Henry Conway
Encyclopedia
Henry Conway is an English
party promoter, author
and fashion journalist
.
, Wednesday night at the London branch of Bungalow 8
and Friday night at Maya in Soho. He has been signed on as a promoter for Whiskey Mist, which opened in June 2008. In July 2008 he presided over the launch of Mahiki's own brand of rum
.
In November 2007, he held a party with the theme "Fuck Off I'm Rich". The party is frequently noted in articles about Conway. It received attention when The Daily Telegraph published a copy of Conway's invitation in the wake of the parliamentary payment scandal in January 2008. It is typically used as an example of snobbery and decadence, with the Canadian National Post
saying "if there ever was a burgeoning meritocracy in Britain, surely it died the night Conway threw a party he called 'Fuck Off I'm Rich.'" Other papers took a lighter view of the party, with The Guardian
calling it "undoubtedly magical" and saying sarcastically "everything about that sounds tempting, does it not?"
in photos accompanying a June 2008 profile in Tatler
. Deborah Ross, of The Independent
, has called Conway "deliciously committed to fashion" citing his wearing of ruffled cravat
s and sequined peacock-feather headdresses as examples. Jonathan Brown, also of The Independent, has said Conway is "a dandy, always flamboyantly dressed." Natalie Clark of The Daily Mail has called him "an expert about all matters sartorial." Hadley Freeman of The Guardian has ironically said "It's a rare pleasure to encounter a person in the real world who appears to have stepped straight out of a novel, but such is the gift that Henry Conway ... brings into our lives." Conway's flamboyance occasionally extends beyond his sense of dress: in May 2008 he arrived at Mahiki in a horse-drawn carriage complete with two grooms.
He was number 12 on British GQ's Top 20 Worst-Dressed Men 2009, for "going way past the mark of being too flamboyant".
The Committee on Standards and Privileges
of the House of Commons announced that the MP had misused taxpayers' money by paying his younger son Frederick as a research assistant even though there was no record of Frederick's work.
Derek Conway maintained that both sons did work as research assistants and that the lack of records was merely a result of administrative shortcomings.
As a result of the controversy, Henry Conway came under intense media scrutiny, with Liz Smith of The Daily Mail saying the press had "opened up and prodded [him] like an albino mouse in a dissection class."
After receiving a complaint, John Lyon
, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
, announced in February 2008 that he would investigate whether or not Henry's employment was also in breach of normal protocol.
The investigation was not concluded until the following year.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
party promoter, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and fashion journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Career
Conway works as a party promoter, running Thursday nights at MahikiMahiki
Mahiki is a London nightclub near the Ritz Hotel, well known for its celebrity clientele. It is named after the Polynesian path to the underworld. Mahiki was opened in October 2006 by Piers Adam and Nick House. The club has attracted media attention as a favourite haunt of Princes William and...
, Wednesday night at the London branch of Bungalow 8
Bungalow 8
Bungalow 8 was a nightclub in New York City, created in 2001., and was located on Chelsea's 27th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues.-Background:...
and Friday night at Maya in Soho. He has been signed on as a promoter for Whiskey Mist, which opened in June 2008. In July 2008 he presided over the launch of Mahiki's own brand of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
.
In November 2007, he held a party with the theme "Fuck Off I'm Rich". The party is frequently noted in articles about Conway. It received attention when The Daily Telegraph published a copy of Conway's invitation in the wake of the parliamentary payment scandal in January 2008. It is typically used as an example of snobbery and decadence, with the Canadian National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
saying "if there ever was a burgeoning meritocracy in Britain, surely it died the night Conway threw a party he called 'Fuck Off I'm Rich.'" Other papers took a lighter view of the party, with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
calling it "undoubtedly magical" and saying sarcastically "everything about that sounds tempting, does it not?"
Style and social life
London papers occasionally report on his more outrageous outfits, such as when he wore a corsetCorset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
in photos accompanying a June 2008 profile in Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
. Deborah Ross, of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, has called Conway "deliciously committed to fashion" citing his wearing of ruffled cravat
Cravat
The cravat is a neckband, the forerunner of the modern tailored necktie and bow tie, originating from 17th-century Croatia.From the end of the 16th century, the term band applied to any long-strip neckcloth that was not a ruff...
s and sequined peacock-feather headdresses as examples. Jonathan Brown, also of The Independent, has said Conway is "a dandy, always flamboyantly dressed." Natalie Clark of The Daily Mail has called him "an expert about all matters sartorial." Hadley Freeman of The Guardian has ironically said "It's a rare pleasure to encounter a person in the real world who appears to have stepped straight out of a novel, but such is the gift that Henry Conway ... brings into our lives." Conway's flamboyance occasionally extends beyond his sense of dress: in May 2008 he arrived at Mahiki in a horse-drawn carriage complete with two grooms.
He was number 12 on British GQ's Top 20 Worst-Dressed Men 2009, for "going way past the mark of being too flamboyant".
Parliamentary payments investigation
In January 2008, Conway was in the news after a report recommended that his MP father be suspended from the Commons.The Committee on Standards and Privileges
Committee on Standards and Privileges
The Standards and Privileges Committee of the United Kingdom House of Commons was established in 1995 to replace the earlier Committee of Privileges...
of the House of Commons announced that the MP had misused taxpayers' money by paying his younger son Frederick as a research assistant even though there was no record of Frederick's work.
Derek Conway maintained that both sons did work as research assistants and that the lack of records was merely a result of administrative shortcomings.
As a result of the controversy, Henry Conway came under intense media scrutiny, with Liz Smith of The Daily Mail saying the press had "opened up and prodded [him] like an albino mouse in a dissection class."
After receiving a complaint, John Lyon
John Lyon (commissioner)
John Lyon, CB, is the current British Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. He commenced his appointment, which was for a period of five years, on 1 January 2008....
, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is an officer of the British House of Commons.He or she is appointed by a Resolution of the House of Commons and works a four-day week.- Tasks :...
, announced in February 2008 that he would investigate whether or not Henry's employment was also in breach of normal protocol.
The investigation was not concluded until the following year.