Quiet luxury, minimalist aesthetics: Nick Wakeman's style tips
She collects the books of great photographers, uses only Italian perfumes and has a genuine passion for Japan, whose urban and sophisticated taste she admires. A map of doc addresses and the designer's creative references.
DISTINCTIVE SIGNS OF MY STYLE
I have a classic style, I love unisex garments such as shirts, T-shirts, jumpers and trousers with an impeccable cut and studied, oversized proportions. The inspiration behind Studio Nicholson, my creative project, has always been this: to create a genderless wardrobe of timelessly elegant pieces.
The WORK OF ART THAT INSPIRES ME
The paintings of Victor Pasmore, one of the most influential voices in British abstract art. His paintings blend painting and architecture and each time they convey a sense of peace and beauty (some of Pasmore's works are on permanent display at the Victor Pasmore Gallery in Valletta, Malta, victorpasmoregallery.com).
LAST MEAL THAT IMPRESSED ME
Sandwich di gelato alle prugne con salsa al cioccolato del ristorante Primeur di Londra. ©Food Brut Ltd
I was recently at Primeur in London, a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, with the menu written on the blackboard as it used to be, and where the food and wine are exceptional, especially the lemon sole (primeurn5.co.uk).
THE OBJECT I WOULD NEVER SEPARATE FROM
When I was in Tokyo, the chef at izakaya Narukiyo gave me ceramic sake cups in different colours. I am amused by their shape reminiscent of stylised phalluses, when I look at them they put me in a good mood (2-7-14 Shibuya Nakamura Bldg, Tokyo).
LAST OBJECT I PURCHASED AND LOVED
A pair of black suede slip-ons by The Row. I like them so much that I wear them every day (suede slip-ons, €1,160, therow.com).
A RECENT DISCOVERY
“Women”, di Jaroslav Seifert con fotografie di Stanislav Tuma (60 $, su abebooks.com).
I love collecting photography books. Recently, I discovered the photo albums of Seiichi Furuya, a Japanese artist who uses images as visual memories to preserve them from oblivion (Photographs 1978-1985 is the newly released book collecting the photographs of Seiichi Furuya's wife and muse, Christine Furuya Gössler, who died by suicide in 1985. It consists of 120 photographs that have never been exhibited, showing her relationship with her family and the world. chosecommune.com, furuya.at).
IN MY Fridge NEVER LACKS
The butter, I really like the salted one, and then carrots and Vichy Catalan natural mineral water (12 bottles of 100 cl glass, 48 euro, at acquedilusso.it).
The LAST CLOTH I ADDED TO MY GUARDAROBE
In New York, I bought a black cashmere V-neck jumper at Paul Stuart. It is a timeless garment that goes with everything and is versatile and comfortable ($850, paulstuart.com).
And WHAT I WANT TO TREND
A striped cotton shirt with a mandarin collar that I designed for my brand in 2016 and is still one of our best sellers. It is elegant and casual at the same time (studionicholson.com).
My favourite room in my home
The living room, which also has a large bookcase. I like to spend my free time leafing through books on architecture, photography and design. I am reading The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne, a very funny novel (23 euros, on amazon.com), and Women, a collection of poems by Jaroslav Seifert with photographs by Stanislav Tůma (60 dollars, on abebooks.com).
LAST MUSIC I DOWNLOADED
Afrique Victime, the latest album by Mdou Moctar, a Nigerian band that fuses 1970s rock with psychedelic music and blues. For me it is both hypnotic and relaxing (open.spotify.com).
BEAUTY PRODUCTS THAT NEVER LACK
Profumo Opoponax, SANTA MARIA NOVELLA.
All Sisley cosmetics. I have been using them for years and they are real must-haves for me. My favourite is the moisturising cream, because of its light consistency (Sisleÿa L'Intégral Anti-Âge Crème Gel Frais, 50 ml, €486, sisley-paris.com), while as a perfume I use Opoponax from Santa Maria Novella, which I buy every time I come to Italy (100 ml, 125 euro, eu.smnovella.com).
