Never one to dress subtly, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor’s latest outfit ups the ante, turning one of fashion’s most lowkey ensembles on its head.McGregor’s known for his love of suiting – whether it’s aubergine blazers or suits where the pinstripes literally read ‘f*ck you‘ – the man never missing an opportunity to flex. But his most recent style choice is an all-together different kind of suit: one you might not be let into a restaurant wearing, but one that’s still sure to impress.Dee Devlin, McGregor’s long-time girlfriend and manager (who Conor finally popped the question to in August this year) shared a photo of her and the MMA legend on a pier in Monaco over the weekend, with McGregor showing off his new clean-shaven look and a 2,450 USD (~3,428 AUD) flower-print tracksuit.

View this post on Instagram

Sunday funday with my man

A post shared by Dee Devlin (@deedevlin1) on Sep 27, 2020 at 2:24pm PDT

The tracksuit is a custom creation from David August, the American bespoke tailoring firm that also created McGregor’s iconic ‘f*ck you’ suit, the brand confirmed with us today. McGregor has had a long association with David August, even launching his own collaborative sub-label August McGregor with David August founder David Heil.Luxury loungewear and quality basics have become one of the few successful fashion trends this year, as people have prioritised comfort over formal style during the COVID-19 crisis, with brands like JJJJound, Reigning Champ, Needles and Champion Reverse Weave uniquely poised for success in what’s otherwise been a disastrous year for the fashion industry.RELATED: Is Fashion F*cked? Experts Reveal Who Will Come Out On Top Post PandemicMcGregor and his fiancée look to be enjoying their extended stint in the luxurious principality. It also seems as if Conor’s shaved his head and beard ahead of his highly-publicised return to fighting, set to face Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao sometime next year.It’s an odd twist in the careers of McGregor and Pacquiao, who are both ‘supposed’ to be retired: McGregor focusing on business exploits like his Irish whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve, and Pacquiao embarking on a political career – Pacquiao was elected as a Senator of the Philippines in 2016. They share a unique connection: both men have previously faced off against boxing great Floyd Mayweather (and lost)… An enemy of my enemy is my friend, perhaps?

Read Next

• Tracksuits Aren’t Just For The Gym; Here’s Your Sharpest Way To Look Fit
• David Beckham’s Bold Winter Headwear A Sign Of Brighter Days Ahead
• Justin Bieber Steps Out In Los Angeles With Workwear Outfit You Won’t Soon Forget

The post Conor McGregor Tracksuit: UFC Star Steps Out In $3,400 Tracksuit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Some guys are able to look good anytime, anywhere. Even as soon as they rise out of bed, their bed hair is still more on point and stylish than the next guy’s. Luckily, there are myriad products and styling tips out there to allow most guys to achieve an impeccable look, dependent on how much effort they’re willing to put in.It’s common for men to want to imitate their celebrity icons and sporting heroes, as these men who sit in the so-called upper echelons of mankind have the time and money to afford to keep themselves looking flawless day in, day out.Such people include David Beckham. Becks has gone from a footballing icon, possessing one of the most valuable right feet to ever grace the game, to an international style icon. He can regularly be seen sitting front row at fashion shows, is constantly making fans swoon with his Instagram posts, and is essentially a walking style bible for the modern man.While we could wax lyrical about his choice of fashion, it’s David’s hairstyles that can make just as many headlines, as rarely is there a single strand out of place. And, while it is theoretically easy and simple to copy his fashion choices (perhaps not the same brands, but at least taking inspiration), getting the same hair as Becks isn’t such an easy task.A fan of the pompadour, David can regularly be seen with the sides of his hair faded, with the top being styled with a side-parting. An Instagram post on the @groomed.gentleman account shows the lengths needed to achieve the Beckham effect. But, can anyone replicate this look or does David simply have great genes? To find out, DMARGE spoke to Sydney barber shop owner Jacob Martin of Tate & Lyle, to get the full scoop.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Men’s Fashion, Grooming, Style (@groomed.gentlemen) on Sep 17, 2020 at 9:13am PDT

We first asked Jacob exactly that, would David’s precise fading and clipping work for everyone, or would it only work for certain face shapes and/or hair types.“Everyone’s hair type is different so it is best to have a thorough and detailed consultation with your barber or stylist to see if this haircut will suit you. A barber/stylist should take into consideration your face shape, hair density, hair growth patterns, job and lifestyle (certain styles may not complement your personal style or be suitable for a corporate environment.”

