Remember Sonny from the Kenneth Cole ads? Our favorite sexy Sikh man is back, this time with a full spread out in GQ Spring/Summer ’09.
It’s great that the image of the sardar is receiving positive attention. Perhaps it will encourage those who aren’t familiar with Sikhs to learn more. I said perhaps. More realistically, the page will be turned (no, not all Sikh men dress…like that) and Sikhs will still be unknown. It’s in our human nature to see something unfamiliar, and then go back to our dinner and never think of it again. [LangarHall]
Why so skeptical, Sundari? I’m sure many a folks will be turning the pages on this entry virtually, repeatedly. More pictures after the jump…
And another one, just because I can. You can check out the rest of his GQ pictures here. Though I think that this spread is in a German issue of the magazine, I wouldn’t be surprised if the polished photos were picked up for the American-made mags -I’m sure some may disagree. Who said fashion wasn’t political?
He’s beautiful…wasn’t aware of him before…thanks!
L O V E I T!
The second one (dark gray suit + pink pagri) is pretty badass.
I wonder if non-Sikh people will start rocking the turban as a fashion statement.
What a gorgeous man! Great to see Sikhs rocking GQ 🙂
Brilliant pictures, love the pink turban.
Liking the blue trousers in the last pic with the matching waistcoat.
really? don’t care to know anything about his background. that’s a HOT man. anything else he brings to the table is icing on the proverbial cake. OH MY!
if i get slammed for being sexist with these comments, i don’t care. a hottie is a hottie!
I am Punjabi and my gf has always considered me to be a sardar even though I’m not very religious, or wear a turban or have a beard. Funny thing is she even asked me the other day if I would start wearing a turban – because she thought it looked classy.
Not too many sardars here Chicago though – we always play spot the sardar – most I see in a year here is during big yearly radiology convention here. I always make a point to say Sat Sri Akal, to every turbaned Sikh I meet which she finds very amusing. The young ones only appreciate or reciprocate sometimes, but the older ones always smile and respond with love.
This is a great find. She’ll definitely enjoy this link from her “Punjabi Munda”.
Oh, I love this. What a great spread and the turban absolutely makes the shoot. He looks sleek, comfortable, and perfectly multicultural. 🙂
4 · Yoga Fire said
That’s how Waris got his start. He’d tie fashion turbans on hipsters at parties. This is before either the jewelry business or the acting. It never really caught on 🙂
I don’t actually care whether others start doing it, I just want them to stop discriminating against me because I do. Sunny’s a step in that direction.
11 · Ennis said
I’m just a fan of bringing hats and headgear back in general. Turbans, bowlers, fedoras, fezzes. Whatever. I remember reading an article some time ago about how the popularity of Bollywood leading men has led young Sikh men to forsake the beard and turban and I thought that was sad.
Well, I don’t know…like all fashion statements, they only look good on certain people. If you have to wear a turban because you are Sikh and have a face that fits it (Like Sonny’s) that’s great…but I’ve seen many Sikh men who don’t look good in turbans..So everyone will have a different opinion but I think some people look great in turbans and some don’t and it’s not the turban alone that will make a person good-looking. For example my friend’s white husband, wore a turban for their Hindu wedding…and he looked terrible in it. He’s all right looking w/o it, but the turban, imo, was a disaster for him.
yoga fire, um…these were popular on the runway recently. But perhaps you were wondering if men will start wearing them as a fashion statement…most likely it will be the young dudes who are sporting keffiyehs so popular right now. Another topic, I know.
It’s always fun explaining why the turban is worn;
“Well, you see, some are baptized / orthodox and it is a part of their religious beliefs – and they don’t drink smoke, eat meat or do drugs. They don’t cut their hair or shave. And, uh, many others also have a beard and wear a turban, but they do eat meat and drink but it is a cultural thing, the way they were raised and a personal choice. Some shave and keep their beards and hair short and others don’t. But other cultures besides Punjabis have turbans as well too.”
Not necessarily a complicated thing to explain, but sometimes not a short answer depending on how much you want to explain at that moment.
Back in Vancouver, did see some who were baptized but still drink – very rare (and wrong) and usually very young guys who were keeping the front for their family. A lot of Punjabis who immigrate from India usually lose the turban and beard in a few years too.
These guys made them fashionable in the 50s in Philly.
“We didn’t have a name for the group in the beginning, so our manager suggested that we wear caps [Chet says “tams”]. We didn’t like the idea too much, and one of the fellows [Charlie] said: ‘Before I put a cap on, I’d rather wear a turban!’ And that’s what we did, calling ourselves the Turbans.”
