Sarah Hoover, Director at Gagosian; The Interview

Sarah Hoover, a director at Gagosian since 2007 - one of the world’s most influential contemporary art galleries, is an art dealer, based in New York City. With a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humour you can’t help but fall for Hoover’s genius portrayal of her own life though her fabulously unfiltered Instagram account @sarahhoov. As she navigates the world with her son Guy + husband Tom Sachs, Hoover is a force to be reckoned with. Defying any roles society works hard to box us into as women, her strong + empowered storytelling conveys a sense of the badass woman she is, one that’s intellectually interested + interesting, hilarious + with just the right amount of self-deprecating humour she brings it all together in her breathtaking + impossibly beautiful collection of outfits + Chanel filled wardrobe.

Here she chats style philosophy, social media + daily routines..

HSF - What does a day in the life of Sarah Hoover look like?

SH - Different now than pre pandemic! I like to work out first thing, then shower + take time getting ready. Spend an hour or so hanging out with my son in the morning before he goes to school, then do correspondence + zoom calls + get them out of the way before lunch. I need a big chunk of time in the afternoons to write—three hours or so, half of which I waste procrastinating + suffering from extreme imposter syndrome, half of which I actually accomplish things. And then I like to hang out with my son between his dinner + bed time. He’s my favorite person. At night I have dinner with my husband most nights, + our best couple friends about half the time. I reserve at least one night a week for girlfriends—I’d reserve them all for girlfriends if I could!

HSF - It’s safe to say your style is a D R E A M. What is your perfect outfit? Like what makes you feel your best?

SH - I feel my best in short skirts + dresses because I like when my legs feel free! I hate being overly hot + as you may know I am an extreme overheater which I love to talk about constantly. It’s pretty sexy.

HSF - On the note of personal style, you’re the Queen of “when art + fashion collides” what is your style philosophy / how do you build out your wardrobe?

SH - My style philosophy is that trends don’t matter + you should wear things that make you feel comfortable + happy. I’ve always loved pastels + sparkles + matching looks. I indulge it! At night I love to feel sexy + wear all black, lots of leather + fitted looks, and I indulge that too. I’m not sure either vibe is “on trend” but I don’t really care.

HSF - Where do you find yourself most inspired? And by whom?

SH - When I’m reading really good fiction + really good poetry. Specifically Sylvia Plath, TS Elliot, Hemingway. I also love to see museum shows of beautiful + radical art.

HSF - To what do you attribute your success thus far?

SH - So much luck + good fortune that I don’t deserve. But also, trying to treat everyone with grace + kindness + going above and beyond with every task.

HSF - What upcoming exhibitions or emerging artists are currently catching your attention in terms of art?

SH - Adriana Varejao at Gagosian West 21st street will be beautiful!

HSF - And in fashion?

SH - Christopher John Rogers + his use of color. Rodarte + how they follow their imagination + inspirations.

HSF - Favourite established designer?

SH - Chanel

HSF - And someone more emerging?

SH - Markarian + Prabal Gurung

HSF - You’re one of the coolest people to follow on Instagram as a Mum, style icon + career lady. Your sharp sense of humour + incredibly articulate + smart manner defies the fatigued + repetitive nature of so many accounts these days. How do you switch off though? Do you find the pull of social media + always being turned on a challenge? Where do you find balance in doing it all?

SH - I definitely find the pull of social media to be hard to resist! But I think being mindful of doing things that bring true joy + inspiration, not things that are just rote habit, is super important—so if I’m just looking at social media + absorbing it but not creating content + creating thought expression that is fulfilling for me, that’s when it’s time to lock my phone away.

HSF - Do you have a morning + evening routine? Anything that you do every day without fail?

SH - I write in my journal first thing when I wake up. Sometimes it’s for five minutes, sometimes it’s for thirty, but I try to do it first thing every day. And I’m really into oral hygiene.

HSF - What was the last book you enjoyed?

SH - The Margot Affair and Stephanie Danler’s memoir, Stray, which is beyond beautiful writing

HSF - And film / TV show?

SH - I love Succession + can’t wait for it to come back. 

HSF - What are some of your unfulfilled ambitions?

SH - I want to write + publish lots more, both academic + fiction

HSF - And lastly Sarah, what’s next for you?

SH - I wrote a book last year that I hope will be published in 2022!

Follow Sarah via Instagram // @sarahhoov

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Who Is.. KAWS

KAWS, the subversive artist considered one of the most relevant artists of his generation has found himself as one of the industries most talked about creators in recent times. Something of a worldwide phenomenon, and a noted disruptor in an industry that typically has rules expected to be obeyed, he stands somewhere between the high-brow world of fine art and the very real temptations of international commerce as he plays to his own directives, sidetracking all the industries traditional hierarchies. His creations are exhibited in museums and galleries from New York to Tokyo and literally everywhere in between. 

Born in Jersey City, NJ as Brian Donnelly in 1974, the distinguished artist spent his teenage years graffiti-bombing trains, buildings, phone booths, advertisements and billboards around his neighbourhood. He graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration. It was before college though that his career began when he moved to New York City in 1996 and started by changing the images found on bus shelters, phone booths and billboards, tagging them with his signature KAWS. His graffiti tags garnered huge popularity and become progressively desired by the public. After graduating in 1996 he worked for a time at Disney as a freeman animator where he was part of the team that painted backgrounds that contributed to movies such as 101 Dalmations and Daria. 

Taking inspiration from art history and popular culture he has become famous most notably for his larger-than-life sculptures and their amazingly clever placement in a variety of different settings around the world, all of which have come together so successfully with added thanks to the power of social media and the influence of younger generations instrumental mastery of the ‘gram’. Possessing a sophisticated humour along with his incredible ability to deconstruct iconic characters he represents a whole new era in contemporary art and a luxury market that worships the pop in popular. 

His work influences a multitude of industries while he uses a myriad of mediums including painting, printmaking, sculpture, fashion, toy production and merchandise to reach his fixated audiences. Over the past two decades, his paintings and cartoon characters have garnered a cult following, including major collectors and celebrities such as Kayne West and Travis Scott - something the art world can’t ignore despite those at the top of the pecking order’s desperate attempt to dismiss his career as empty and his famed creations illogical. Engaging audiences far beyond the museums and collectors homes though he reaches us via his continuing collaboration with major brands such as Comme des Garcons, Original Fake, Dior, Supreme, A Bathing Ape, Uniqlo, Hennessy, Undercover, Kung Faux, Nike and Vans. In 2018 KAWS pieces generated a total of $33.8 million at auction and the average for each piece doubled from the previous year, proof of his pull when it comes to the devoted nature of those investing in art as a global market. 

Larger than life, in real life he works and lives in Brooklyn, New York where The Brooklyn Museum will open a major retrospective in 2021. His first Middle East museum show, KAWS: He Eats Alone, recently opened at Doha Fire Station (Qatar Museums) and will run until January 2020.