“You need to have realistic expectations as unfortunately, certain hair types just cannot perform certain styles, but this can all be determined by your barber/stylist.”

On paper then, it could well be possible that you can achieve David’s haircut, but in reality, it might not be quite so straightforward? How so? You may think. It really could be down to David’s genetic makeup, although, as the hairstyles of some other famous faces prove, it’s all about knowing the lengths that will suit you.“David is exceptionally lucky that not only does he have a face shape that allows him to pull off a variety of styles (only the cornrows have been a mistake) but his hair type, even though thinning, also allows him to have a diverse selection of lid trims”, Jacob explains.

“He has fine straight hair that can be easily crafted into different styles and even his natural hair colour helps to see the graduation of the fade.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hollywood Stars – Men Fashion (@gents_handbook) on Sep 23, 2020 at 5:22am PDT

David isn’t alone in this regard. As we mentioned at the beginning, some guys are just blessed with what we could consider to be ‘perfect hair’, but what exactly causes this?“The main reason guys who always have good hair is they do have some genetic gifts that ensure an advantage, but they normally follow instructions from a barber and they keep up with regular hair appointments; generally 4-5 weeks, unless it’s a skin fade haircut, in which case the appointments would be more regular.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TATE & LYLE® (@tateandlylesyd) on Aug 17, 2020 at 1:02am PDT

“They use salon-quality products that ensure a salon-quality finish (there’s a reason we use specific high-end products rather than high-street brands). The key to great hair is styling, so be sure to use a hairdryer to fix the hair into your desired shape, then use the cool setting to set it. This is very important as it smoothes the hair cuticles (ask for guidance so you can recreate the same look at home).”

“Also, lots of people overcompensate with hair product. Remember, less is more, extra can always be added.”

As for some other top tips to creating a Beckham like look, Jacob says you should always use products designed for your specific hair type (if you’re not entirely sure what sort of hair you have, ask your barber).“Washed hair will always give better results when styling. Dirty hair with lots of product build-up can be hard to style, and if you have longer hair, replace your pillowcases with silk ones as they can help to reduce kinks.”Ultimately, “don’t be afraid to ask your barber or stylist for tips and a demonstration to get salon results every time.”

Read Next

• Best Long Hairstyles For Men
• The Best Shampoos & Conditioners For Men

The post 'Geometric Secret' To David Beckham's Perfect Hair, Explained By Professionals appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you’re someone who struggles to sleep at night, performing bed karate, tossing and turning into the early hours, then there’s a good chance it’s because you have a disrupted circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is a 24-hour biological process that regulates your individual sleep-wake cycle (your daily sleep pattern that should ideally consist of 8 hours of sleep and 16 hours of wakefulness).The key word there is ‘individual,’ because everybody will have a different circadian rhythm, partly due to the fact it can be affected by what are known as zeitgebers: external cues that can include light and temperature. And, according to Bulletproof coffee founder Dave Asprey, giving your body just five minutes of sunlight before 10am each day can gift you those sweet sweet eight hours, if you’re not already getting them.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dave Asprey (@dave.asprey) on Sep 10, 2020 at 7:31am PDT