This is great! I like the colors!
4 · Yoga Fire said
Yes, then Billy Mays will be on your set trying to sell you a gizmo that ties it for you while you polish your shoes or whatever.
18 · ptr_vivek said
Gentlemen,
We can make this happen. We have the technology.
Maybe this gorgeous GQ spread will convince my clean shaven Sikh husband to wear the turban sometime, which he last wore on our wedding day in India. There is something very special about a tall tubaned Sikh…..mmmmmmmm!
On a serious note – Even though I am not religious, I can’t help but admire those observant Sikhs living in New York, especially school going children who, post 9/11, wear a turban every day of their life, exposing themselves to possible harrasment, ridicule and even violence. I hope, if there is a need to stand up for my belief, I have half their courage.
19 · Yoga Fire said
Only if they double, wait – no triple the offer !! With free shipping and a money back guarantee, and if I call in now, an added bonus stainless steel kanga.
Taz, it isn’t about being skeptical but rather realistic. Sonny has been praised by much of the Sikh community for providing this exposure. As I mentioned in my post – it’s great PR. What the exposure does is make the image of the turban something more familiar and something positive.
However, my argument was that simply seeing something pleasing may not necessary translate into understanding what the turban stands for or who the Sikhs are. While the exposure is great, it’s the education and awareness that is just as important.
Also, many of your commenters have mentioned that they could now be convinced to wear a turban or convince their spouse to wear one – but I’m not sure that’s necessarily the right reason to starting wearing a pugh – because it’s fashionable?
this doesnt do anytihgn for me. i think it’s an interesting look, but not for me. more interestingly… have you all seen the most recent ermen zegna spread. it features an indian guy. well actually two indian guys 🙂 [take a look]. i liked the clean look and the indian guy in the pic made me stop. so it served the purpose. i havent been interested in zegna in the past. too slick for me… but after this, i may actually look them over.
1st photo: Thank you for smoking? Err.. In other words, thank you sonny for being smokin’ hot 🙂
axually – i checked. the zegna catalog was shot in jaipur – shots of elephant polo, rickshaws, havelis etc on location.
These guys made them fashionable in the 50s in Philly.
I’ve seen that before…so funny…I don’t know how I feel about the turbans on those men. There was a girl I went to school with, in college, that would wear a turban to class – she was one of those people, which some of you guys may be, who was always on the cutting edge of fashion and wore a lot of vintage. So with some of her vintage dresses she would wear a turban…like those fashion pics you showed Bess, with the women wearing the turban.
objectification….
Was this in the 70s? kidding. I remember my mother sporting a purple velvet turban to the grocery store a few times – it was the late 70s. She was one of those kind of grocery shoppers.
Since, we seem to be interesteed in turbans and fashion. here’s a pic of vickram chatwal modeling a patriotic turban while eating a burrito and looking fashionably glum.
Cool but
Yeah I think I’ll lose it if turbans become popularized like keffiyehs have been with “hipster”-“douche” set. is there a pugh equivalent to the kufi smack?
khoofie, you have yet to be properly lauded for your ability to find the most poignant, grotesque visuals.
c’mon Deemz, you know you love it when the hipster set gives you yet another reason to hate them. Besides most people don’t know how to wrap and wear them so they’ll just look like they have a head injury.
Khoofie does his part but Manish Vij, who got a little too carried away with Slumdog and posted those Bombay brothel pics, is the worst offender to date. I can’t bring myself to link to it.
23 · khoofi said
Zegna, meh, their 2006 collection was good. Shirts were made to fit people that actually had a wider back than waist, now they are taking Burberry route. Plus the girls that work at Zegna are fugly and I had to explain what exotic leather means. A free advice to them, leave me alone, you can cash your commission when you see me going towards the register.
I didnt know about this Sardar sahb, looks like my cousin (trying to think, does my cousin wear a fifty…)
What does a turban stand for? What does a smoking jacket stand for? Or a bowtie? – Too much fashion politics. What about the exotic beauty angle?
Keep the cultures clashing!
Turbans seem to match well with beards. Without beards not so much. Just an observation.
Hot. Especially the second and third photos. It’s always awesome to see desi men being celebrated for their sexiness.
As a dude who wears a turban, reading these comments have been interesting. Gurmando’s post was the funniest and definitely hit home with me. I wear a turban, don’t shave/trim my beard, but drink and eat meat. Its weird explaining it to people. The way i explain it is to look at the three as three separate choices. I know guys who don’t drink but eat meat and cut their hair, or don’t eat meat, don’t drink, but cut their hair. I guess my choice is outwardly expressed so people tie it to other things, like not drinking or eating meat.
