The Revue, April 2020

The Revue returns for April and, to put it mildly, a lot has changed in the past month. Our usual approach, to encourage much drinking, eating, seeing and doing out in the world beyond your front door, has rightly been put on hold. However, your newfound free time needs filling, and we could all do with a dose of distraction and a little light relief. So with that in mind, we present a selection of small suggestions that will hopefully lift spirits, from the collected works of one of New York’s finest essayists, to a snoop around Hockney’s former West London home.

read: St. Tropez Soleil, Simon Liberati, Assouline 

Escapism is the order of the day with this image-heavy ode to St. Tropez from publisher Assouline, out this month. The cartoonishly glamorous town located on the French Riviera, population 4,352 (until summer hits), has played host to countless writers, movie stars, artists and pleasure-seeking royals over the decades, a mix of quaint, Mediterranean fishing town and glitzy old school movie set. This weighty volume from journalist Simon Liberati charts St. Tropez’s rise, offering an instantly uplifting cover and over 200 sun-soaked images to get well and truly lost in.

watch: My Place: Tchaik Chassay & Melissa North – The Hockney House

Video channel Nowness has enough spectacular home tours to keep you going through 2020. Our pick sees director Barbara Anastacio head to West London to visit the home of architect Tchaik Chassay and interior designer Melissa North. Chassay’s first encounter with the house came in the ‘60s following a call from its then-owner David Hockney. The painter had previously rented a room in this run-down shared house/studio and now had the means to purchase and remodel with the expert help of Chassay. Years later, Hockney would sell his idiosyncratic house to the couple, who have lived in it ever since, keeping it much in its original condition. It’s beautiful.

read: The Fran Lebowitz Reader, Fran Lebowitz, Random House USA

Essayist, occasional actor, wearer of wide-shouldered tailored blazers and subject of a brilliant 2010 Martin Scorsese documentary, Fran Lebowitz is surly, smart and very, very funny. Now in her late 60s, this proud old-school New Yorker received her first major break via Andy Warhol, a regular column for Interview magazine followed by stints at Vanity Fair. The Fran Lebowitz Reader brings together two of her bestselling books, Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, a selection of sharp-witted, acid-tongued essays reflecting on “…the vicissitudes of contemporary urban life—its fads, trends, crazes, morals, and fashions.”

watch: Finding Vivian Maier, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel

This Oscar and Bafta nominated documentary tells the astonishing story of Vivian Maier, a photographer whose incredible body of work remained hidden until her death in 2003 at the age of 83. A nanny living and working in New York, Maier spent spare moments shooting on the city’s streets with her treasured Rolleiflex. Fiercely private, the thousands of photos taken between the 1950s and 1990s remained for her eyes only, stored away in lockers and eventually discovered at a thrift store auction. Directors John Maloof and Charlie Siskel trace the life of this mysterious talent, now considered one of the 20th century’s greatest photographers.

listen: David Zwirner Gallery, Dialogues Podcast 

David Zwirner gallery breakdown the creative process with this podcast series examining the ways in which “…art shapes, elevates, and shifts our point of view.” Stand out episodes include Hilton Als in conversation with Thelma Golden, Chris Ofili and Emily Wilson as well as Flavin Judd on his late father, Donald Judd, featuring family friend, the poet Eileen Myles.

product focus: Red Check Patchwork Madras Cotton Button-Down Shirt

A cheerful madras, all the way from sunny Somerset. This recurring character in the Drake's wardrobe returns in shades of red, a traditional patchwork design bringing together prints of varying width and density for an eye-catching finish. A lined, button-down collar, single pen pocket and whipped mother of pearl buttons complete this bold classic.