The co-director and designer for WORLD is staying firmly on his couch to flatten the curve, while thinking of those who can’t.
Where are you on lockdown and who are you with?
I am at home in the city with my partner, daughter, cat and dog (Apollo 13) – four strong personalities to deal with.
How are you all doing? Do you need any help from the outside world?
The dog, thinks this is the best thing ever. He has three available laps to sleep on at any moment of the day. The teenager is yet to leave her room, we are not sure if it is a silent protest or if the TikToks are just that good. The cat is annoyed we are here but appreciative for a split second when the food is left out. My partner and I are trying to keep on top of work whilst also not argue too much about what to watch next. No help needed as yet.
Are you still working, and if so, how?
Myself, Dame Denise and Francis are in constant communication in regards to work and what and how we can manage things over this period – plenty of texting and email – some of it quite funny in an attempt to keep spirits up. But our main goal is to keep in touch with our team, make sure they are safe and feeling ok about this weird and uncertain time we find ourselves in.
What will this situation mean for your business, and is there any way the community can support it now, or when a little more normalcy returns?
Like many businesses, not being able to trade means no income, which puts pressure on all aspects of the business, especially wages, which is our number one concern. We are all looking forward to welcoming our customers back in-store when the time is right and making sure they are safe, healthy and looking for a little bit of positivity that our fashion, fragrances, candles and objet d'art can bring. Our online store is still operating even though we are unable to deliver the goods until we are through the Level 4 period, so any online shopping will always be appreciated (if you are happy to wait) and we are available if any customers have questions or queries during this time.
What are the main things you’re doing to stay occupied/positive?
Work is a great attention grabber… but I have a stockpile of books and a list of movies to work my way through. I am a binge-watcher and reader so I can hunker in quite comfortably. As many of the other retailers in Britomart will attest to, our jobs are seven days a week, so it is a rather weird sensation not to have to go anywhere, but I'm turning that into a positive from the couch.
What are you finding to be the biggest challenge and how are you handling it?
Any challenges we are facing at home pale in comparison to what is going on with others, especially on the frontline of this pandemic. The key for us is keeping in contact with loved ones and making sure we are doing our bit to flatten the curve.
Do you have a project or lifestyle change that you’re planning to get underway in this time?
I need to design some clothes! The season's continue to change and the planet continues to spin, so I need to use this time to put together some thoughts for the coming collections.
What’s your go-to isolation outfit going to be?
The first day of the lockdown I did the dog walk in a suit with a charming pocket square… since then it hasn't been anything inspiring. My Harvey Milk High School Baseball Cap is an old favourite finding some air time, though I continue to change my glasses every day. Habits die hard.
Your recommendations for
A series or film to watch I've done a little run through the early films of David Cronenburg, Derek Jarman and Abel Ferrara, with a side of the Netflix series, Tiger King, which showcases an industry weirder than fashion. Ozark continues to be fascinating. I did however watch a couple recent releases 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' by Celine Sciamma and 'Happy as Lazaro' by Alice Rohrwacher, both were amazing and worth finding. If anyone else watches the entire series of 'Too Old to Die Young', we should be friends.
An album to put on repeat Townes van Zandt ‘Nashville Sessions’, Dvorak Symphonies 8 & 9, Radiohead Amnesiac and Best of Schoolly D.
A book to read If I thought I had enough time this might be the moment to re-read Proust, otherwise I have saved for a rainy day two books of short stories: Julian Barnes 'Through the Window' and Javier Marais 'Between Eternities’.
A podcast to listen to 'The Rewatchables' – a bunch of people sitting around discussing in excruciating and fetishistic detail the movies that they love. How do I get that job!?
