A day in the life of Lawson Mpame, creative director and menswear stylist

8am

I am lucky enough to be staying in the beautiful Green Hotel, the perks of the job. To kick my day off, I start with a 12-minute podcast session and no screen time as I get dressed for my morning workout. I always start my mornings this way and sometimes it includes journaling (something I’m trying to be consistent with). Once my podcast is finished I head to the gym.

I kick things off with a full-body session at the gym for 40 minutes to an hour. Supersets are my friend here, as I don’t have a lot of time to spend training today as I normally would. My sessions usually last about an hour to an hour and a half. (It’s my secret to eating a lot of the foods I want and still looking in great shape). It sets me up for the day and it gets the happy hormones flowing! It also means I take on a busy day with a clear head and in a chirpy mood as it’s stacked full of meetings, events and a surprise dinner.

9am

It’s a quick shower with the most gorgeous Jo Malone shower gel and my morning skincare routine using my favourite products from La Roche-Posay, Vichy and Lancôme. It’s a regimented eight-step process which some may say is a lot but hey look, skin looks fantastic and with the job I have where I could be attending events and press photos are taken, it’s important to make sure my skin is looking great. I also want to age gracefully, so I take care of my skin now so I keep it looking youthful for as long as possible. Good genes also help.

10am

It’s a quick change into a beautifully tailored look as I have a coffee meet-up with Louis Sr from Louis Copeland and Sons. Choosing the right fragrance is always a tough one so I tend to layer them. I’m going with a Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka and Oud & Bergamot combo today. 

11am

We meet at Le Perroquet with Louis Sr, my first ever and long-term client when I embarked on my career as a stylist/content creator eight years ago. Our meeting consists of catching up and discussing future plans of how we can work together and the new exciting collections coming into the store. It’s always a pleasure chatting with Louis Sr – there are laughs, there is wisdom passed on and we part ways, as he’s a busy man with another store to visit.

12.30pm

I am famished at this point and I need a substantial meal so I decide to head into a beautiful Parisian-style French Bistro, The Green Hen. Here, I order a Ribeye steak and a beautiful Bordeaux to pair it with because why not? The waiter tempts me with dessert and I can’t resist a crème brûlée! I don’t have a sweet tooth but my weakness is a classic crème brûlée. Somehow I’m convinced to order a Negroni, which I don’t do too much to resist if I’m quite honest. Who can say no to a Negroni right?

1.40pm

Stuffed I head back to the room to change as it’s a special afternoon with Universal Music. Breland is in town supporting Shania Twain and we are getting a private listening party along with a Q&A with the uber-talented country hip-hop artist. We get to meet him and are serenaded with one of his beautiful songs dedicated to his grandmother who sadly passed (this almost made me cry as it reminded me of my beautiful grandmother who passed away years ago and holds a special place in my heart). By my bedside is the last photo of my grandmother and me that I took before she passed away a month later, so this moment was very touching! I chat to Breland; we bond as I had bumped into him the night before in another bar and we take a photo together.

3.30pm

I head back to my hotel room to relax for a little bit before I’m whisked away on a surprise dinner date. I have no idea where she’s taking me and I’m trying my best to guess but she’s not giving it up that easily. Blaring my new favourite song Back on 74 by Jungle, I get ready. I want to go for something casual but still smart enough for a restaurant in case it’s somewhere fine dining. Before we head to dinner, we pop into the new Pen and Player bar for a cheeky Malfy Gin-based cocktail which for the life of me I can’t remember the name, but it was tasty!

5pm

We head to dinner and to my surprise it’s my favourite restaurant Six by Nico! It’s my fifth outing to this beautiful restaurant which changes its menu often. She did well and I’m impressed that it was a good guess. We enjoy a delectable meal, share laughs and indulge in some wine pairings. The food is incredible and the company even more so.

8pm

It’s back to the hotel to relax and wind down as it’s a busy week and I can’t be hungover. As a creative director, I need to have a clear head for ideas and it’s also pitching period. I have four beautiful campaigns that I need to finish up and pitch to brands in the following weeks so work comes first, play later. It’s time to relax and unwind.

10pm

It’s time for my evening skincare routine. The cryo globes depuff my face and are very soothing, especially with the Hyalu serum from La Roche-Posay. I finish up the routine with some Vichy Retinol and it’s time for bed. It’s been a wonderful day, I journal in my gratitude journal and plan out the next day in my Head Plan journal. Each day is all different and I’m super lucky to have such a privileged life that’s always full of exciting moments. That’s just one of the many wonderful days in my life.

Lawson’s favourite cocktail

Lawson Mpame’s Malfy cocktail of choice is a Malfy Gin Arancia Rossa Negroni.

Ingredients

• 25ml Malfy Con Arancia
• 25ml Sweet Vermouth
• 25ml Italian Bitter Aperitif
• Blood Orange Twist

 

Method

Build ingredients in a mixing glass and gently stir. Pour over ice and garnish with a blood orange twist.

Photography by Max Hernandez

For the season’s most stylish cocktail inspiration, and to learn more about Malfy Italian Gin, please visit malfygin.com