How so? In layman’s terms, a better (and most universal) way of referring to your circadian rhythm is your body clock – a phrase we’ve all bounded around at some point. Your body clock is what’s responsible for your daily behaviour, so if you naturally wake up extremely early each day, for example, you may claim it’s because of your body clock. And you’d be right.It’s also the reason that your sleep pattern becomes disrupted after you stay out partying until 3am.Light plays a hugely important role in the maintenance of your body clock, as when your eyes become exposed to natural light, your body suppresses melatonin (and releases it during darkness).  If you expose your eyes and body to light soon after you wake up in the morning, it means you will be more likely to wake up similarly early the following day, because the light ‘resets’ your rhythm to this new practice of early starts.It is claimed that your circadian rhythm is most sensitive to light up until around one hour after your usual wake-up in the morning (so in Dave’s case, he would be waking up at 9am in order to get his sunlight fix before 10am).Therefore, by creating a new cycle for yourself, your eyes become more and more sensitive to early morning sunlight, meaning when the light levels drop in the evening and at night, your body will naturally begin to release melatonin, causing you to become less alert and, essentially, your body begins to ‘power down’.If you’re a little sceptical and don’t believe something as simple as sunlight can help you sleep better at night, try it for yourself. If you’re not usually an early riser, set an alarm for just before sunrise and force yourself to wake up and head outside. Continue this for a few days and you should start noticing yourself waking up naturally around the time your alarm is due to go off.

Read Next

• New Study Suggests Your Phone’s Blue Light Could Reduce Your Lifespan
• Psychologist Warns Of Growing Trend Ruining Australian Men’s Sleep
• Concerning Sleep Tracker Revelation Will Keep You Up At Night

The post Circadian Rhythm: How You Can Get More Sleep appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s been a trying year. The ‘real economy‘ is in the toilet, unemployment is high, and everyone is ready to hit ‘fast forward’ on 2020, pressing play only on a tropical Christmas 2025, featuring many Mai Tais, one infinity pool and zero hotel quarantine concerns.That’s still some time away though. In the meantime, two things appear to be defying the crushing impact of COVID: stocks and real estate.For a detailed breakdown of how the economy could come up to meet the market, look no further than a recent DMARGE chat with VFS Group investment manager James Whelan.As for real estate, there’s just been some interesting news out of Melbourne, involving agents and vendors teaming up, after finding a loophole that enables them to sell homes even during Melbourne’s ban on private property inspections.As realestate.com.au reports, “Creative loopholes around the state government’s stage four coronavirus restrictions, which ban private inspections and related real estate services, have helped desperate vendors put homes on the market and even secure sales.”Case in point: the following Balwyn North pad.

Balwyn North – a “lovely area with a solid reputation and high property prices” located 10km east of Melbourne’s CBD would in normal times be a fairly easy sell.However, due to the ban on private property inspections, the vendors of this pad found themselves in a tricky situation, having bought another property and needing to sell this one.They ended up taking the campaign photos themselves, with tips from the agent on how to make them look best.RELATED: The ‘Lowball’ Mistake Australian Buyers Often Make In A Falling Market“Phillip Webb director Anthony Webb said a professional photographer touched up iPhone images taken of 22 Central Avenue, which has been listed with a $1.6-$1.7m price guide,” realestate.com.au reports.

“Within the first day of launching the property online we got 12 emails from buyers inquiring about it,” Mr. Webb said, realestate.com.au reports.“The agency sold another property this week for $1.1m, subject to finance, to buyers who had not set foot inside,” (realestate.com.au).Mr Webb told realestate.com.au the vendors did a 27-minute virtual walk-through with the potential buyers.

“A small percentage of people are prepared to buy this way, because some don’t have a choice about moving… We are trying to be as creative as we can.”

Hocking Stuart Altona and Williamstown director Anthony Anile told realestate.com.au buyers could visit a home after a contract is exchanged, because state government stage four restrictions allowed for pre-settlement inspections.In that way, contracts were adjusted to be “conditional upon a satisfactory inspection.” In other words: null and void if a buyer changed their mind after a physical inspection.“We would make sure the purchaser had a good look at the property online, in photos and virtual tours, that they had their finances approved and had a genuine need to buy,” Mr Anile told realestate.com.au.

“We would then negotiate the price between the parties as usual, with the physical inspection occurring after contracts had been exchanged.”

It’s not just Melbourne that has seen unusual real estate happenings this year. Some of Sydney’s most desirable suburbs are reportedly in for a rude awakening and risque New York apartment listings suggest The Big Apple’s property market could be about to go putrid.Maybe 2020 is your golden opportunity to buy property after all?

