Hair stylist and artist Gerald DeCock is a long-term resident of the Chelsea Hotel where he lives in a much coveted rooftop apartment. Carrying out the interior design himself, his living space is a visual kaleidoscope completely covered with decorations and eclectic ornaments in a multitude of colours, earning him several features in publications and photo shoots, by the likes of Todd Selby. Aptly describing himself as “not a real handy person, I’m not a builder; I’m an embellisher,” DeCock’s career kicked off in 1988 when he worked with Bruce Weber on his famed portrait-like Chet Baker documentary, Let’s Get Lost. After working editorially in London, Paris and Milan he started up his own impressive private clientele. Completely immersed in what he does, DeCock passion and enthusiasm is undeniable. Also painting, his pieces further express the DeCock’s eccentricity, as he makes abstract pieces of gold leaf mixed with transparent enamels. Here Poppy de Villeneuve speaks to the fantastic free spirit.
Text by Lucia Davies
Poppy de Villeneuve is a photographer and film director. She shoots regularly for the New York Times, The Telegraph, and Vogue. Her most recent film project involved five short films set in Central Park for the New York Times. In 2010, several of her works were exhibited at Colette in Paris.
