Man With Style: VJ Anand, Head of Creative at VaynerMedia
“I remember watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in my small hometown and loving the colourful fashion of the ’90s."
Anand in a Tarik Jeans kimono top and Dsquared2 jeans, teamed with an Off-White tote bag and Nike x Off-White Air Presto sneakers pinned with a Takashi Murakami brooch (Photo: VJ Anand)
Hailing from Taiping, Malaysia, VJ Anand used to save up his lunch money to purchase a pair of Nike Air Jordans for Christmas every year— something the Head of Creative (APAC) at VaynerMedia thankfully doesn’t have to do these days. He credits his sneaker obsession to Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and describes his style— “loud, vibrant, heat on feet”—as an extension of himself and a reflection of his personality, which is fun, easy and cool in a GOAT kind of way.
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First Fashion Memory
Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Photo: TPG)
“I remember watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in my small hometown and loving the colourful fashion of the ’90s. I used to draw on my t-shirts and asked a cobbler to stitch patches on my sneakers.”
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Everyday Uniform
Carhatt-t-shirt (Photo: Carhatt)
“You’ll mostly catch me in a Carhartt t-shirt, Dsquared2 jeans or Y-3 trousers, a Rolex Submariner and a pair of Jordan 3 sneakers. I also love my bucket hats.”
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The Designer To Watch
Creative director of Gucci, Alessandro Michele (Photo: 123rf)
“I love how Gucci’s Alessandro Michele has evolved the brand imagery and products—mixing the old with the new, and in tune with what the market wants.”
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Most Beloved Pair Of Sneakers
Made in US 992 sneaker (Photo: New Balance)
“The Air Jordan 3 in Black Cement. It’s a classic. The New Balance 992 is a strong number two.”
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If Style Were A Song...
Bernard Sumner of British rock band New Order performing live at Sónar by Night 2016 in Barcelona. (Photo: TPG)
“Mine would be ‘True Faith’ by New Order. It’s one of my favourite pick-me-ups. It’s electronic, light, airy and happy, and has a colourful vibe.”
The Most Stylish Men
Jerry Lorenzo, founder of luxury streetwear label Fear of God (Photo: 123rf)
“I love Jerry Lorenzo’s super-simple and casual style; and J Balvin, who rocks really cool sneakers and has a pretty loud personality. ”
Next Travel Destination
An aerial view of Berlin’s skyline (Photo: 123rf)
“My favourite city of Berlin, for sure.”
Favourite Plants
Curry leaves (Photo: 123rf)
“I love cooking, so functional herbs such as mint, pandan and curry leaves are my go-tos.”
Hopes For 2021
“I’ve got people around me who have had a tough 2020, so I really want them to do well this year. I believe that good things will come our way.”