Read Next

• $20 Billion Melbourne Property ‘Black Hole’ Has Economists Clutching Their Calculators
• Massive Interest In Grim Sydney Job Posting Reveals True State Of Australia’s Economy
• The Tasty Sign An Australian Suburb Is Set To Boom

The post Real Estate Photos: Melbourne Property Sellers Forced To Take Own Pictures appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Daniel Ricciardo is an old-school Formula One driver. When you look at the 2020 driver lineup, there aren’t many big personalities: Valterri Bottas and Daniil Kyvat might be great drivers, for example, but they’re not big personalities, like the drivers of old used to be.‘The Honey Badger’, however, is a ray of sunshine that cuts through the fog. The 31-year-old Perth native constantly has a smile on his face and loves joking around with his fellow drivers and teammates. Singularly responsible for introducing the ‘shoey’ to F1, Ricciardo is well-loved for his sunny personality as well as his driving chops.This weekend’s Russian Grand Prix saw Ricciardo inadvertently share a much more valuable piece of Australian culture than drinking out of one’s footwear, however – one that has been brought into particular contrast by Lewis Hamilton’s exhibition of British culture in a similar vein.Both Ricciardo and Hamilton – good mates off the track despite their fierce competition on it – copped time penalties over the weekend at Sochi. Ricciardo got 5secs for an illegal track re-entry after his wheels locked up and forced him off the circuit, and Hamilton got double that for illegal starts during practice. Hamilton was particularly unimpressed, claiming that Formula One is trying to stop him from matching Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Grand Prix wins, ABC News reports.But where Hamilton had a whinge, Ricciardo calmly took it on the chin, apologising to his team mid-race and simply saying “Ok, I’ll drive faster” – a dead cool and very Aussie way of dealing with things.

Never change, @danielricciardo #RussianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/CVHZ50I2NC

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 27, 2020

To be fair on Hamilton, a 10sec penalty for something that happened before the race does sting a lot more than a clear-cut mistake during a race. As it stands, Hamilton still nabbed a third-place finish while Ricciardo came fifth. Hamilton remains comfortably on top of the standings with 205 points so far this season – Ricciardo sitting at sixth with 63 points (only a point behind Alexander Albon at #5 and two points behind Lando Norris at #4).But Ricciardo’s positive and stoic response to what would for many other drivers be an infuriating piece of news shows how there’s still some value in that quintessentially old-fashioned Australian spirit of ‘taking it on the chin’.F1 fans agree, with one commenting on Ricciardo’s Instagram that “Lewis should take notes from you mate”.There are seven more races left in the 2020 F1 schedule – next up is the Eifel Grand Prix in Germany at the famous Nürburgring from October 9-11. While it looks unlikely that anyone will unseat Hamilton on top of the tally, fingers crossed Ricciardo can nab a podium in the races to come. He’s narrowly missed out three times, taking home 4th place in Great Britain, Belgium and Tuscany this year.

Read Next

• This Australian Race Car Driver You’ve Never Heard Of Could Be Our Next Daniel Ricciardo
• Lewis Hamilton Rescues ‘Table Cloth’ Twin Set With Bloody Rare IWC Schaffhausen Watch
• Surfer’s Casual Response After Catching Historic Wave May Be The Most Australian Thing Ever

The post Daniel Ricciardo’s Response To F1 Time Penalty May Be Most Australian Thing Ever appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

As a society, we’ve grown accustomed to the idea of package deals. Chips and a drink with a burger; a free set of headphones with a new laptop; even matching cufflinks with a watch…Getting a free sports car when you buy a house? That’s a particularly novel combination. But that’s exactly what’s on offer with this spectacular property up for sale in Melbourne’s exclusive South Yarra neighbourhood.7 Hardy Street, otherwise known as ‘Cloud Chamber’, is a spectacular two-story pied-à-terre that sits in stark contrast to the quaint little terraces on its street. The property, built (and now being sold by) acclaimed architect David Luck, is an ultra-modern townhouse par excellence that’s on the market for $2.18 million – although if you spend more than $2.2 mil, the owner will throw in a Porsche 911, too.