SITES AND APPS THAT I USE MOST
I try to use my phone as little as possible, although I must confess that I have been checking the design portal 1stDibs a lot lately: I fell in love with a rare lacquered wooden wardrobe designed by Le Corbusier in the 1940s for the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille. The patina of time makes it even more fascinating. I monitor it often (EUR 34,500, 1stdibs.com).
MY STYLE ICON
I have many, but if I had to choose just one I would say actor Jeremy Irons because he embodies a chic and natural style, always impeccably dressed, but with a casual touch (the actor lends his voice to the ocean in the feature film and documentary Water People: The Story of Us, a project by artist Maya de Almeida Araujo that chronicles our symbiotic bond with water by following six individuals whose lives are intertwined by Irons' narration).
A PLEASURE I COULDN'T GIVE UP
I love joking and laughing with my friends, I just couldn't help it.
THOSE I TRUST FOR MY PERSONAL WELL-BEING
I only turn to professionals whom I trust completely. Among them is Dr Karen Doherty, a true expert in skin wellness and functional regenerative aesthetics. Her clinic is located in Shoreditch, just around the corner from my shop. Very convenient! (first consultation, 30 minutes, £100, drkarendoherty.com).
A PLACE WHERE I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN
Porto St Ives, in Cornovaglia. ©Depositphotos
I have been to St Ives, Cornwall, a special place once loved also by the writer Virginia Woolf and the sculptor Barbara Hepworth. It is a small art town overlooking the ocean and rich in history, museums and galleries (seafront hotel Harbour St Ives, rooms from £280 per night, harbourhotels.co.uk; visitcornwall.com).
The BEST GIFT I HAVE GIVEN
I discovered Perfumer H's Gold Incense, a handmade incense produced by one of the few masters in this field in Kyoto, Japan, who supplies it to local Buddhist temples and monasteries, and decided to give it as a gift to all my friends. Each stick is hand-rolled with great care and created using only natural ingredients, without the addition of dyes or chemicals (30 sticks, 40 euros, perfumerh.com).
And THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ONE I HAVE RECEIVED
Recently, a dear friend gave me a plaid by Hermès, which is now the favourite blanket of Maggie, my dog (hand-spun, hand-woven and hand-dyed Cabriole plaid, 100 per cent cashmere, 2,300 euros, hermes.com).
If I HAD TO LIMIT MY SHOPPING TO ONE DISTRICT OF A CITY I WOULD CHOOSE
Lo store Arts & Science Aoyama, a Tokyo. ©Kazuya Sudo
Without a doubt the Aoyama neighbourhood in Tokyo. I love getting lost in its streets, shopping at L'Échoppe and Arts & Science and then stopping for lunch at Down The Stairs, a small restaurant that serves a delicious vegan menu on Wednesdays. I really enjoy observing the way the Japanese dress, I have always been fascinated by this country, its culture and urban style so minimal and sophisticated (lechoppe.jp; arts-science.com; arts-science.com/en/stores/down-the-stairs).
The ARTIST I WOULD COLLECT IF I COULD
Peter Hujar, one of the most enigmatic photographers of the contemporary era. His black and white shots, ranging from portraits to landscapes, are united by a unique perfection (The Gracie Mansion Show Revisited is the monographic exhibition dedicated to the photographer by the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. It recreates the legendary exhibition that was organised for the artist in New York in 1986. Until 25 October, fraenkelgallery.com; peterhujararchive.com).
MUSEUM I FIND MOST INTERESTING AT THE MOMENT
Raven Row, in London, is a contemporary art centre exhibiting works by famous international artists and new talent (ravenrow.org).
The HOTEL I LOVE MOST
La Prestige Lobby dell’hotel The Okura a Tokyo
The Okura Hotel in Tokyo is the work of architect Yoshiro Taniguchi. It is a true icon of Japanese modern architecture. However, after the recent renovation, it has unfortunately lost, in my opinion, its original charm (rooms from EUR 614 per night, theokuratokyo.jp).
If I DIDN'T DO WHAT I DO I WOULD
I love my job very much although I would love to have a woolen mill at my disposal: it would become a creative laboratory where I could experiment and create new avant-garde materials to be used.
