Eggs With Michèle Lamy and her Cohort of Queer Icons

Every year Frieze London brings the biggest artists, galleries, and patrons to Regent’s Park to peruse the latest in contemporary art. But if Banksy and Koons don’t tickle your fancy, the underground world of queer art is being celebrated at Matches Fashion's 5 Carlos Place thanks to enigmatic designer Michèle Lamy. All week long, the French fashion icon and wife and muse of Rick Owens been cooking up eggs at MICHMATCH café to celebrate some of her favourite queer artists and collaborators. The Frieze-adjacent event gives an introduction to the radical works of art world provocateurs like filmmaker Matt Lambert and performance artist David Hoyle as patrons enjoy truffle scrambled eggs, toast, and blood red beetroot sorbet.

While we know Michèle Lamy as the patron saint of goth fashion and co-founder of Owenscorp, the multifaceted creative was a one time restaurateur who ran Los Angeles hot spot Les Deux Cafe. The Provençal-inspired eatery was established in 1996 and quickly became a hotspot thanks to Lamy's eccentric style and eclectic circle of artist and designer friends. A place to see and be seen, it was a favourite for Hollywood power lunches and post-award show dinners with a notable who's who clientele, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst, Spike Jonze, and Madonna. Unfortunately for LA's party scene the fabled eatery shuttered its doors in 2004, so Lamy could move back to Paris as then boyfriend Rick Owens was gearing up to become one of the biggest names in fashion.

Looking to recreate the magic of Les Deux Cafe, Lamy has once again rounded up her rolodex of friends including editors, buyers, and of course artists and club kids. On Thursday morning, I was lucky enough to attend the breakfast that was being co-hosted by David Hoyle. Dubbed the 'anti drag queen', Hoyle tackles politics, heteronormativity, class and capitalism through comedic cabaret. On Monday, another breakfast was co-hosted by Berlin-based filmmaker Matt Lambert who previously collaborated with Lamy on his film Butt Muscle featuring the creative donned in an ostrich feather cape designed by Rick Owens as she urinates in the designer's mouth. Usually reserved for underground venues, their creativity was on full display as footage of Lamy and her friends and collaborators played on televisions around the room like archival 90s VHS footage.

While Madonna (unfortunately) wasn't there to enjoy the scrambled eggs, guests included some of the biggest names in art, fashion, and London's queer nightlife. Milliner extraordinaire Stephen Jones and artist Wolfgang Tillmans were sat with forever club kid Princess Julia and the vampiric Dahc Dermur VIII. An early morning exercise in unbridled creativity and community, Lamy’s residency at MICHMATCH cafe will hopefully introduce new audiences to the work and world of these daring artists. Plus, the eggs were delicious.

The MICHMATCH Cafe residency will be open from 11am – 6pm on Friday & Saturday, and 11am – 4pm on Sunday.