Seems like a pretty good deal, right?Until you realise it’s a Porsche 996… Widely considered the least desirable Porsche 911 ever made. Produced from 1997 to 2006, the 996 was the fifth generation of the venerable 911 line and was a huge step forward for the German marque, being the first water-cooled 911 and featuring a radically different front-end with ‘fried egg’ headlamps. The move away from air cooling as well as the divisive headlamp design instantly drew ire from Porsche enthusiasts, and it remains quite an unpopular model.So he’s gone cheap on the Porsche and cheap on the agent fees, too.But let’s face it, the car’s really just a cherry on top of what’s quite a sweet little place.David Luck shares with realestate.com.au that ‘Cloud Chamber’ wasn’t “your typical inner-city home… I really don’t like conventional layouts and plans, and I love the idea of houses being set up in a way you don’t expect.”“It’s also a work-from-home space where we have divided downstairs as the office and upstairs as the home… it’s a very adaptable sort of house,” he said.

The acres of Victorian ash timber, unique cantilevered second-story rooms and adaptable living spaces are breathtaking, but nowhere near as impressive as the swathes of natural light the property is bathed in, thanks to its uniquely airy design.“The opening roof makes you feel like you’re floating into the atmosphere… the home is very connected to the elements,” Luck relates.“As you work your way into it, it opens up to the luxuries of the sky.”Here’s our take: the property is superb, so you’d be silly not to have a punt. Enough said. You might not want the Porsche, but it’s still worth splashing out for: the cheapest Porsche 911 on Carsales right now in Australia is a 2002 model year, silver, automatic 996 listed for $45,700 in Perth. Even if you sold Cloud Chamber’s midnight blue 992 for half that asking price, you’d still be breaking even – and then some.Check out Cloud Chamber on realestate.com.au… And if you’re looking for someone to take a 911 off your hands, drop us a line. We’ll take good care of it.

Read Next

• $20 Billion Melbourne Property ‘Black Hole’ Has Economists Clutching Their Calculators
• Australia’s Most Desirable Suburbs Could Be In For A Rude Awakening

The post Melbourne ‘Cloud Chamber’ Property Comes With Free Porsche 911… But There’s A Catch appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

One unexpected side-effect of 2020 is that it’s got more men thinking about self-care and personal maintenance. Maybe it’s because we’ve all been locked up at home and we’ve got no choice but to focus inward for a bit; to invest in ourselves a bit more. Perhaps we’re so excited for the resumption of normal social interaction that we’re doing everything to make it a real celebration – new clothes, new hair, maybe even a new scent.And while the rest of us have been bunkered down working on (or stressing about) our beach bodies, one Parisian perfumer has been hard at work blazing new trails in the world of fragrances, debuting a new scent that might just be the best way to up your grooming game post-iso.Francis Kurkdjian is no stranger to innovation. The mastermind behind Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (one of the world’s best-selling perfumes) as well as the creator of fragrances for the likes of Dior, Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent, Kurkdjian is a titan in the world of perfumes. In 2009 he founded his own label – Maison Francis Kurkdjian – which has quickly grown famous for its groundbreaking and luxurious fragrances.One of his missions has been to confront gender norms within the world of perfumery. His latest men’s fragrance, L’Homme À la rose, continues that mission in cracking form – taking the traditionally feminine smell of roses and bergamot to a new frontier, adding a tantalising edge that makes it quite unlike anything else on the market. DMARGE chatted exclusively with the legendary perfumer, who revealed the secrets behind his creative process.“I never think about the man – I focus on the scent,” Kurkdjian explains.“I never want to have a specific image in my mind. It’s not about targeting someone specifically. It’s the bigger picture, no preconceived notions.”

“I don’t like stereotypes. Perfumery is filled with them… About how women should look like, and what type of hair they should have – long, short, blonde, dark [for example]. I think that the way I envision perfume is for a bigger audience. Maybe also because [Maison Francis Kurkdjian] is not a fashion house, but a perfume house… There is a big difference in the type of work I can do… When you work for a fashion house, you’re much more constrained. Each house has its own character, its own territory. Also, fashion is visual, unlike perfumes.”

