Gavin Lucas

The third print issue of FONDATA (the journal I’ve been collaborating on with creative director Alan Aboud for FINE+RARE) explores the notion of ‘singularity’ in wine and adjacent subjects dear to our hearts. Our illustrious contributors include Harvard University’s Whipple V.N. Jones Professor of Statistics, Xiao-Li Meng; BBC’s World Affairs correspondent, John Simpson; cocktail writer and historian Wayne Curtis; wine writers Arnica Rowan and Tamlyn Currin; author Deirdre McQuillan; sports journalist Richard Williams; and author and editor Dylan Jones.

And, for our cover story, Jasper Morris MW hails The New Burgundians, profiling eight domaines and producers bringing vital energy and fresh winemaking talent to the celebrated French wine region.

To give this piece and the producers profiled the reverence we felt they deserved, we had the idea to do a Vanity Fair Hollywood issue-style gatefold cover featuring the selected winemakers and vignerons. We knew this was ambitious, but it felt the most fitting approach. Jasper put us in touch with his chosen wine producers, and we put the idea to them. They unanimously agreed it was a great idea, so we enlisted the assistance of French production company The Hidden France, who proposed photographer Bénédicte Manière and also helped us find the perfect shoot location: the 1243 Bourgogne Society in Beaune.

Publisher: FINE+RARE
Editor: Gavin Lucas
Creative director: Alan Aboud
Designer: Haley Austin

I’m the editor of FONDATA, a large-format print journal published by FINE+RARE. The second issue features essays by wine writer Tamlyn Currin, ex men’s Vogue editor Jay Fielden, Irish Times’ fashion editor Deirdre McQuillan and BBC’s World Affairs Editor, John Simpson. Plus two by me: one on Napa-based winemaker, beer brewer and fireworks designer Nick Gislason, and another that explores the world of Eaux de Vie.

FONDATA features bespoke typography by Rick Banks of F37, and beautiful imagery by a host of top flight photographers and illustrators.

Publisher: Patrick O’Connor
Creative director: Alan Aboud
Editor: Gavin Lucas
Designer: Haley Austin
Copy editor: Julie Bennett

instagram.com/fondatamedia

I worked closely with creative director Alan Aboud and publisher Patrick O’Connor to develop FONDATA as a platform to explore narratives adjacent to the worlds of fine wine and exceptional spirits.

The inaugural FONDATA project is a new bi-annual, oversize journal that features essays and articles by some of the world’s most highly respected journalists, authors and academics. Issue one included features by Adam Gopnik, Deyan Sudjic, Dylan Jones, Geoff Dyer, Nicholas Foulkes, Julia Harding MW and also yours truly.

As FONDATA’s editor, I commission features and write articles of my own. My piece Epiphany Wines tells the story of how Shanghai chef-turned-winegrower Alex Xu’s future was reshaped on account of a series of epiphanic encounters with wine and the people that made it. And my feature entitled The Waterford Revolution introduces maverick single-malt maker Mark Reynier and how his obsession with terroir, traceability and transparency is driving new scientific research into flavours derived from barley grown on different soil types.

Issue 2 featured articles and essays by wine writer Tamlyn Currin, ex men’s Vogue editor Jay Fielden, Irish Times’ fashion editor Deirdre McQuillan and BBC’s World Affairs Editor, John Simpson. Plus two pieces by me: one on Napa-based winemaker, beer brewer and fireworks designer (I’m not making this up) Nick Gislason, and another that explores the world of Eaux de Vie.

FONDATA features bespoke display typography by Rick Banks of F37, and beautiful imagery by a host of top flight photographers and illustrators.

Ultimately, FONDATA is a celebration of the craft, care and camaraderie central to the production and, crucially, the enjoyment of the finer things in life.