But yea, i’m in support of any guy making turbans more “user friendly.” I live in the bay area and i still get weird, off the wall questions and comments. Looking forward to reading more comments.
To the ‘objectification’ point – as long as it is a model who just happens to be indian / sikh who is being utilized for his talents and looks and not just a trendy, exotic trend of the day, I think it is ok. Also nice to see a turban look being used to contrast as well as fuse with a mix of fashion. Fashion is supposed to be an art – trying different things, seeing what works. But if not done correctly, yes – it can be objectifying.
As stated, hopefully this will lead to more brown peoples in the media.
I just watched I Love You, Man and there were 2 different indian actors who were just playing regular guys – no set up or gag or accent. I like the trend.
Moni – I like messing with people sometimes if you can keep a straight face.
Tell your non-brown friends that you are trying to ‘keep it green’ and that you carry a battery pack / fuel cell in your turban so that you can quickly recharge your iPhone and iPod, etc on the go. You could even add that Indians invented an alternative fuel source from spices and lentils centuries ago. However, if they hear your turban humming loudly, they should run.
I welcome other suggestions.
I just watched I Love You, Man and there were 2 different indian actors who were just playing regular guys – no set up or gag or accent. I like the trend.
That is one of the reasons I love Kelly Kapoor in the office – she’s just a ditz, who happens to be Indian, but it’s her character, with her valley girl accent, and her obsession with love that cracks me up. She played the “girlfriend” in the 40 year old virgin and it was the same thing. Mindy Kaling, looks like something else besides your typical American, say unlike some Indians, who w/ a different dress and mainstream American clothes can pass for a white…But I haven’t seen Kaling play any roles where being ethnic is the essence of her character.
Agreed – what’s also great about Kelly is that she is also a writer on the show, like BJ Novak who played the intern / boss. They saw her skills and the character and just ran with it – no explanation or justification. Just like in 40 year old virgin – when they finally cut to her face and reaction – I remember the jump inside I got and thinking, that was unexpected, but also very cool. I was talking about this with the my gf, and we agreed that more Indians need to go into acting / comedy / writing – if only parents stop with the doctor / lawyer pressure. Not sure if it is still a major issue for 2nd / 3rd generation-ers. This also is why Goodness Gracious Me from the UK is so great, they have Indian comedy but also show brown people as regular folk too. Same with Little Mosque on the Prairie in Canada on CBC.
I know him! Well kinda…his sister married this guy from my community. He looks like your average sardar in person. He’s also surprisingly short from what I remember. These pics are awesome though. Thanks for sharing.
Aziz Ansari and Jay ‘Broken Lizard’ Chandrasekhar and Kal Penn are future for south asian characters in Hollywood. And Aziz Ansari characters are so far away from race that it’s not even a question. Watch him Parks& Recreations with Amy Pholer on NBC.
Kelly is that she is also a writer on the show, like BJ Novak who played the intern / boss.
Yes, she’s so talented. I mean she played Ben Affleck for god’s sake…talk about acting 🙂
Aziz Ansari and Jay ‘Broken Lizard’ Chandrasekhar
thanks for citing these guys…wasn’t aware of them. Aziz looking at his wiki has an MBA – I can just see his parents telling him to get that before trying it in comedy…hell, if I was his parents I’d say the same thing.
GurMando:
Where are you in Chicago…I am in Chicago too. errr and I think I see a lot more turbaned people than you do 😉 but then I am in the northwest suburb near the gurdwara 😉
Theres also that guy from 30 rock and weeds. Interestingly, he plays a gay character on both shows. A gay desi? I didn’t know they existed. I kid.
I live in the South Loop by Printer’s Row.
Have been to the Palatine gurdwara and the one on Devon – both were empty; assuming that Saturday / Sunday mornings would be a better time to visit.
Just used to back home in Surrey / Vancouver – when I took my gf to visit she was so excited to see all the sardars and the different coloured turbans, Sikhs walking around in kurta pajamas, etc – she was taking pics like at a fair.
Good times.
45 · Moni said
Maulik Pancholy. I love that guy.
You got to be kidding. No one would mistake him for anything other than south asian.
48 · slick said
But He don’t play typical south asian characters. Watch HUMAN GIANT. Bye
taz: i just thought i’d use this post to express my admiration for your paparazzi-style avatar. you look like you were just caught emerging from alex rodriguez’s apartment at 10 in the morning, fashionably hung over of course.