ebner is the founder of Sepp Football Fashion, a magazine that finds creative, visually compelling ways to pair fashion with soccer (and includes among its contributors Style.com editor in chief Dirk Standen, who has written an essay on the stylistic choices of football coaches). Here’s an exclusive look at issue No. 8 of Sepp, and our chat with Ebner about sport, style, and the most exciting thing about this year’s World Cup.

Seems like the soccer-fashion relationship has been slowly gaining momentum over the years, but it has finally reached a point of nearly mainstream interest this year. What have you notice about the relationship between the two?

A turning point came this year when Arsenal London decided that they would be dressed by Lanvin. Lanvin menswear is generally considered the most progressive show on the schedule. What Lucas Ossendrijver and Alber Elbaz create is the absolute benchmark for creative menswear. Last season they had every single model with an individual look and hairstyle—it’s nearly haute couture for men. So them dressing a football team with good-looking guys like German Lukas Podolski or Brits Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott and catering to that football audience speaks volumes. We have an interview with the two of them in the new issue conducted by my partner at Sepp, Godfrey Deeny, and a genius shoot by Max Vadukul.

Recently, Giorgio Armani, who has been at the forefront of football fashion with his Beckham jacket and his uniforms for Chelsea, inked a deal with my home team, Bayern Munich, where Pep Guardiola is considered the best-dressed coach in the world. He generally wears clothes by Dsquared². So there’s a clear sign that the designers are starting to target the players and coaches like Hollywood stars. Also, this year’s Ballon d’Or, which was won by Cristiano Ronaldo, came with a full press release by Dsquared² on what he was wearing, with a photo. You could call the Ballon d’Or the Oscars of soccer.

You have some amazing stories with top players in this issue. Can you tell me a bit about how it came together

We really wanted to get as many top players as possible for this Brazil issue to show our idea of football fashion. Not the typical GQ shoot where an athlete is working suits, but a real showcase for how crazy these guys are about clothes. So with help from Adidas, we managed to get Dani Alves, who is a nut for Jeremy Scott, and the fourth most expensive player in the world, Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint-Germain and Uruguay, who sported the best of Parisian menswear like Givenchy and Berluti. Also, being able to work with Kaká, who with Beckham has been one of the most handsome and prominent faces modeling for Emporio Armani for years. He is handsome and looks great in the clothes.

When Queasy Games’ Jonathan Mak first decided to team up with artist and co-developer Shaw-Han Liem in 2008, little did they know their collaboration would gradually evolve into a full-fledged video game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. Back then, Mak had just developed his successful Everyday Shooter project, while Liem was busy producing and performing electronic music under the name I Am Robot and Proud. The duo began working on an audio visualizer for use at live concerts and, with music as their common interest (and with the help of a government grant), they eventually developed the next big experience in Toronto indie gaming.

Sound Shapes is the result of their four-year collaboration. Mak and Liem’s initial idea of creating a game that worked with user-generated musical content mutated into a bigger project, encompassing work from various Toronto and international-based visual artists, developers, and musicians. At its core, Sound Shapes is a new take on the classic 2-D platformer: The player navigates through levels while collecting musical beats; as more beats are collected, the dynamics of the level gradually change and add new dimensions to the background music. Sound Shapes also gives players a reason to finally pick up their PlayStation Vita, a device that has been sorely lacking in innovative titles; the game utilizes the Vita’s features to its maximum potential with stunning but minimalist visuals, a seamless weaving of gameplay and music composition, and a suite of creation tools.

So, what’s your typical routine these days before you hit the stage? What’s on your tour rider?

I’m basically chanting and practicing my lines. I need to get back to sample size and I need to lose 10 pounds and I can’t seem to lose it. I have so much artisanal cheese on my rider and artisanal baked goods. Because, honest to God, the fucking fast food in this country is just as bad as 1974. They have not improved. I know there’s « food » in Great Britain now and there are foodies. On the High Street, they have Pret a Manger. So, they have food now, you can eat in England now. I remember in 1981 when I first moved here on my own, you still couldn’t eat. You’d live on fish and chips in the day with 11,000-year-old grease. I tried to take a bite of fish and chips last night and I threw up. It was so disgusting. I was in Nottingham and it was 2 a.m., so, you know, whatever. I know a place in L.A. where I can get a croque-monsieur and it’s delicious.

