ON OUR RADAR | HAPPENINGS | WORLD OF CABANA

 

It was standing room only during London Craft Week 2025 for an inspiring morning at the Emilia Wickstead store on Sloane Street, where Cabana hosted a talk on design, craft and the enduring legacy of Christopher Gibbs, once the so-called ‘King of Chelsea’.

 

BY TEAM CABANA | HAPPENINGS | 18 MAY 2025

Christopher Gibbs: His World, published by Clearview Books © Joe Pickard

Friends, colleagues and admirers of the late decorator and antique dealer Christopher Gibbs crowded the Emilia Wickstead store on Sloane Street for an inspiring morning of craft and conversation during Sloane Street's Art of Craftsmanship series.

Before signing copies of her much-lauded new book, Christopher Gibbs: His World, writer and historian Lucy Moore joined Cabana’s Digital Editorial Director, Camilla Frances, for a wide-ranging discussion on the late tastemaker's considerable contribution to design. 

In a warm welcome to guests – among them, House & Garden editor Hatta Byng, TAT London founder Charlie Porter, London Craft Week chairman Guy Salter and antique dealers Katharine Pole, Will Green and Gwen Pilard – Emilia Wickstead paid tribute to Cabana and London Craft Week as all three brands marked luxury craftsmanship and the artistic heritage of Sloane Street, fresh from its two-year renovation. 

Camilla opened with a quote from Lucy’s book, which typifies Christopher Gibbs’ approach to decorating and collecting. “Buy the beautiful, the grotesque, the insane, the evocative. If it be of exquisite quality and craftsmanship, so much the better. Don’t be afraid to buy the heroic, just please, don’t buy what everyone else does,” she read, before asking Lucy to describe the Christopher Gibbs she knew, in her own words.

Lucy - whose husband was Christopher's nephew - reflected on his intellect, encyclopedic knowledge of art history and gift for connecting people, as well as his renowned aesthetic and decorative talents. She painted a picture of Christopher’s Chelsea in the swinging ‘60s and shared anecdotes from his stylish, well-connected life.

The audience enjoyed insights into his early life and influences, and learnt how his creative pursuits and passions helped him survived the debauchery of 60s London.

Emilia Wickstead’s Sloane Street store was a fitting location for creative exchange and welcome reunions, with its bridal room set up for the talk and its marble bar stocked high with refreshments, books, and copies of Cabana.

Leading makers and creatives, including decorative artist Tess Newall, cabinetmaker Rollo Durnford-Wood and Palefire Studio founder Rowena Morgan-Cox, filled the space, swapping stories from another resoundingly successful London Craft Week.

A jovial post-talk atmosphere was complemented by fine English bubbles, courtesy of Gusbourne, which proved popular with guests despite the early hour. Designers and curators, including Anna Haines, Bettina Prentice, Anna Glover and Yaniv Chen – hot off a plane from Cape Town – queued to get their new books signed, while Mark Cropper, chairman of Cumbrian paper mill, The Paper Foundation, discussed British craft with Patrick Williams of Berdoulat. Lucy Moore, Camilla Frances and the Cabana, Emilia Wickstead and London Craft Week teams continued chatting until the end, joined by Cabana contributors Noni Ware, Busola Evans and Eleanor Cording-Booth.

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Christopher Gibbs: His World, written and edited by Lucy Moore and published by Clearview Books, is now available at the Cabana Bookshop

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