The dominance of traditional luxury brands (think Giorgio Armani and Hugo Boss) in the perfume space has been challenged in recent years by independent houses such as Kurkdjian’s own Maison as well as brands like Sweden’s Byredo or Australia’s Goldfield & Banks. The rigidity of gendered fragrances is also being called into question, with independent brands leading the way – a movement that Kurkdjian has been at the forefront of, despite his recognition that perfumery faces an uphill battle when it comes to battling fragrance gender norms.“I think it’s very traditional, and it’s very hard to change society, particularly on subjects like sexuality and sexual differences. When an idea; a concept is nailed into people’s minds for so many years, it’s like [it’s] in your blood. Your blood says blue is for boys and pink is for girls and cars are for boys and dresses are for girls and, obviously, it’s very very very hard to jump overnight from one idea to another.”Kurkdjian is somewhat demure about his fragrance’s ability to change gender norms in perfumery.“Men wearing floral notes is not as dramatic and challenging as changing people’s mind about [other things], but yet it’s [still] very difficult.”

“Perfumes are a reflection [of our society]. We always forget that… Trends change because society changes, not the other way around. And we must be very humble about that.”

Another signature element of Kurkdjian’s creative praxis has been taking the best elements of Eastern perfumery and blending it with modern Western perfumery, a natural by-product of his Armenian heritage. There’s a lot we could learn from the Middle East in particular when it comes to perfumes, he relates.“The Middle East is much more refined, in terms of taste than we are when it comes to perfumes. They pay much more attention to scents than we do.”L’Homme À la rose, a woody, fruity fragrance that unabashedly lets its namesake rose scent shine through, naturally evokes the Middle East, where rose is a common ingredient in everything from food to, of course, perfumes. Men in the Middle East tend to be more experimental with their choices of fragrances than their counterparts in the West, and floral scents like rose aren’t considered ‘feminine’ in the same way that they are in the West.Kurkdjian suggests that maybe Middle Eastern men are more comfortable with floral motifs in perfumery because of the Islamic world’s strong tradition of anti-iconism (as well as the technical aspect – as alcohol is haram, fragrances are essential oil-based instead of alcohol-based). Floral patterns in Islam are therefore less connected to gender than they are in the West. Yet he also points out that it was common for men in the French court to be more ‘feminine’: wigs, lace, makeup, heels, jewellery, and of course, floral scents.“In the 19th century, they started to build rules. Gender rules. Men can work, women shouldn’t, men should wear black, women can wear colours but they have to wear dresses, not pants… After 300 years of this sort of brainwashing, we ended up with men thinking that wearing wood scents is very masculine… very alpha. But for masculine men, this will change. But it will take time.”

“At the end, we’ll still have male and female. The idea is just to allow people to express who they want to be. I think we can’t pretend these gendered messages in society don’t exist… But in my ideal world, everyone can just live the way they want to, while respecting other people. The only thing is to respect other people and to be kind to people. Otherwise you can do whatever you want.”

Kurkdijian explains that he doesn’t want to uproot the perfume status quo, but offer a new option alongside it. He still makes characteristically female and male scents – so he doesn’t want to totally tip the applecart, nor does he think that’s possible just yet.“[For example] CK One became, at some point in the 90s, the biggest fragrance in the world, but it didn’t change much. It’s an addition to the market. Genderfluid fragrances, to have an impact on the market, will take at least two or three generations. It’s very hard of a sudden to say that a scent that on a primitive level has been considered feminine for so long is now masculine.”“I’m working for 2023, but I’m not sure. I am always looking for ideas.”Aside from genderfluid or gender-neutral fragrances, the other big trend Kurkdijian forecasts for the industry is a growing focus on sustainability. It’s something his maison is also ahead of the curve on, known for its sustainable practices in sourcing ingredients, such as using a protected grade of Laotian oud for his perfumes.“Consumers want us to have the lowest impact possible. I think that’s very important.”While Kurkdijian remains humble about his perfume’s effect on the industry, it’s clear that there’s a new guard of fragrances emerging – and any well-heeled gentleman ought to pay attention to what maestros like Kurkdijian are cooking up.You can find L’Homme À la rose (as well as other male / female / genderfluid fragrances from Maison Francis Kurkdjian) at MECCA.

