Nº82: Charlotte Leseberg Smith
Charlotte talks Soho, dessert, and high frequency fabrics.
We’re back with Charlotte Leseberg Smith. Read on to find out what she’s into, and if you’re new here, hit subscribe for secret recommendations every week.
Lover of spreadsheets, partnerships pitching, actually good fashion- art brand collabs, xero, and other show-bizz activities ~ including but not limited to glamazon gallery trotting about town ~ Charlotte is the Associate Director at Soho Revue, in charge of curatorial and special projects at the gallery.
☞ ADULT ENTERTAINMENT: The brain child of my favourite poet and all round gorgeous person James Massiah. He puts on nights at The Haggerston, ‘Adult Entertainment’, that are simply magic. Poets perform their work, people are kind, and sitting cross legged on a floor hearing people speak can only every be a good thing for your soul in a world that loves to rush and jostle you about. Last time I was there, I saw poet Joshua Idehen say the words ‘right now will always be as good as it gets’ and it fundamentally altered my brain chemistry
James also puts on Adult Education which is FREE and also mega heavenly. You do the reading beforehand and come discuss the poetry and then write your own at the end. Continuing to learn and put yourself in scary situations is very much on my 2025 vibe.
☞ THE BOOK: It has to be and it may always be, Ocean Vuong’s ‘On earth we are briefly gorgeous’. I crave to read this. Please do. It’s so spectacular.
☞ CLOTHES FROM LOVELY, GOOD, TALENTED PEOPLE: Does what it says on the tin. I’m a firm believer that the clothes you buy carry an energy and if they’re made of random as hell fabrics (forgive me for my occasional Zara sins) they give you low frequencies and generally bad vibes. Here are a few designers who are sustainably focused and create brilliant, magic clothes:
Renata Brenha (find at selfridges)
Paolo Carzana (find at pop ups like Nasir Mazhar’s Fantastic Toiles)
Hairy Mary ( I currently have my eye on a pair of ‘fancy pants’ - the ultimate summer rascal outfit)
☞ EAT DESSERT OUT!!: As someone who actually lives in east London and works in west, I feel like I’m emotionally and spiritually torn at times. But this turmoil is always put to bed when I remember I can eat the cheesecake at Zephyr or Bottarga. It’s literal heaven. I first dipped my toe in this dessert addiction at a frieze supper hosted by my good friend Samantha Picard (tablescaper, creative consultant and Coolkies Queen) at Zephyr.
☞ MAKING SOUP + WONKY BAGELS: I get all my recipes from Tik Tok as nothing is sacred any more. I’m very passionate about making bagels with 1 cup of Greek yog and 1 cup of flour, mix mix and then roll into a little bagel looking thing, then egg wash and put sesame seeds or whatever you’d rather and then chuck in the oven. High key heaven.
Also a general note that soup is an excellent thing to make yourself that is highly contagious to brag about and makes your entire soul feel smug.
☞ ELIZABETH ARDEN 8 HOUR CREAM: All hail if it’s good enough for prince Harry it’s good enough for me.
☞ SOHO IS A FANTASTIC PLACE TO BE: “Hey!” You Say, “Obviously you think that because it’s where the incredible Soho Revue gallery is”. Which is true, in part. Soho Revue has been supporting talented emerging and early career artists since 2019, not only through giving them a glam space in a ridiculously central location, but also championing them via the Revue Residency programme and an in-house print studio which artists can use free of charge. The gallery also puts on, in my humble biased opinion, EXCELLENT exhibitions, with an overwhelming amount of female artists (fact).
But that’s not all there is. Not only is the also brilliant Alice Black gallery a stone’s throw away with often thought provoking and wide-ranging shows from photographer Amber Pinkerton to installations by Jane McNabe, but there’s also the even nearer amazing Pipeline gallery which encourages conscious collecting with its exhibitions programme that has also popped the London centric bubble with its regional focuses.
After a day of gallery trotting you can then go out to the French House for cultural research, and then shake tail feathers at below stone nest (it used to be way cooler before it was rented out for fashion week parties and now the world and its wife found out about it) but it’s still good.
Soho truly feels like old london, I feel oliver twist-esque mincing through the streets. Nowhere else in London will you see a skinny jeaned essex self-proclaimed ‘lad’ and a drag queen getting on like a house on fire.
☞ BE A POP PRINCESSE UP TO DATE WITH CURRENT AFFAIRS: I say this with my chest: I j’adore listening to literally anything pop princess. Naturally I am obsessed with addy rae, Sabrina and Chappell and - duh - I hate to say the blindingly obvious but nothing gets me in the mood to resurrect and go out like king charli xcx I need saccharine sweet music injected into my veins.
As it’s incredibly important to keep up with current affairs too, I would really recommend listening to Business of Fashion podcast. I also really like ‘The Rest is Money’, again, keeping abreast of priorities.
I urge you to Listen to Kae Tempest on repeat ‘More Pressure’ specifically when on the Lizzy line to and from east to west.
☞ QUICK FIRE HOT TAKES:
Not drinking is a life hack !!! be a 365 party girl with no bad habits
Don’t underestimate the power of a library???
Actually buy magazines – It makes u read and absorb better and then u can make a vision board out of it
Don’t take any advice from people whose situation you don’t want or don’t admire
Put milk in ur camomile tea before bed it sleepy slays
Only eat dusty knuckle croissants. I don’t wanna hear comments about Pophams - they are consistently burnt.
HATES: People that say they are busy, people that aren’t busy, cardamom buns, Jane Birkifying your bag, ppl being late (apart from girls - being late is for girls only), men that film in a slow semi circle at parties, vaping, trainers or any flat shoes for that matter – grow up - put a kitten heel on, A.I. - SO lazy, ppl who live for the weekend.
For balance: Things I love aside from my family, friends etc: artists who are alive, gossiping, busybodying, Richard E Grant, trying to do everyday tasks at a slower pace, vinted bingeing, watching interior designer tours, daydreaming.
Thanks Charlotte! Follow Charlotte here! Stay in the know with upcoming exhibitions at Soho Revue here, and sign up here to come along to Soho Revue Club.
Subscribe to our Spotify mixtape, a playlist comprised of the tunes our contributors have been listening to.