A Letter From Our Managing Editor: Homecoming

In the months leading toward the release of our September issue, SHARP headquarters was abuzz in a football frenzy, of sorts. Between fact-checking sessions and combing over style shoots, we stole glances at the UEFA European Championship matches taking place across the pond. As England marched toward the final, exclamations of “It’s coming home!” rang through the office. None of us have particularly strong British heritage but my predecessor, Jonny Wells (whose words, thankfully, continue to grace this issue), had jetted back to the U.K. weeks prior for a homecoming of his own, leaving us with a soft spot for The Three Lions.

Fortunately, Jonny’s return went without a hitch but, of course, not all homecomings are so prosperous. As for the European Championship, it did not, in fact, “come home.” Nevertheless, in many ways, this issue is a celebration of such homecomings. Whether for a fleeting moment or a more permanent return, there seems to be an instinctual human desire to rediscover our roots.

NBA star and Canadian Olympian RJ Barrett graces this issue’s style shoot ahead of his first full season with his hometown franchise, the Toronto Raptors. “It’s just a literal dream come true,” he says, mapping his long-term plans for the city. A few hours north, we follow F1 driver Lance Stroll through a whirlwind 72-hour reunion in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Our cover star, Glen Powell, joins us fresh off the release of Twisters, a storm-chasing blockbuster that took the Texan heartthrob back to the south to film in the neighbouring state of Oklahoma. Powell’s cultural resonance reached a fever pitch this year, amounting to global superstardom and the coronation as Hollywood’s next “It Man.” But with his cowboy hat in tow, Powell explains why he’s so intent on keeping his proverbial boots on the ground.

In our auto section, we explore the blistering innovations from Range Rover at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, bringing the future of British manufacturing home to an estate steeped in the country’s esteemed motor racing heritage. On a more global scale, Cristina Mittermeier — a conservation photographer and partner of Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative — discusses the importance of preserving our home and what we risk in taking it for granted.

And then, of course, there’s my arrival at SHARP. In many ways, adopting the managing editor position feels like something of a professional homecoming. For most of my life, I’ve collected print magazines (as evidenced by the mounting stacks of vintage Sports Illustrated issues lining my office). In an increasingly digital age when storytelling is designed to be temporal, physical media offers a tangible touchpoint — a celebration of culture and the individuals who shape it.

Look back to issues of SHARP from years gone by and you’ll see the celebrities that left a lasting imprint, the trends that shape how we express ourselves, and the innovations that propel us forward. For a Canadian writer hoping to continue producing such stories — stories that cross cultural intersections of fashion, sports, and culture — there is simply no better home than SHARP.

As you crack the spine of this issue, I hope you too find yourself surrounded by the comforts of home, whatever that might mean to you. To some, “home” connotes a sense of rich tradition. For nomads like actor Simon Rex, it’s an ever-evolving concept, as he describes in our extensive interview. To me, it’s the innate feeling of being precisely where I’m supposed to be. Over the past few months, that feeling was anchored in the opportunity of presenting this issue — and I hope many others — to our readers. Finally, that day has arrived.

It’s coming home.

— David Stol, Managing Editor

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