While most actors reveal their tricks of the trade – perhaps posting workout videos, sharing photos from set, dissecting their process in interviews – LaKeith Stanfield makes a conscious decision to conceal his methods. “Imagine you went to a magic show, but before the magician did every trick, he showed you exactly how he did it,” he says. “Then the magic would not do anything for you.” It’s a philosophy that feels almost radical in an industry where people have come to expect intimate, constant access to performers, from their breakfast choices to character breakdowns. Stanfield, at 34, represents something increasingly rare: an artist who insists that not everything should be consumable, that mystery serves a purpose beyond mere intrigue.

Remember when expressing your point of view was restricted to a select group of confidants? We now live in an era where, no matter the topic’s sensitivity, views mean views and engagement trumps feelings. Justifiably, there’s been a greater call for empathy. We’re implored to #bekind or to follow the century-old admonition to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”. Now, with any idiom, we’re not meant to take it literally, but focus on the symbolism. Still, as a fashion psychologist, I’ve always wondered why this saying felt so brilliant. Why does something like “walking a mile carrying someone else’s bag” or “wearing someone else’s trousers” not quite hit the same? After digging through an unholy amount of research, I discovered it’s because your choice of shoes act as a type of behavioural residue. Yes, your footwear really can be an unintended manifestation of your personality.

Pockets. Purpose. Presence. Three things the humble utility jacket has in abundance. Once the preserve of workmen and field hands, it is now the preferred jacket for editors, stylists and actors between takes. The utility jacket is no longer a niche choice, it is now a wardrobe staple. Practicality is not its only calling card, it is stylish, versatile and on the right side of rugged. Scroll a runway recap or the feed of a well-dressed friend and the message is consistent: utility silhouettes in hardwearing fabrics, cut with intent and worn with ease are in.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. And it takes just a child to raze a village, we’d counter. At least, that’s how it seems some mornings, when you arrive at the office following the school run, like Jason Statham emerging from an exploding tanker, knowing that the toughest job you’ll have to do all day is already behind you.

While most actors reveal their tricks of the trade – perhaps posting workout videos, sharing photos from set, dissecting their process in interviews – LaKeith Stanfield makes a conscious decision to conceal his methods. “Imagine you went to a magic show, but before the magician did every trick, he showed you exactly how he did it,” he says. “Then the magic would not do anything for you.” It’s a philosophy that feels almost radical in an industry where people have come to expect intimate, constant access to performers, from their breakfast choices to character breakdowns. Stanfield, at 34, represents something increasingly rare: an artist who insists that not everything should be consumable, that mystery serves a purpose beyond mere intrigue.

Remember when expressing your point of view was restricted to a select group of confidants? We now live in an era where, no matter the topic’s sensitivity, views mean views and engagement trumps feelings. Justifiably, there’s been a greater call for empathy. We’re implored to #bekind or to follow the century-old admonition to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes”. Now, with any idiom, we’re not meant to take it literally, but focus on the symbolism. Still, as a fashion psychologist, I’ve always wondered why this saying felt so brilliant. Why does something like “walking a mile carrying someone else’s bag” or “wearing someone else’s trousers” not quite hit the same? After digging through an unholy amount of research, I discovered it’s because your choice of shoes act as a type of behavioural residue. Yes, your footwear really can be an unintended manifestation of your personality.