Henry Conway

Infobox Person


imagesize =
name = Henry Conway
|image_size =
birth_name =
birth_date = 1983
birth_place = Newcastle, England
nationality = English
alma_mater = Cambridge University
Courtauld Institute
occupation = Journalist and party promoter
spouse =
partner =
children =
parents = Colette and Derek Conway

Henry Conway (born 1983) is an English party promoter, author and fashion journalist. Alternately called a dandyHimelfarb, Ellen. [http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=648846 "Celebrity Spawn"] . "National Post" (12 July 2008).] and a British icon,Deedes, Henry. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/hooray-henry-loving-the-limelight-822820.html "Hooray Henry! Loving the limelight"] . "The Independent" (8 May 2008).] Conway is known for his flamboyant dress sense and is referred to in the press as "Queen Sloane". There is an ongoing investigation into whether his father, MP Derek Conway, paid him improperly from public funds.

Early life

Conway was born in Newcastle to Colette and Derek Conway and grew up in Shropshire. He attended a boarding school in Shropshire beginning at age seven, and at age thirteen transferred to Harrow.Ross, Deborah. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/hooray-for-henry-the-curious-world-of-henry-conway-859684.html "Hooray for Henry: The curious world of Henry Conway"] . "The Independent (5 July 2008).] At Harrow he was well liked, and excelled academically and in the arts. Conway attended university at Cambridge and did post-graduate work at the Courtauld Institute.Brown, Jonathan. [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/those-conway-boys-brothers-at-the-heart-of-a-scandal-776169.html "Those Conway boys: Brothers at the heart of a scandal"] . "The Independent" (31 January 2008).] He holds a BA in Art History and an MA in Architectural History.

Conway's love of fashion and dressing up began at an early age. By age eleven he was clipping his favorite styles from fashion magazines and collecting them in a journal.Gordon, Bryony. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2005/10/19/efmen19.xml "Well, look who shops till they drop now..."] . "The Daily Telegraph" (19 October 2005).] During his last year at Harrow, Conway came out as gay to his classmates and parents. Although he was initially worried how his parents would respond since his father is from the right-wing of the Conservative Party, they took the news well.Singh, Anita. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/1931220/Henry-Conway-poses-for-%27provocative%27-pictures.html "Henry Conway poses for 'provocative' pictures"] . "The Daily Telegraph" (6 May 2008).]

Conway has a younger brother, Frederick, and a younger sister Claudia.

Career

After graduating from Courtauld, Conway began a career as a fashion journalist in 2005. He achieved moderate success, publishing pieces in papers including the "New Statesman" and "New York Times".Freeman, Hadley. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/jan/31/fashion.hadleyfreeman "Meet Queen Sloane, the disgraced MP's son with a taste for fashion"] . "The Guardian" (31 January 2008).] [Conway, Henry. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E5D7113CF93BA2575AC0A9639C8B63&scp=9&sq=%22henry%20conway%22&st=cse "The Anti Lad Mag"] . "New York Times" (18 September 2005).] In 2007 he co-authored "Knit Couture" with Gail Downey. [ [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knit-Couture-Hand-Knit-Designs-Reality/dp/0312375808/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217203199&sr=8-2 "Knit Couture"] . Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved on 28 July 2008.] Conway continues to work part time as a journalist, covering New York Fashion Week for "The Daily Telegraph" in 2008.Conway, Henry. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2008/02/06/efsloane106.xml "What 'Queen Sloane' did next"] . "The Daily Telegraph" (6 February 2008).] He is an editor of "WD", a biannual fashion magazine sponsored by the Weardowney clothing line. [http://www.outside-org.co.uk/index.php?/publicity/search_results/client/Henry_Conway/joins_outside5 "Henry Conway joins Outside"] . Outside Organization. Accessed 28 July 2008.] Conway has been featured on "The Truth About Beauty", a show on the cable channel Living.

