While reveling in the fantastical wonderland that is the Jacques Townhouse earlier this week, one man made quite the impression on 7TH MAN. Sporting quintessential dandy attire (complete with top-hat and cane) interiors impressio David Carter looked every inch the dapper gentleman. However, such a look is not uncommon for this man, whose debonair appearance has gained quite the stylish reputation in amongst the London party circuit. “I love it when people are not afraid to express themselves through their clothes, to be individuals’, says David in support of his dandy contemporaries who he claims are “The last of a dying breed”.
Fortunately, David shows no sign of shunning his eccentric gentlemanly apparel in favour of something more reserved. “I’m lucky in that I don’t have to work in an office-I can wear what I want”. Indeed, David’s hectic schedule has left him anything but tied to the mundanities of working in an office block. As an internationally celebrated interior designer, his work has featured in some of the world’s most influential interiors magazines. Working principally on high-end residential projects, he injects just the right levels of glamour, luxury and wit that has led him to be twice short-listed for the highly prestigious Andrew Martin International Designer of the Year in 2001 and 2007. Furthermore, his signature personal style has also prompted coverage in style bibles such as L’Uomo Vogue, Sunday Times Style, and Italian GQ.
When he’s not busy modeling for the glossies , David’s entrepreneurial skills have been put to the test with the much lauded enterprise, 40WINKS. As the world’s first micro-boutique hotel, 40WINKS has received rave reviews , with intriguing soirees such as Bedtime Stories being a firm favourite amongst guests.
It was this particular venture that caught the eye of Exposure PR in the early stages of developing The Jacques Townhouse. Noting that David could provide the right mixture of interior design, content and experience in creating the ultimate boutique hotel, it was a match made in heaven.
From the word go it was all hands on deck, with the weeks in the run up to the redesign of the house used to source the many props and sets which were styled by the very talented Cordelia Weston with David’s creative direction. The actual revamping of the townhouse however, took just three days. “Yes, it was a lot of work in such a relatively short space of time”, says David. A lot of work, which did feature challenges. With a number of restrictions in place at 33 Fitzroy Square, David cleverly worked his way around them, so much so, his guests perhaps wouldn’t even notice in the slightest.
“We weren’t allowed to touch the walls at all. Not even to hang a picture. So everything is free standing: the bar, the trees, even the luggage façade in the foyer is actually a false wall put in place a few inches away from the real wall”.
The result is utterly effective, with the airy townhouse laced with all the wondrous trimmings lending to guests the experience of that of almost walking onto the set of Tim Burton movie. As David said in the run up to the launch of The Townhouse: "I want to make The Jacques Townhouse a very special place for people to visit, a place of whimsy and enchantment where everyone feels that they have just walked on to a fantastical film set”.
And what does he make of Sophie Ellis Bextor, the very stylish lady appointed curator of The Jacques Townhouse? “Well Sophie is the perfect candidate to represent The Townhouse as she truly embodies the characteristics of the Jacques Brand- Fresh, bubbly and fun”.
With The Townhouse in full swing and 40WINKS still going strong, it’s hard to believe David still has time for the numerous ventures he has lined up in the future. But shall a dalliance in fashion design be just one of them? After all, not only does a strong relationship lie between interior design and fashion, this man certainly knows how to dress.
“About two or three years ago I was on a shoot for Harvey Nichols and I was approached by the buyer of menswear to possibly design a collection for the store. I said no at the time as I was quite busy, but it would be something I’d like to do. Can you imagine if a whole host of interior designers launched collections at Fashion Week? We’d show them in a beautifully designed pavilion, complete with all the embellishments! It would be fantastic!”.
Now that’s something we’d like to see this Autumn/Winter at London Fashion Week!
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