Read Next

• Australian Master Perfumer Explains Why All Cheap Colognes Smell Similar
• The Most Essential Aromatic Fragrances For Men To Buy Right Now

The post Francis Kurkdjian: Legendary French Perfumer On The Future Of Men’s Fragrances appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Professional athletes rock ridiculous rigs all year round. Some, such as Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, have even seen unreal body transformations within the past year to the point where they not only look unrecognisable but put the rest of us to shame with what seems like an unachievable level of lean muscle mass.If we want any hope of seeing similar levels of fitness, we need to eat clean, train dirty and lay off calorie-dense drinks such as alcohol. At least, that latter statement is what we’re told and led to believe. LeBron James has clearly never drunk that particular brand of Kool Aid, with the LA Lakers power forward showing a deep love for red wine during his time in the ‘NBA Bubble’.

The NBA Bubble – also known as the Disney Bubble or Orlando Bubble – is the result of a US$170 million investment by the NBA to keep the season running in the wake of the global pandemic. 22 out of the 30 NBA teams entered the bubble, hosted at the Disneyworld resort in Orlando, Florida, where they have remained in isolation, with games being played behind closed doors, so that the season can finish COVID-free.These isolation measures, naturally, require the NBA players to leave their home comforts while they set up camp in Disney hotel rooms. Going by videos LeBron has posted to his personal Instagram account, one of those comforts is red wine. In several videos, we can see either a stash of bottles on the floor, or LeBron has taken videos of himself glugging the good stuff and claiming his daily nightcap to be “Madden ’21 and [red wine emoji].” Whether he’s been gorging on “the worst f***king diet ever”, as has previously been reported, remains unclear (we would suspect if he’s been drinking wine, he’s not going to say no to some French toast in the mornings).

“My bubble nightcap every night.”

He’s not alone in this practice. According to ESPN, several other NBA stars, including JJ Redick of the New Orleans Pelicans have taken to drinking wine as a daily stress reliever (some players love wine, so much so that they have invested in their own brands). ESPN adds that between 700 – 1,200 packages arrive each day by various courier, where they are disinfected before being sent to their hotel room destinations. The sports broadcasting network claims that wine is one of the most popular and plentiful deliveries.While it’s not clear if LeBron has followed suit, Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum has even gone to the lengths of ordering a wine fridge to keep the temperature of his bottles regulated, and he keeps his room thermostat set at 60-degrees Fahrenheit when he’s there and in the mid-to-high 50s when he isn’t, so as not to spoil his bottles of grog, ESPN reports.But, rather than see these NBA stars as boozehounds who can’t bear to go 3 to 4 months without indulging in some grog, there may actually be some method to it that can aid with their performance on the court. Studies have shown that drinking red wine – in moderation, of course – can actually promote healthy blood flow in the body and reduce one’s chances of contracting cardiovascular disease.The National Academy of Sports Medicine cites a 2018 study by Di Castelnuovo et al. that collated data from 13 studies with a total of 200,000 patients found that “red wine intake reduced atherosclerotic risk (the build-up of plaque inside the arteries) by around 37 per cent.” Further research found that the optimal intake for men is around “two drinks per day for men.”While we don’t recommend you polish off a bottle of red wine each night in the hope it will gift you a similar physique to the likes of James, a glass or two could well bring positive effects, other than just simply helping you though these ‘unprecedented times’.

Read Next

• Lebron James’ Ketogenic Diet Could Be Your Ticket To Becoming A Shredded Beast… But At What Cost?
• The Finest Producers Of Australian Red Wine You Need To Know

The post LeBron James Drinking Alcohol: The Rule We Assume Every Athlete Follows appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Enigmatic. Macabre. Political. Provocative. A lot of words are thrown around when trying to describe Banksy. For those in the dark, Banksy is a renowned, anonymous, England-based street artist, activist and film director.Active since the 1990s Banksy’s satirical graffiti has brought him global fame. His dark humour, subversive messages and distinctive stencilling have also made him an anti-establishment icon.Though Banksy’s works span everything from happiness and technology to slave labour, one of his favourite topics to skewer is consumerism.Enter: ‘Show Me The Monet,’ a painting Banksy created as part of a crude oil series in 2005, which pays homage to Claude Monet’s 1988 The Water Lily Pond.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sotheby’s Institute of Art (@sothebysinstitute) on Sep 19, 2020 at 3:05am PDT