Conway also works as a party promoter, and is best known for running Thursday nights at Mahiki.Merrick, Jane. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-510963/Tories-withdraw-whip-MP-facing-police-probe-Commons-wages-paid-party-loving-older-son.html Tories withdraw whip from MP facing police probe over Commons wages paid to his party-loving older son] . "Daily Mail" (29 January 2008).] Conway's work as a party promoter is highly regarded, and he has been referred to as a "social titan".Walden, Celia. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2008/07/17/ftsloane117.xml "OK, yo! Sloane-speak's gone street"] . "The Daily Telegraph" (17 July 2008).] His themed Thursday parties are considered Mahiki's most successful event and regularly attract celebrities such as Kate Middleton, a friend of Conway, [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-511616/Shamed-MPs-son-parties-Mahiki--thanks-Kate-Middleton-support.html "Shamed MP's son parties on at Mahiki... and thanks Kate Middleton for her support"] . "Daily Mail" (1 February 2008).] and Princes William and Harry.Van Pragh, Anna. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-435364/The-madness-inside-Prince-Harrys-favourite-new-bar.html "The madness inside Prince Harry's favourite new bar"] . "Daily Mail" (12 February 2007).] Charlie Gilkes, owner of rival nightclub Kitts has said that Conway's Thursdays "are the night in London, there are queues going round the block."

Conway hosts 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.Clark, Natalie. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-511406/Revealed-The-flamboyant-world-MPs-gay-son-friend-payroll-brother-looks-like-party-animal-too.html "Revealed: The flamboyant world of MP's gay son and his friend on the payroll (and his brother looks like a party animal too)"] . "Daily Mail" (31 January 2008).] 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.Winnett, Robert. [http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/robert_winnett/blog/2008/01/30/henry_conway_the_queen_sloane "Henry Conway, the 'Queen Sloane'"] . "The Daily Telegraph" (30 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 "everything about that sounds tempting, does it not?"

tyle and social life

[
Charles II of England, whom Conway cites as a fashion icon] Conway is well known for his flamboyant sense of dress, and has said he considers Charles II his style icon. London papers occasionally report on his more outrageous outfits, such as when he wore a corset in photos accompanying a June 2008 profile in "Tatler".Knight, Kathryn. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1018549/How-Hooray-Henry-Conway-exploited-15-minutes-fame.html "How Hooray Henry Conway exploited his 15 minutes of fame"] . "Daily Mail" (8 May 2008).] Deborah Ross, of "The Independent", has called Conway "deliciously committed to fashion" citing his wearing of ruffled cravats 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 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. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1015345/Disgraced-MPs-son-Henry-Conway-upstages-Paris-nightclub.html "Disgraced MP's son Henry Conway upstages Paris Hilton at nightclub by turning up in a horse and carriage"] . "Daily Mail" (12 May 2008).]

Conway is often cited as an example of a Sloane in articles examining the social group. "The Daily Telegraph" has called Conway the "new breed of Sloane Ranger," while the BBC has said he "epitomises the modern Sloane."Pattinson, Georgina. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7034924.stm "On Sloane Safari"] . BBC News (10 October 2007). Retrieved on 28 July 2008.] Conway himself has said on the matter "I feel I don't fit into any category in the Sloane Ranger Handbook, but I would settle for a new one - Queen Sloane." The nickname was picked up by the press, and he is now often labeled "Queen Sloane."

Parliamentary payments investigation

In January 2008, Conway was in the news after his MP father Derek was removed from the Conservative Party after the Committee on Standards and Privileges of the House of Commons announced that he had misused taxpayer money by paying his son Frederick as a research assistant even though there was no record of Frederick's work.Summers, Deborah. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/31/houseofcommons.conservatives1 "Conway suspended from Commons over expenses row"] . "The Guardian" (31 January 2008).] 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."Smith, Liz. [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/columnists/article-513294/OK-MP-Derek-Conways-son-didnt-stuff-envelopes---Post-Office.html "OK, MP Derek Conway's son didn't stuff enough envelopes ... but do the Post Office?"] . "The Daily Mail" (10 February 2008)] After press revelations that Henry Conway had been paid for the same position when he was an undergraduate, the Standards Committee announced in February 2008 that they would investigate whether or not Henry's employment was also in breach of normal protocol.Woodward, Will. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/jan/29/uk.conservatives "MP faces suspension over payments to son"] . "The Guardian" (29 January 2008).] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7226069.stm "MPs pledge broad expenses probe"] . BBC News (4 February 2008). Retrieved on 28 July 2008.] As of July 2008, the investigation is ongoing. Derek Conway has maintained that both sons did work as research assistants and that the lack of records was merely a result of administrative shortcomings. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7214573.stm "Tory whip withdrawn from Conway"] . BBC News (29 January 2008). Retrieved on July 29 2008.]

References