Mr Cox steals title of World's Most Beautiful
Shaper.
Two years ago, I wrote a story called The Most Beautiful
Shaper in the World. I
commented, “He is still the most
fantastic looking man I have ever seen and what sleepless nights he
caused me!”
Back then, there was no delicacy to his exceptionally virile
merchandise. He was as blood ripe as they come. The women,
including my girlfriend, maybe my girlfriend most of all, had to be
treated for spells of dizziness. Worse, his surfboards were
addictive and try as I did, I couldn’t be indifferent to his
skills
Today, however, the crown of Most Beautiful Shaper in the
World, held for twenty five years in Coolangatta, Queensland,
has now shifted to Palm Beach in Sydney.
Spell, broken.
Today, the online clothing emporium, Mr Porter, famous
for its one-thousand dollar
t-shirts and surf trunks that cost seven
hundred and fifty dollars, anointed Hayden Cox, who is
thirty-five, as the game’s best-dressed and, well, just look at the
photos, its most handsome shaper.
From the story:
“When I go out, I love these Alexander
Wang trousers. I
dress them up or wear them with an oversized Rick
Owens tee with a really relaxed fit. Owens’ style and
aesthetic are amazing. He kind of coasts in his own little lane.
And he does really cool furniture, too. As
for these red Givenchy shoes –
everyone has to have a few statement pieces, right?
“Style in the surf
community here is still very natural. People wear what
they feel comfortable in. I’ve always been a monochrome kind of
guy, ever since my mum once bought me, my dad and my brother
matching fluoro wetsuits. This Saint
Laurent black tee has a thick neckline, it’s really
durable and is something I can wear a million times that keeps
getting better with age. I’m a big fan of NikeLabs.
Shoe designers influence me because I can relate a sneaker’s
structure and form to shaping boards. I always look at the fabrics
because there are a fair few similarities.”
“I’m a morning person. I always head down at sunrise for a surf.
Salt water is the best wake-up call, but it can be a little cold
before the heat of the day, so I make sure I have something warm to
throw on before and after, like this soft Haider
Ackermann jumper.
I do tend to wear a lot of black – black tees, black shorts,
black caps. My
personal style and design aesthetic are pretty monochromatic, too.
I like clean lines.”
“In the factory, I get messy, dirty, dusty, waxy, salty, sandy,
you name it. So typically, I won’t wear anything that I don’t want
to ruin. Cut-offs like these Vetements x
Reebok are almost a board short style. I’ve worn flip-flops before,
but it never ends well. I always end up dropping something on my
foot. So a pair of boots like
these Valentinos are
an essential. They’re robust but lightweight and super
wearable.”
“When I’m in the shop in Mona Vale [a few beaches south of Palm
Beach] chatting with customers, I’ll wear something a bit smarter
but still casual, like my favourite Balenciaga sweatpants. Jewellery wise,
apart from my wedding ring,
I wear this bracelet.
It’s basically a U-bolt that you’d put on a trailer, beautifully
created by Miansai. It’s
industrial and a cool take on tradesmen’s masculinity.”
Now, right about now, it’d be easy to become very insolent.
But wouldn’t you like to be this man?
A domicile near the beach, tawny skin, a robust haircut, the
recipient of beautiful expensive clothing, and whatever you think
of the Hypto, the maker of damn good, rideable surfboards.
Read Making Waves with Mr
Hayden Cox here.
