Multi-media artist QUENTIN JONES lives and works in north London. Here she shares her ultimate GLOSSY WEEKEND …
I definitely get that Friday feeling at around 4pm so I have a celebratory drink with the two girls I work with in the studio. I had a baby, Grey, six months ago, so weekends are all about catching up on sleep at the moment – the opposite of what they used to be. But my boyfriend George and I have been good at continuing to do the things we love – we take Grey to restaurants where we stash his carrycot under the table. We won’t stay out late – that’s easier on weekdays – so weekends are about chilling and relaxing and recuperation.
SATURDAY
On Saturday mornings I go to Nadia Narain’s yoga class at Triyoga (www.triyoga.co.uk) in Camden, so I’ll be in yoga leggings and a T-shirt until lunchtime. I wear Frame and MiH jeans all week along with Converse or sandals, and baggy men’s shirts, most of them damaged by paint. I tend to wear flat shoes; weekends are great for taking time to walk everywhere. I’m also a bit of a hat person and wear a lot of beanies.
Returning to London has been a real readjustment. I was in New York for two years and it’s such a constant sensory explosion – you just want to keep stopping and exploring everywhere you pass. But the people in London are amazing and the food scene is getting better all the time – I love discovering new restaurants. There’s also plenty of variety work-wise: I’m currently collaborating with skincare brand Sisley on an ad for their new fragrance, and also working on a script for a short film I want to produce.
On Saturday evening we go out for something to eat which presents an opportunity to dress up a bit. Recent fashion buys are an amazing Gucci bomber jacket with red and silver embroidery, and some Acne boots with a tiny heel. We love Honey & Co in Fitzrovia: you can’t book but they always seem to squeeze us in with the baby. It’s tiny and really unpretentious, more like a café, and they do amazing Middle Eastern food and great cocktails. Another favourite restaurant is Granger & Co in Clerkenwell. It’s so spacious, we can easily put Grey’s car seat on a bench with us, and the food never fails to blow my mind and my tastebuds; I love the yellow fish curry with shredded cucumbers and nuts. Oh, and they make a mean spritz too.
I also love dining out with girlfriends and gossiping over cocktails on a Saturday night. For somewhere glam we go to the Wolseley to drink champagne and eat oysters or a steak tartare, or we head to Dukes in St James for excellent martinis.
SUNDAY
On Sunday we start the day with a long walk on Hampstead Heath and grab a coffee at Melrose & Morgan. My family lives in Primrose Hill, another reason for moving nearby. Sunday lunch is a big occasion and my mum is an amazing cook – she’ll go to the farmer’s market in Marylebone and see what’s fresh. She cooks really good Asian food, fish and Middle Eastern vegetables. It’s very eclectic and we always stagger home incredibly full after lots of dessert and ice cream.
Before the baby we’d have gone to the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead to relax for the afternoon with a big glass of red wine. Now, we’ve installed a projector to watch movies at home instead. To really wind down, a facial is very spoiling – I go to the Josh Wood salon in Holland Park for a Sisley treatment. It’s a real treat and means total relaxation.
I love to go to galleries like Tate Modern, but tend to go on a weekday afternoon when it’s quieter – that’s one of the benefits of working freelance. Sunday wind-down begins when Grey is asleep and entails early bedtime and binge-watching a series like Transparent,
The Americans or Mr Robot. I used to get the Sunday night blues and feel super-stressed, but since having Grey our days have more routine and I don’t feel it anymore.
In conversation with Sarah Halliwell.
Instagram @quentin_jones.
This article appeared in a previous issue, for more features like this, don’t miss our November issue, out Thursday, November 3.
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