Londoner's Diary: David Gandy’s undies riding high on Brexit

(Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage
WireImage
1 December 2016

As well as a jawdropping figure, David Gandy has a good head for figures. And he thinks Brexit is perking up sales of his undies. Gandy, whose business interests include investments in shoes and ice cream, as well as an underwear line at M&S that has created some memorable advertising on the side of London buses, told The Londoner that the weak pound had been a fillip for him. “We’re exporting more,” says Gandy, who then launched into analysis of international exchange rates. “So if you’re in retail — for example, my sock company, M&S David Gandy underwear— people are still shopping.” The Londoner recalls meeting Gandy at a party a month before the EU referendum, in which he told us “everyone is scaremongering about what happens if we go out of Europe but no-one is saying what we get for staying in,” and seemed to be open to Brexit arguments.

It turns out that his open-mindedness has paid off: Gandy’s businesses — which include David Preston shoes, Wheyhey ice cream, the London Sock Company and his best-selling tighty-whiteys for M&S — are thriving. The Londoner was speaking to him last night at the Mondrian Hotel's Sea Container's restaurant, where he was chosen to appear in Alistair Morrison’s new legacy photograph, Great Britons, commemorating the Queen’s 90th birthday along with Dame Shirley Bassey, Pierce Brosnan and UB40s Ali Campbell.

Gandy added: “What makes Great Britain great is the fact that when times are tough, we rally together.” One should always seek support from one’s countrymen. And one’s underwear.

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LAST night culture minister Matt Hancock missed curtain up for the press night of This House, James Graham’s revived play at The Garrick about skulduggery in the Labour and Tory whips’ offices in the Seventies. He did, however, have a rather appropriate excuse — Tory whips had connived to make him stay for a vote, a theme of the play as explained on page 14. Hancock made it in the end, and tweeted his approval afterwards, calling it “a brilliant portrayal of Seventies political drama”.

Scrooge won’t be coming to Mayfair

THE Londoner is embracing the arrival of advent with an open heart and an open mouth but it’s not all about the chocolates. The May Fair Hotel has unveiled an interactive advent calendar, a paper installation designed by artist Terry Jackson, which seems to bring out the best in the area. Local luxury brands like Temperley, La Perla and Sophia Webster will offer a gift or experience in the daily countdown. “Paper is a humble material,” Jackson says, “provoking memories of wrapped presents and letters. The installation aims to preserve the romance of the home Christmas.” Nothing like being home for Christmas, but the May Fair Hotel is a decent alternative.

Pretty in pink cuts it at Annabel’s

The Christmas party season has officially started, and a glamorous crowd headed to Annabel’s in Mayfair last night for the Sunday Times Style magazine’s extravaganza. Yasmin Mills, Jasmine Guinness and Jasmine Hemsley were among the guests enjoying queer performance artists Sink the Pink while designers Roksanda Ilincic and Lulu Kennedy got on the dancefloor. Sustenance could be found in mini-burgers and salmon blinis, as well as Veuve Clicquot bubbly and Belvedere vodka cocktails. Only 24 days to go!

Bad sex just follows you round ...

Where else to go but The In & Out Club in St James’s Square last night for the Literary Review’s rousing Bad Sex in Fiction Award? Extracts from the five nominees were read out, to much cringeing and whooping from the guests including journalist Rachel Johnson and novelist Lisa Hilton before actor Jason Isaacs, presented the prize— a weighty sculpture of a sandalled foot — announced the winner. An 11th-hour replacement, Isaacs still came prepared with innuendo. “I’m very grateful for whoever pulled out at the last minute,” he said, to giggles, before explaining that bad sex in fiction pales in comparison to some of his sex scenes in film. “It’s not easy to do. I don’t know what I can say in public without defaming people: I’ve had partners who were lactating, that was fun. The wife of a friend of mine — that was also fun. Others were incontinent. Slightly less fun. And all kinds of other things.”

The prize went to Erri De Luca’s The Day Before Happiness. He did not attend, nor did he send a comment. Bad sex, bad manners.

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A TEASE from Donald Trump, who yesterday left a tweet up in the air. “I will be holding a major news conference ... on December 15,” he wrote, “to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my ...” Twitter wags comics quickly added “Wife,” “The tanning salon?” “Senses?” Then the answer from Sky’s Mollie Goodfellow — “... tweets open-ended and liable to misinterpretation.”

Ivana’s Roman holiday

THE Londoner ran into etiquette expert Liz Brewer last night, who recently returned from New York where she spent time with old friend Ivana Trump. The ex-wife of President-elect Donald had been rumoured for an ambassadorial role for the Czech Republic, and it seems that there have been conversations on the topic. “She said she has been asked,” Brewer said, “but it’s four years, which is a long time — I can see her doing it for one day maybe, redecorating the embassy, but I cannot see her doing it.” Besides, she says, Ivana may have her eyes on a different prize. “If they officially asked her she might prefer to do Rome. She had all those Italian boyfriends beginning with R. She had two Italian husbands and she speaks the language.”

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Trivia of the day: tanks are exempt from London’s congestion charge, according to new QI book 1,342 Facts. What about water cannon?

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