Cheese addiction is totally a real thing—right up there with sugar and caffeine addiction.

I’m addicted to cheese and sugar. As long as I can get my bits of sugar when I need it and my one cappuccino, I’m cool. When they ask me if I want dinner, I’m like, « No, I want Brie and crackers. » It’s all I’ve been living on and it’s not good for you and it makes you fat. I hate shopping, so I order off of Net-a-Porter. A girl interviewed me for their magazine—this is so awful—she said, « You’re a legend at Net-a-Porter. You’re one of the top five American clients for buying. » I live on Net-a-Porter. And I hate ordering an Italian 42, which is an American 8. I’m investing money in 8s and even 10s in some cases. It’s like, fuck, I’ll have to tailor all of this when I lose weight. This part I’m auditioning for, it’s the part of a sheriff, so it’s not a fashion look. It’s a chunky gun, khaki pants, wide ass. But you have to have a good figure on television—you can’t get away with a pot belly.

No. 2—MUSIC: Slip into a Morning Phase.

Beck’s latest album will doubtless make up most of his set, but you can always keep your fingers crossed that the veteran songwriter will sneak in some gems from his impressive 20-year, 12-album back catalogue (“The New Pollution,” anyone?).

June 27. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. 1 Front St. E., 855-872-7669, sonycentre.ca.

No. 3—PETS: Adopt a cat.

Stop binging on adorable cat memes and adopt one of ’em, already. This weekend, Toronto Cat Rescue’s Adopt-a-thon makes it easier than ever.

June 28–29. PetSmart. 12 William Kitchen Rd., 416-335-7922, torontocatrescue.ca.

No. 4—PRIDE: Show your Pride

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
From the world’s biggest gay wedding to the hometown return of Peaches, we select the seven best ways to party at Pride.

No. 5—FILM/TV: Spend a little time with some friends of Dorothy.

Gay characters have come out of the celluloid closet and no longer exclusively exist to support straight leads. That doesn’t mean we don’t love all those flamboyant second bananas who paved the way. From stealth nellies to loud-and-proud queers, we salute the greatest onscreen GBFs.

No. 6—CANADA DAY: Baby, watch some fireworks.

Kick off our country’s birthday festivities a day early on “Canada Eve,” Harbourfront Centre’snew term for June 30. As long as there are fireworks (and don’t worry, there are), we’ll buy it.

If you take our advice on Grid pick No. 23, then all you need to do is stick around Centennial Park for a dazzling show—if you’re not in a food coma, that is.

Mel Lastman Square is the go-to spot for North Yorkers on any light show–worthy holiday. Kid-friendly circus, music, and dance performances precede the grand finale.

If none of the other options tickle your fancy, make the trek out to Ashbridges Bay and find a spot among the mob of beach-bound revellers to get your fill of explosions in the sky.

June 30 (Harbourfront); July 1 (everything else).

The good people over at Good Eggs (my favorite deliverers of locally produced and farm fresh food) just recently shared a killer recipe for their own Rhubarb Toasts and I figured it was my duty to pass it along to you guys while you still have the chance to pick up some big red stems of rhubarb and make some for yourselves. I made it the other night for a little appetizer and it was delicious… the kind of thing one imagines people who live with Alice Waters or Gabrielle Hamilton probably eat all the time.

Good Eggs Rhubarb Toasts

3 stalks chopped rhubarb
4 dashes of sugar (I was a bit more generous with the sugar)
Juice of one lemon
Bread for toasting (I used thick slices of hearty multigrain)
Fresh goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To prepare rhubarb: Toss rhubarb, lemon juice, and sugar to coat.
Wrap rhubarb in tin foil and place in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes or until soft.

In the meantime: Prepare the bread, either in a toaster or below the rhubarb in the oven. Once browned, smear with goat cheese and top with rhubarb mixture. Garnish with mint and lemon zest.

Enjoy!

(Though you may be sad that you only made this much and will swear, like I have, to double the recipe the next time you make these…)

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