Breakfast with a London power couple

Stefan and Fran Sieler have together spent over a decade entangled in the world of fashion, music and art. Fran has devoted the time heading up the global marketing team at Lulu Guinness with Stefan’s focus firmly on photography, enabling him to work with some of the worlds most iconic musicians and fashion brands.

 As power couples go, they don't come much stronger than this pair. Having lived the rock-star lifestyle they now like nothing more then spending time together in their beautiful Camden home. It is here, on a typical winter Sunday that we catch up to chat fashion, photography, wedding proposals and… the family cat. Because, apparently, cats make the ultimate proposal wingmen!

You have a very stylish home, which one of you is in charge of making the interior decisions?

Stefan: Fran makes the majority of the interior decisions with the styling of the house but a lot of the prints are mine. 

We are both fans of black and white photography so we have a lot, mixed in with some cool fashion pieces like the Manolo Blahnik print or the limited addition eye print that Fran got through a special project she did at Lulu.

Fran:  One of our favourite pieces we got from Beautiful Crime, which is owned by a good friend of mind, Liam West. 

They did an exhibition last year for Mick Rock, and this is an amazing shot of all three of Stefan’s music icons Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Lou Reed – it has to be pride of place in the living room.

I most recently worked on my new interior project…the drinks trolley. Obviously a very important one in our house! 

It has a mixture of pieces that were all gifts, including the trolley itself (thanks to my dear friend Meredith).  My fave pieces are the Jonathan Alder coasters and the golden pineapple.

D&D: We can see that there is a big fashion influence in your home. Fran was fashion something you were always passionate about?

Fran: When I was younger I adored singing and still do, and it really was a big part of my teenage years so much so it was a potential future I started to explore. I even recorded a song that my uncle wrote but one day, when I was 16, I had the epiphany that it wasn't right for me.

It is such a tough industry and a big part of me just didn't feel I could sing in the way I'd really want to.  At that time my singing idols were the big power singers like Mariah, Whitney and Aretha so I started to explore other areas that I loved and that fast became clothes and the fashion world.

Stefan: Music is a big influence for both of us.  It has shaped my life. From an early age I was listening to Bowie, The Stones, The Beatles and always loved the creativity that came with listening to their music.  

I am also influenced by other photographers and the way they think about their image making. After seeing a Corinne Day and David LaChapelle exhibition it really changed the way I thought about photography and my own way of wanting to take photos.

We sit down to a breakfast feast, which Stefan has prepared. 

Stefan:  I do all the cooking in our house. 

Fran:  I am more the ideas person when it comes to food and Stefan is more on the execution.

Stefan:  Before I met Fran I couldn’t cook anything – it was ready meals and takeaways in my bachelor years.  When we first started dating Fran was gluten free, diary free (basically fun free) so we had to be experimental with food. 

Fran: At the time, not many restaurants catered for these types of food allergies so as a couple we would eat in instead of going out and I guess we have kept up that habit.  Date night for us is a night in cooking some nice food and chilling out…..well Stefan does the cooking! ;)

D&D: Your cat seems to love the camera, how long have you had her?

Fran:  She is our engagement cat so she is very special!

Stefan:  I bought the cat to give to Fran when I proposed – It was strategic as I thought she isn’t going to say no to a cat!!  The morning I proposed was a logistical nightmare though as I had to hide the cat and keep Fran off the scent. 

I ended up pretending to leave the house and then had to hide for ages around the corner with the cat in the cage until I saw Fran leave.

Fran: When I came home Stefan presented me with the cat that had a note around her collar that said ‘Will You Marry Me?’.

Stefan: And then she said no….

Fran:  I didn’t, well I did…. but as a joke. 

Stefan: There was a pause of about two seconds before she said only joking that felt about a month!

D&D: Having just got married what do you see as the key ingredients to a good relationship?

Fran: Communication, trust and compromise…as well as being able to laugh even when things get a tough. Making time for each other when you are swamped is so important for us, even if its just grabbing an hour to cuddle on the sofa before heading out to an event or starting on a night of editing for Stefan.

Fran:  One of the things I love most about Stefan is how he takes care of me every day.  He is, hands down, the reason I eat as well as I do. When he isn't here I panic order Deliveroo every time.

Stefan Sieler Photography: http://www.stefansielerphotography.com

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