“It’s hardly a Beyoncé concert,” laughs Laura Jackson when asked about the waiting list for her Jackson & Levine supperclubs, hosted with friend and Radio 1 DJ Alice Levine. It’s this perfect mix of modesty (the supperclubs are instantly fully booked) and self-deprecating humour that make the ITV presenter such a pleasure to chat to.
She welcomes us into her Hackney flat, an impressive converted warehouse with a mini-garden and view of the railways, with a warm smile, and gives us a peek at the clothes she’d prepared for the shoot. My, oh my… A flowing Ganni dress, the new Danish brand to watch, an eye-popping Isa Arfen off-the-shoulder top, towering Miu Miu heels and the loveliest Celine shirt dress, a gift from her fiancé, photographer Jon Gorrigan. Laura tells the story of one of her latest purchases, the beloved Gucci loafers that stand by the door between two pairs of Adidas Gazelles. “We were in the Gucci store in Capri, and were told they only had one pair left in the back of the shop,” says the Huddersfield native about the couple’s latest holiday. “The salesperson didn’t put them out as they were a half size… as am I! They fitted perfectly, and I had to have them!”
Aside from running the supperclubs – which focus more on the art of entertaining than actual cooking, even if Laura’s a huge foodie – and acting as ELLE Eats blogger for ELLE UK, Laura and Alice are preparing their first Jackson & Levine book, due to come out in September 2017, not a traditional cookbook but more a “lifestyle book about entertaining, with menu ideas from the New York brunch to the Friday dinner with friends.” When not working, Laura goes for walks along the nearby canal with her dog, Barry, has lunch at Rochelle’s Canteen and indulges in one of her lifetime passions: fashion. Between her husband-to-be’s potted plants hang a collection of vintage dresses, including a long flowing white summer dress brought back from a recent trip to Portland. “In the last couple of years I’ve been rethinking my way of shopping,” muses Laura, “and trying to stop being impulsive. Fashion is not about the price tag.” Hear, hear.
