Last weekend’s Vogue Festival hosted some really interesting talks and I managed to take in a fascinating debate on taste with Grayson Perry, Jasper Conran and Lilly Allen, as well as listening to Alexandra Shulman interview Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler and Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley, who head up the creative team at Marc by Marc Jacobs – on the advantages of working as a pair.
Talking about at why they work well together, Katie Hillier described “an instant inspiring spark” at the moment she met Luella. “We were both club kids, we both raved – we had very similar popular culture references from the beginning,” said Luella. “Now when I start to say something I know that Katie will be able to finish it. There is such a strong connection between us, even when we’re not together.”
“We always used to help each other with our homework, then our portfolio kind of just became one,” said Lazaro of his partnership with Jack. “So then it was confusing when we went to find a job and prospective employers would say ‘so are we hiring one or both of you – is this one salary or two?’ So we’d say ‘definitely two’ – and that didn’t suit them. Eventually we just decided to go for it on our own. We were 23; we were in the moment and had nothing to lose.”
I was also fortunate enough to be taken on another Unlock Art Tour with the wonderful Linda Bolton (who I have decided is going to be my new best friend – whether she wants to or not). She gave us an insight into the lives of one of my favourite art duos Gilbert and George and a fascinating tour of their East End. George famously said ‘nothing happens in the world that doesn’t happen in the East End’ and I tend to agree.
The idea of creative couple is fascinating to me and I have to stop myself from eating at Gilbert and George’s favourite Dalston restuarant every night.
I spend lots of time in Spitalfields and Shoredtich as they are not far from where I live, but Linda was able to offer up some fascinating new facts about the history, architecture and art of the area, that I was unaware of.
Take a look at the film below for an insight into some well known art duos.
We were taken to the Le Méridien Picadilly for a delicious lunch after the tour and if you are planning a trip to London it really is worth considering the hotel to take part in their Le Méridien’s Unlock Art™ programme.