Yan Skates – Hidden London
Yan Skates is an artist and celebrity florist. Having set up a fine art studio in London’s Spitalfields Market which through chance turned into a florist stall every Sunday in East London. Yan hasn’t looked back since then, with a Chelsea Gold and various other floral awards. Realising the influence of flowers in the fashion industry Yan started to decorate London Fashion Week and various catwalk shows.
Always keeping one eye in the art scene Yan, has continued to create art through flowers. Which eventually led to the TV show The Big Flower Fight and the rest they say in history.
Yan What’s your Best Restaurant & Why?
Yan Skates: I am so blessed to know people with incredible cooking skills, so I normally get treated in my friends homes. There is one restaurant that has exactly that vibe. No real menu, you get what you are given kinda vibe. Which is entirely how I want it. If I go somewhere I trust them to do their thing. This is Kale Street Restaurant – 4 Cale Street, London SW3 3QU
Favourite Bar/Pub & Why?
There is only one pub in London for me. Sandra’s pub in the East End. It’s called The Golden Heart. This stems back to the mid 90s when I was an artist in Spitalfields Market. Sandra Esquilant’s pub offered all us aspiring and poor artists a place to mix with YBAs. As well as extensive Lock-ins as well as all our birthday parties and emotional breakdowns celebrated in equal measure. 110 Commercial Street, London E1 6LZ
Favourite place for a romantic night out?
Yan Skates: I’m sorry, but there is only one place for a romantic night and that is in bed. However nothing beats a walk along The Thames, at any time of the day. Especially at night on one of those barmy summer nights. And if you are a bit odd or just very british. It’s even magical on one of those stormy, rainy, spitty nights…for the authentic feel
Name an Area of London you Love?
Yan Skates: This changes all the time. Depending on where I live or work or suddenly spend a lot of time. I truly believe that you can get lost on an adventure anywhere in London depending on your present mood and vibe. I know so many people who came to visit for a week and didn’t leave the block they were in because of what happened there. The older the better generally. The city of London has recently really invested in public art and tall buildings to view the city from, as free experiences, so The City is a fun place to start. And although it is full of tall modern buildings, it is also where some of the oldest bits of London are.
Name one Gallery you always go to London?
Yan Skates: I always go to The Royal Academy for The Summer Exhibition, which is this art jumble sale of the highest calibre on Piccadilly in June and August. Any kind of art fair is always great fun. One of my favourite galleries is more for the curation than the space. They represent some really interesting artist: James Freeman in Angel – 354 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0PD
What’s your Favourite Boutique/Shop?
Yan Skates: I am 100% dedicated to this shop. I give you Wall & Jones!!!! – on 340 Hackney Road, London, E2 7AX
This is where I get most of my outfits designed and made. That sounds incredibly exclusive, but fear not. This place is like a giant dress up box, where you can go in and style yourself as if you were going to the Met Gala or just on that special date. Ali Wall is the proprietor and she sits there and turns out one couture outfit after the other for people to buy at incredibly affordable prices. Everyone can be a star at W&J
Where can you be found on a Saturday night in London?
Yan Skates: This very much depends on the mood and the type of the year. Weekends are slightly odd for florists, because we are either working, including clearing out a wedding venue after midnight or recovering from a heavy week of corporate events…but if I had nothing to do, a rooftop bar or restaurant would be where I would go. These are popping up all over London at the moment and I am still running through a list of potential candidates for this honour. I basically haven’t found that special place with the right mix of people, sounds and views..yet.
It’s Sunday in London what do you do?
Yan Skates: Sundays are for walking and exercise, so tennis on a court somewhere in a park. Then a long leisurely walk along the South Bank of the river…Now you can walk from Battersea to London Bridge and take in all the sights on the North side from a pleasant distance and also stop at an array of restaurants and bars as well as iconic galleries like The Tate Modern, The Garden Museum and Shakespeare’s The Globe.
Describe where do you go for some peace and quiet in London?
Yan Skates: I happen to be a member or friend of many galleries, so during the day you can access spaces within them that no one goes to during the day. There are also tiny squares and mini parks scattered all over London for a bit of bench reading. Now there are buildings with amazing views in The City of London which are free like Horizon 22. Other than that if you can find a church in any part of London you are almost guaranteed to be the only person in there if you really just need to calm down and clear your head.
Yan, name one thing you must do when you come to London?
Yan Skates: You MUST go to Buckingham Palace – it is not a hidden gem, but if you have never been it is one of the most easily accessible spaces that are famous. It has so many beautiful angles for a selfie. I drive past it several times a week just because I love the gold and the pomp and it is just so iconic.
Yan’s Website
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Our editor at large Daniel Syrett, or SYRETT, which the artist is better known as, brings his extensive knowledge of the fashion and art industries to his role here at IRK Magazine. While SYRETT is recognized for his glossy Haute-Couture pieces, Daniel is also the founder and curator of Runway Gallery, the fashion-focused gallery that represents some familiar names from IRK, including our founders, French Cowboy. Daniel may be making his mark on the vibrant London art scene at present; however, his unique style is based on different influences from Daniel Syrett’s past.
After studying fashion at Jacob Kramer College of Art in his home city of Leeds, Daniel moved to Liverpool, where his style was influenced by the alternative creative’s of Merseyside. After successfully launching one of the most exclusive nightclubs in the country, Dan travelled to London to work as a freelance stylist, in a move which saw his career in fashion skyrocket. To date, Daniel Syrett has worked alongside some of the most prestigious names in the industry, including Elle, All Saints, EMI, the BBC, and London Fashion Week. Among his latest collaborations, SYRETT is most recognised for his partnership with True Brit Nail Varnish which is portrayed through his glossy art pieces. SYRETT uses the varnish as a medium to create highly polished, and highly fashionable works of art which expose the intertwining relationship between the fashion and art worlds. This connection is epitomised by his most recent collection in which SYRETT named each piece after some of the most iconic designers, including Alexander, Jean-Paul, Yves and Vivienne, with the latter designer being a frequent visitor to Daniel’s former boutique, Controversy.
As a result of working with these stylish clients, Daniel Syrett has solidified a global reputation as both a fashion stylist and an artist. His work has graced everywhere from New York and Florence, to the pastel-glazed buildings on Miami’s South Beach, where an exhibition of SYRETT’S work is also planned for the near future. It is, however, unsurprising that Daniel Syrett has reached such heights, after seeing his work published in over 200 National and International publications, alongside several other books, including the Booth-Clibborn Edition of the counter-culture book, High Flyers.
Alongside his role at IRK, Daniel continues to make his name in London and beyond, most specifically through Beautalism: the emerging art movement which is shaping the art scene across the capital. As the founder of the Beautalists, Daniel Syrett aims to bridge the gap between the public and the artist and make art accessible to all. This is all in a days work for Dan, who balances his Runway Gallery empire with his work as an artist. With other exciting partnerships launching with the W Hotel, Soho’s Century Club and ROOME, the future for the head of Beautalism looks beautiful indeed.
Biography by Megan Slack, Contributing Editor at Magazine by Runway Gallery.
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