Sotheby’s London recently announced ‘Show Me The Monet’ will go under the hammer as part of their Contemporary Art Evening Auction on October the 21st, 2020. The painting is expected to fetch between $3.9 million and $6.5 million, My Modern Met reports.The auction flies in the face, however, of a quote Banksy posted to Instagram in 2019.

“The price of a work of art is now part of its function, its new job is to sit on the wall and get more expensive. Instead of being the common property of humankind the way a book is, art becomes the particular property of somebody who can afford it. Suppose every worthwhile book in the world cost $1 million – imagine what a catastrophic effect on culture that would have.”

‘Show Me the Monet,’ which features Monet’s idyllic Giverny lily pond (with a couple of shopping trolleys and an orange traffic cone thrown in), is famous for highlighting Banksy’s dystopian view of society.Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s European Head of Contemporary Art has said ‘Show Me The Monet’ “shines a light on society’s disregard for the environment in favor of the wasteful excesses of consumerism,” according to My Modern Met.This begs the question: does its lavish (predicted) auction price undermine its message?Not necessarily. In fact, “For the artworks ‘Show me the Monet’ Jerry Maguire-esk film riff to work, the Banksy needs to sell for a big money wedge,” one of Australia’s leading art dealers, Michael Reid (OAM) told DMARGE exclusively.According to Mr Reid, “Selling the artwork for a good amount of money is central to Banksy’s multi-twisting inversion of popular culture, one that kicks received high culture up the ass.”“Picasso said ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal’ and Banksy most certainly thieves with a pirate’s smile. In ‘Show me the Monet’ 2005, Banksy art-jacks Monet’s masterpiece, The Water Lily Pond 1899,” Mr Reid told DMARGE.“Banksy puns the artist’s name; the artworks title; he takes a crack at the artist’s values within the art market and visually populates Monet’s tranquil, verdant, light dappled beauty with contemporary shopping centre trash. In terms of art history, Banksy’s artwork is a compelling multi-vehicle car crash, with limbs scattered across the highway.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Feb 13, 2020 at 4:02pm PST

Its sale then doesn’t necessarily undermine its meaning, but add to it. As Mr Reid puts it: “People with limited financial resources secretly love to see rich people part with silly money to buy funny crap. The more ‘Show me the Money’ 2005 financially achieves at public auction, the deeper the artwork is cemented into our cultural landscape.”According to Mr Reid, ‘Show me the Money’ became so famous because it is “poignant, and fun without being too finger-wagging” (or without being too much of a “this is what you should think” artwork).

“It’s even visually heavy handed, but it is not overly self-righteous or worthy. The visual tone balance is perfect.”

This leads into a broader debate around the key to a breakthrough piece of art, to which Mr Reid said: “Art speaks best, when the highly individual whispers to us all.”As for the upcoming auction, My Modern Met reports “All eyes are sure to be on the Banksy painting” after his Devolved Parliament went up for sale last October, also at Sotheby’s, with a pre-auction estimate of $2.46 million.

“In the end, the painting was sold for a record-breaking $12.1, beating Banksy’s previous auction record by over $1 million. The art world’s eyes will certainly be watching to see if he can replicate that success [with Show Me The Monet].”

View this post on Instagram

. Devolved Parliament I made this ten years ago. Bristol museum have just put it back on display to mark Brexit day. . “Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge.”

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Mar 28, 2019 at 7:41am PDT

Read Next

• Why ‘Unfollow Instagram Models & Follow Artists’ Is Terrible Advice
• Timeless Wall Art Prints That Won’t Scare Mates Or Dates Away

The post Show Me The Monet: What You Don’t Know About Banksy’s Artwork appeared first on DMARGE Australia.