Publisher: Patrick O’Connor
Creative director: Alan Aboud
Editor: Gavin Lucas
Designer: Haley Austin
Copy editor: Julie Bennett

instagram.com/fondatamedia

Working closely with designer and art director Alan Aboud, I wrote three pieces for FINE+RARE and its celebration of iconic Lebanese winemaker Chateau Musar’s 90th anniversary – an introduction to Musar (shown here); a piece on making wine under conflict; and a third feature on the impressive winemaking legacy of the Phoenicians.

As well as the written pieces, I also teamed up with regular collaborator Leo Walton to curate a set of four “Mixed Case” Spotify playlists of Lebanese music.

And Leo and I also conceived and made a FINE+RARE podcast (produced by Geoff Bird) in which we interviewed Ernesto Chahoud and Natalie Shooter of the Beirut Groove Collective.

Explore the content at frw.co.uk.

The editor of Computer Arts asked me to pitch ideas for a trio of behind-the-scenes, making-of type pieces for issue 230 of the magazine. Once my suggested features were approved, I spoke to illustrator Andreas Neophytou about his image-making process; I got the inside scoop from design duo Crispin Finn on how they manufactured a limited edition screenprinted mirror; and interviewed top animation producer Ryan Goodwin-Smith about his vital role in the creation of Nike’s five-minute animated World Cup promotional film. For the following issue, I interviewed and profiled Swiss graphic designer Felix Pfäffli. 

It’s not easy to summarise how much I learned, achieved and experienced whilst at Creative Review for 12 years between 2001 and 2013. I started originally as editorial assistant, working on what was then a monthly magazine, and my main duties included establishing and maintaining contacts in the design and advertising industry in order to find out about and report on new projects and campaigns.

By the time I left in April 2013, I was a senior writer and as well as writing features and news stories for the monthly magazine, I was also contributing daily to Creative Review’s well-read blog and also finding and creating content for the iPad edition of CR. I was a regular jury member of Creative Review’s annual awards scheme, The Annual and I’ve also sat on juries for the British Animation Awards, Epica international advertising awards, the D&AD student awards, and the Rushes Soho Shorts film festival.

Many of the news pieces, blog posts and magazine features I wrote for Creative Review are still available to read online at creativereview.co.uk/author/gavin-lucas. Some personal highlights would be Special Edition, Woolmark, Hi my name’s Riso, I'm here to help you, A most distinctive corporate typeface, Beware the uncanny valley, Unstill Life, and Heard the one about the artist, the designer and the carpet of concrete?

In 2013, artist Von called me up and asked if I would write “a little something” about him (and his work) for a book being put together by photographer Cat Garcia. The idea of the book, Von explained, was to shine a light on the working practices of a selection of British artists, designers, photographers, film-makers and other creative individuals that Cat had shot in their studios and work places. For each person featured, the accompanying text would be written by someone else in the industry who knew them and their work.

When the hardback book came out in early 2014 (sporting one of Cat’s shots of artist Sir Peter Blake, no less), I realised what a great honour it was to have been asked to contribute to a project that celebrates British creative talent in such an original, simple, understated and beautifully produced book.

www.thisisourtimebook.com

I was commissioned to write a feature for the Autumn 2007 issue of then new magazine Plastique (which was being beautifully art directed by Matt Willey) about how vital I felt good packaging design is for music lovers and collectors like myself as the mp3 file had, rather suddenly, (thanks largely to Jonathan Ive's brilliantly intuitive iPod design) become the most convenient format for buying and storing music. 

plastiquemagazine.com

The brainchild of designer, art director and curator Darren Firth, Two Faced: The Changing Face of Portraiture (published by IdN, 2007) presented over 100 unique portraits produced exclusively for the project by the likes of Kinsey, David Shrigley, Hillman Curtis, Build, Rankin, Trevor Jackson, Jonathan Ellery, Joshua Davis, and many more.

Darren asked me to write the introduction to Two Faced but I suggested I write a foreword and that Darren approach Adrian Shaughnessy to write the introduction instead. Darren thought it was a great idea (and fortunately so did Adrian) and the project turned out brilliantly, with Darren touring much of the artwork created specially for it around the world. 

www.tb.idnworld.com/idnpro/twofaced