BAZAAR Goes Body Positive This July With Cover Star Marjan Jonkman

I was always the kid in school who got chosen last when it came to picking team members for group sports. You know that time - when all the kids line up and the school captain picks who goes into which team. I always dreaded that moment. It was worse when they picked skins (going shirtless) or tees. I was highly conscious of my cookie dough body and pale, pasty skin. Going bare chested and running on a basketball court was as close to a living nightmare as it could get. I was never a sportsman not very athletic as a kid. Years spent growing up in the UK where sports was de rigour and lithe, athletic guys were prized was extremely tough on me physically and mentally. I never really addressed these issues, and maybe it requires many hours on the therapist’s chair, but for now, a self-healing editor’s note will suffice.

So in this issue which we’ve dedicated to sports and all things active, I’ve made a conscious effort to be more inclusive. The cover, which was shot in London and styled by Associate Fashion Director, Jeffrey Yan, was a stylistic decision to have it reflect the new American Sportswear aesthetic that’s sweeping the runways. It’s part ’90s with the pinstriped Ralph Lauren trouser suit and a sparkling dose of ’80s with the blinged-out Boucheron necklace. On top model Marjan Jonkman, the look and the vibe is au courant. Inside our Style pages, get inspired by sportif runway looks, or ogle the fresh athleticism on display in the fashion spread by Creative Director, Windy Aulia featuring top Singapore model, Diya Pradhakar, and rapper prince, Yung Raja. We’ve also homed in on Singapore’s top male swimmer, Quah Zheng Wen. Zheng Wen talks candidly about the rigours of competitive sports and how it takes a village to support his goals. We took him out of the pool and into the studio for this fashion shoot, but decided (last minute) that he really looks best in his workwear so you can marvel at his honed body of perfection on page 77. 

Speaking of baring your body, our men’s fashion feature this month talks about how guys can look chic and swole at the same time. The humble wife beater aka white singlet has become a fashion staple that’s best worn with tailored trousers or shorts—perfect for the hot summer months. Read our piece, "Body Language," on page 86. We also show you how you can wear your watches and jewels to the gym on page 64, and while the debate on wearing full makeup when exercising rages on page 106, find out what our experts have to say about it. I hope you will be inspired by the stories, the visuals and the looks on the pages of our July issue. And remember, I was once that fat, chubby, insecure kid who never liked sports. Now, I practically live in the gym and have even bared my arms a couple of times, but believe me when I say you never grow out of being that fat kid. Here’s to building confidence every single day. Skin or tee, I see you, sister. 

—Kenneth Goh, Editor-in-Chief 

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Photographed by Greg Lin Jiajie
Styled by Jeffrey Yan
Fashion: Ralph Lauren
Jewellery: Boucheron
Model: Marjan Jonkman / Women Management
Casting: Rocky Nolan / ikki casting
Hair: Hiroshi Matsushita
Makeup: Marie Bruce
Manicure: Katharina O
Set Design: Olivia Giles / Jones Management
Producer: Lola Castro / Rosco Productions
Photography assistants: Rory James Cole; Ed Denver Phillip; Elysian Lua
Styling assistant: Reece Moore
Set design assistant: Charlotte Curtis
Production assistant: Kajal Patra