LONDON FACES Alex Proud
Alex is founder of Proud, the hip photo gallery and live music venue known for its rock and roll parties.
I live in Primrose Hill. It has everything I love about London: amazing food, a cosmopolitan way of life, it’s close to the West End and has a huge park. Also it’s a cliché, but it’s got a real village feel, people actually do say hello to each other. I grew up in Brighton. I was a little town rat spending my life in my Dad’s stamp shop, getting up to no good in the Lanes like a Dickensian kid. But being around my dad taught me you have freedom if you’re your own boss. I was an Oriental Art Dealer before Proud came along. It’s strange but true that the Russian Mafia helped me to launch Proud. I had this Russian girlfriend who introduced me to them. Boris had just taken over so there was a lot of money about. I read an article about Russians buying more Mercs than anywhere else in the world so I told this mafioso that second hand Rolls Royces were better and cheaper. They got me to source £200k worth of bullet-proof Rolls Royce for them. Our launches are fairly rock and roll. Hollywood legend Bob Willoughby flew in for the original launch to display his shots of Audrey Hepburn and Frank Sinatra. Everyone from Hugh Heffner, Paul McCartney and Joanna Lumley to new cool kids like Dizzee Rascal, Mischa Barton and the Geldofs have been to our parties. The typical Proud party is orchestrated yet chaotic and always fun. Some of our best shows so far include the unpublished pictures of Bob Marley, portraits of Muhammad Ali, The Beatles in India, and a show marking the 50th anniversary of the death of James Dean. The ‘Rankin Up, Bailey Down Under’ show about female sexuality was funny,
outrageous and provocative. My dream show would be an unseen Robert Capa. We don’t make money out of the gallery so I thought rather than just exhibiting rock ‘n’ roll, let’s be part of it! So I opened a bar, sold booze and put on bands. When we have Pete Doherty or Amy Winehouse, things tend to get a bit wild. We’ve also had Supergrass, Razorlight and the Stereophonics. I launched Proud Cabaret in the City last year and Proud Kitchen is opening soon in Camden too. When I’m not working you might find me eating at Odette’s or chilling at Two Bridges, it’s the best private members club in London. But I’m much more likely to be at home with my wife Danny and my kids Ulysses and Farrah. They’re my world. w
proudcamden.com
add lib | 27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44