A Life Curated – Détails, épisodes et analyse

I talk to the simply incredible DIANE VON FURSTENBERG. Global fashion icon, entrepreneur, and steadfast advocate for female empowerment, we discuss her first art memory, the miracle of her mother's early life, what is was like hanging out with Andy Warhol and that famous kitchen polaroid, what is was like being painted and photographed by Francesco Clemente, Chuck Close and Li Song Song. That's just the start. We then talk about how she created the iconic wrap dress, if she knew early on that she going to be a huge success, what it means to her to be an icon, how she deals with failure, what her family and staff think about her, and DVF also offers invaluable advice on starting a fashion business and much, much, more.

Download, it's filled with LIFE ADVICE and is an absolute MASTERPIECE.

Thank you to @therealdvf for being a true icon and fantastic guest.

Photo copyright owned by DVF

Produced by Martin Lumsden

Music by Robin Katz

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A former journalist who rose to the top of the FT and became CEO, John transformed a loss making paper into a £500m revenue generating multi media global empire, this episode is one of my favourites. We kick off with John's first art memory, his love of music, and auditioning for Chrysalis Records, then dive into his journalism days, if he still gets the itch to write, how he transitioned from journalist to CEO, the three key decisions which transformed the FT and the key decisions that will keep it going. We discuss the AI Elephant in the virtual room, what makes a modern CEO, his collecting tastes, which include Bonsai trees, surfboards, and a deep love for music photography and much, much more!

Download and play, it's an absolute masterpiece.

Cover photo by Alex Griffiths

Music by Robin Katz

Produced by Martin Lumsden

This episode is kindly sponsored by Oliver Bayliss of Bayliss Rare Books, the best rare book dealer in the business - www.baylissbooks.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of a Life Curated is kindly sponsored by Minka Jewels - @minkajewels

For the fifth episode of A Life Curated, I sit down with the world authority on jewellery history, FT journalist and curator, Vivienne Becker.

In this charming conversation, Vivienne tells me about how she started in the antique markets of Notting Hill, her big break by a photocopying machine, making fish fingers for her daughter when Madeleine Albright called, what she looks for in an emerging jeweller, what she loves and laments about the jewellery world, how JAR changed the industry,her deep passion for Lalique, why history and design are crucial to jewellery making, the latest trends and much, much more!

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I’m delighted to be joined on the fourth episode of A Life Curated by internationally renowned minimalist architect John Pawson.

Born in Halifax and schooled at Eton, John spent time working for his family’s textile business before leaving for Japan in his mid-twenties, spending the final year in Tokyo where he visited the studio of Shira Kuramata, who was to be a huge influence on his career.

Inspired by the minimalistic aesthetic he had witnessed, and after a few pit stops around the world, including a dalliance with Liza Minelli in Australia and an attempt at becoming a monk, upon his return to the UK he enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, leaving in 1981 to set up his own practice.

Although private houses have remained at the core of his practice, John’s projects have been wide ranging including the Lake Crossing bridge at Kew Gardens, hotels for Aby Rosen, a flagship store for Calvin Klein, projects for Ian Schrager, Bruce Chatwin, Karl Lagerfeld, a Cistercian monastery in Bohemia, The Jaffa hotel in Israel, and in 2016 John designed the new Design Museum in London. Most recently John also designed the Claridge’s Artspace Gallery.

A recipient of a long list of awards, including a CBE in 2019 for services to design and architecture, John has also been published several times, including a foray into cook books, John’s latest book ‘Making Life Simpler ’published by Phaidon was released last month.

John is also an avid photographer, his photos being exhibited at 180 Strand in June 2022, as part of a ‘A Shade of Pale’ exhibition, the largest exhibition of photos per acreage ever exhibited.

Recorded from John’s office in King’s Cross, my name is Nolan Browne, I’m an art advisor with a podcast, this is A Life Curated.

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I'm thrilled to have sat down with mega dealer and collector Ivor Braka.

Having studied at Oxford then at Sotheby’s, at aged 24 , Ivor got his first taste of the art world when he worked for Andras Kalman at Crane Kalman gallery in Knightsbridge.

With funding from his father and installed in a flat in Pont St, he then plunged into Wyndham Lewis drawings, Rossetti, JW Waterhouse, Mondrian and Ben Nicholson.

Having got into Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach way before others did, it was in 1989 when he was introduced to a Swedish collector Bo Alveryd that Ivor’s big break came. A Francis Bacon self portrait he had bought for $2m was subsequently sold for $4.2m. Ivor was set.

Dealing also in Paula Rego, Pablo Picasso, and Tracey Emin, by 2001, when Francis Bacon prices began their mountainous climb, from $5 million to $86 million, Ivor had been in the Bacon market for decades. Often called a visionary, Ivor attributes some of his success to going against convention and not necessarily following the market, discovering great pictures and subsequently achieving multiple record prices along the way.

