We are delighted to kick off our new interview series, The Portrait of the Artist, with Margot Hauer-King. Yes, she’s a daughter of our own Jeremy King, but Margot is a powerhouse in her own right. A senior vice president of creative strategy at United Talent Agency, she is also a co-owner of People’s, the bar, restaurant, and gallery in New York’s Greenwich Village neighbourhood. Margot and Emmet McDermott, her friend and business partner at People’s, joined us for lunch at Romano’s during the week that People’s had a short residency at our own Nellie’s Tavern.
How do you describe your profession?
Emmet and I ‘technically’ work in hospitality. But more truthfully we work in the business of making people feel something. Our work is a perfect cocktail of brand building, experience building, operations, and fun.
Where are you looking for inspiration these days?
My friends. A good dinner party. Music. Looking up when you walk through a city.
When you are feeling low or uninspired, is there a musical artist that you turn to?
I challenge anyone to not feel something when they listen to Amadou & Mariam. It’s a creative fire-starter.
Are you a creature or habit in terms of your creative process?
I crave routine, but I also get restless easily. Living in New York, where things are stubbornly un-static, you need a dose of stability. That routine allows for variety and change. We have to constantly evolve here.
Who are your favourite creative collaborators?
Emmet. We’ve had a creative click from the moment we met. We have a no-judgement approach and some of our silliest ideas have become some of our best once we talk them through together.
How are things at People’s?
People’s dances on in earnest. We also have two other projects in development in New York, and who knows… maybe somewhere else soon.
What did you eat and drink today?
I could talk about the crumpet all day. We also shared an incredible ox cheek pie, worth it even with 30-degree weather. And a Cornish Gimlet. Also some truffles.
What do you enjoy about Emmet’s company?
Certainly a lot, as I see him close to every day. We have both the most serious and unserious relationship. We always laugh. I’m never bored. He makes me more curious.
Have you visited Simpson’s in its previous incarnations?
I never saw Simpson’s in its first iteration, so I’m technically a newbie. Although my husband and I did celebrate our wedding here, so I think we get some points for that?
If you could live with any work of art in your home, what would it be?
A painting of my father by Lucian Freud. Is that weird?
Tell us about some of your favourite artists.
I love Drake Carr. He paints, he draws, he even DJs. His works feel incredibly personal, and both very intentional and very spur of the moment. I have a plate with one of his sketches on it. And Lara Saget, a multi-media artist who makes sculptural and entirely craveable jewelry as part of her practice. Both of them have exhibited at People’s, which is an honour.
MARGOT’S DOSSIER
Birthplace: London
Neighborhood: Delightfully all over.
Favourite dish at Simpson’s: The Crumpet (I’m petitioning to rename it as such).
Cocktail: Vodka Gimlet.
Bookshop: Daunt Books
Museum: The National Gallery
Theatre: Kiln, in London.
Cinema: The Alamo Drafthouse, in New York.
Novel: A recent favourite is Kafka Was The Rage, by Anatole Broyard.
Any current recommendations for us? Go and see Gigi Ettedgui’s paintings in London — magic. And re-watch Spirited Away.