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My London: Nicky Clarke
By Alistair Duncan, Evening Standard Last updated at 00:00am on 09.05.03
Nicky Clarke: fan of second-hand shops
Where do you live and why? Tufnell Park at the moment, but I'm moving to St John's Wood, to a house five doors away from my ex-wife, Lesley, so I can be near the kids.
How long have you lived there? Since the mid-Eighties.
What have been your most memorable London meals? I eat mostly in two places: Retsina in Regent's Park Road, NW1, and The Ivy in the West End. The Ivy is a bit of a celebrity cliché, but it's a good place to get food late at night. But my most memorable meal was probably my wife's 50th birthday party, which was held at the Harvey Nichols-owned restaurant, Prism. Her brothers flew in from Australia. I don't remember eating much - you know how it is when you are the host.
What is your earliest London memory? Being in a pram on a sunny day on the Old Kent Road, where I grew up. All eight of us (my parents, me and my five brothers and sisters) lived in a small terraced house with no bathroom but a huge garden. I also remember walking around Greenwich Park - we didn't have a car - and going to Southwark Lido.
Harvey Nicks or Selfridges? I like both, but Selfridges is a bit closer. I also like second-hand shops - there's something very real about an item of clothing that's been lived in.
What do you miss most when you're out of London? London itself. You forget sometimes how much you can do in the city.
What are your favourite home comforts? Crisp, cotton sheets and fresh flowers. I like things to be neat and tidy.
What are your extravagances? Travel and holidays. I didn't travel much when I was younger. I used to go on shoots abroad when I was working as a hair stylist for Vogue, and I classed that as 'travel'. I have fond memories of one particular shoot for American Vogue - it was my birthday and Brooke Shields kindly bought me some chocolate cake and some lovely white moleskin shoes. Unfortunately, they were far too small.
What is your life philosophy? The harder you try, the luckier you get. Also, if your family and friends have their health, how bad can things really be?
What is in your spring wardrobe? Lots of William Hunt. He has a great way of cutting a suit. I'm also partial to Gucci and YSL. I bought a few vintage items from a market in LA recently - I like that retro American look.
What aftershave do you wear? I like Creed and Jo Malone, who is a good friend of mine.
How do you get around town?I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and I also have a Harley-Davidson. But I tend to be a fair-weather rider.
What was the last CD you bought?I buy a lot of music and have wide, eclectic tastes. I buy CDs for the salon, mostly lounge stuff such as The Buddha Bar albums. I also like Snoop Dogg.
What would you do if you were Mayor for the day?Employ Ken Livingstone as my chauffeur so he could see how the congestion charge really works. It's so unbelievably bad - the people who can least afford it get hit. We should also have school buses in London.
What are your favourite shops?For clothes, William Hunt, Gucci and Zara. Villandry is a fantastic food shop. Sea, in Highgate, sells lovely things for the house.
What advice would you give to a tourist? Check out Anish Kapoor's structure at Tate Modern - it's a marvel. My dad was a foreman there when it was still a power station. I remember going to a party there in the early Sixties.
Where were the last three places you went on holiday? I recently went to LA for the Oscars, which although technically 'work' was also a holiday. Before that I went skiing in Meribel and before that I was in St Lucia. I go to Majorca for a month each year and I'm also fond of Ibiza. I first went there in the Seventies and Eighties, so it's always nice to return. My kids are into nightclubs, so it caters well for them.
Who's in your secret address book? There's a great restaurant in Regent's Park Road, NW1, called Lemonia. Also, Allens, my local butcher in Mount Street, W1. It's a quality shop, very traditional. It can be a bit disconcerting, though, to see pheasants hanging outside.
The new Nicky Clarke Hairomatherapy range is available from Boots and supermarkets