Splitting his time between London and Norfolk, Ivor operates independently, without an army of directors, assistants and white walls, offering a highly-private dealership serving the world’s biggest collectors.

Recorded from Ivor’s home in Chelsea, my name is Nolan Browne, I’m an art advisor with a podcast this is A Life Curated

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After my blockbuster first guest, I'm thrilled to have sat down for the second episode of A Life Curated. with the worlds greatest fashion artist and Claridge’s artist in residence , DAVID DOWNTON.

It’s often written that David has single handedly revived interest in fashion portraiture bringing the golden age of illustration to the 21st century with his classically elegant, yet highly contemporary images all executed in his distinct sweeping style.

In 1996 David got his big break when he was sent to draw the Paris Couture starting with unparalleled access to Valentino and Versace at the Ritz. Since then he hasn’t looked back and counts Chanel, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Fenwick, Harrods, Tiffany and the V & A amongst his clients.

David’s portraits of the worlds most iconic women include Laura Bailey, Iman, Dita von Teese, Erin O'connor, Gillian Anderson, Catherine Deneuve and Jasmine Guinness and his work routinely appears in the The New York Times, Vogue, V Magazine, Harpers Bazaar and most recently Vanity Fair.

In this 55 minute odyssey and recorded from his suite at Claridge’s, David and I discuss his inspiration in the early years, how he navigates the personalities in the fashion world, opening that invisible door from a commercial illustrator to the high octane world he now inhabits, tells us the key ingredients of how he made it, the process of a life drawing and if Warhol had Marilyn, Sargeant has Madame X, who is his favourite subject?

Put the lead on the dog, whip on that coat or lie back on the sofa, just remember to plug me in and turn up the volume for this fabulous episode.

Thank you to DD for being such a brilliant guest and an all around class act.

Produced by Martin Lumsden

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of A Life Curated I sit down with legendary journalist, editor and author DYLAN JONES.

In the 80's Dylan started at I.D Magazine, then after various editorships including at The Face, Arena, The Sunday Times, he rose to the very top of publishing as editor of GQ where he stayed for 22 years, turning the magazine into a global brand. GQ won 80 awards in that time, including editor of the year award for Dylan, 11 times. In 2013 Dylan was awarded an OBE for services to publishing.

A media powerhouse in his own right, Dylan is also a critically acclaimed author having written over 20 books with his latest Faster Than A Canonball coming out in October.

In this episode Dylan discusses his career from the start, his earliest art memories, what art does for him, what it is was like to edit during the YBA’s years, gives great advice if you when you receive an opportunity who really pulled the strings behind Saatchi’s collection, his long relationships with Tracey Emin and David Bowie and what art would he buy if he had all the money in the world…

Lie back on the sofa or lace up those trainers, just make sure you plug me in and turn up the volume. Enjoy.

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Is this my most stylish episode yet? I went to Nicole's house last Sunday, surrounded by her wonderful sculptures and discussed her first art memories, how Giacometti inspired her, how art played a role in her illustrious 40 year fashion career, working with Jean Gibson, how Eduardo Paolozzi taught her to look at everything as art and much, much more. I absolutely loved this episode.. download, it's a masterpiece.

This episode is kindly supported by @waawworld

Cover photo by Harry Borden

Music by Robin Katz

Produced by Martin Lumsden

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With FRIEZE week coming up soon, and Surrealist female artists hitting big numbers at auction, I thought it would be the perfect time to release this episode with the amazing JULIE CURTISS. Since I saw first saw Julie's work at her solo at White Cube Mason's Yard in 2021, I was transfixed by her paintings which are filled with the uncanny, mundane, and grotesque shapes all painted in vivid colours. We discuss Julie's upbringing, her emotions when her paintings were flipped at auction achieving 10,000% return, what it's like being an artist working with White Cube, what are the emotional processes she goes through when making her work and some of my favourite paintings she's painted. Download, it's a masterpiece.

Thank you @whitecube for setting this up.

Credit line: © Julie Curtiss Photo © White Cube (Fabrice Gousset)

Music by @robinkatz_

Produced by Martin Lumsden

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is kindly sponsored by Field Recruitment, the best art recruiters in the business - www.fieldnewyork.com

I LOVED deep diving into PILAR ORDOVAS's mind, one of the leading gallerists of her generation. We discuss her early years, travelling to see art all over the world with her father, how she rose to the top of Christie's, (including winning a consignment as a junior against the then chairman of Sotheby's,) her deep relationship with Lucian Freud, why 'Benefits Supervisor Sleeping' sold for $33,000,000, her advice on staying at the top, what she looks for in a work of art and much, much more! Download, it's a MASTERPIECE.

Photo © Pilar Ordovas

Music by Robin Katz

Produced by Martin Lumsden

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.