English interior designer, writer and socialite Nicholas (Nicky) Haslam was BOTD in 1939. Born in Great Hundridge Manor in Buckinghamshire to an upper-middle-class family of aristocratic lineage, he was educated by tutors before attending Eton College. A rampant homosexual and dedicated socialite from his early teens, he befriended many of the luminaries of post-war Britain, including Cecil Beaton, Noël Coward, Cole Porter, Lady Diana Cooper, Frederick Ashton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Forsaking university for travel and adventure, he moved to the United States, working at American Vogue with Diana Vreeland, and befriending musical gays Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein and architect Philip Johnson. In 1966, he and his banking heir boyfriend James Davison bought a ranch in Phoenix, Arizona where they bred Arabian horses. He began working in Hollywood as a photographer and interior decorator, with clients including actress Natalie Wood. After his separation from Davison in 1972, Haslam returned to London, where he established his own design company, attracting clients including Baron Hesketh, Mick Jagger, Bryan Ferry, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Charles Saatchi and Rupert Everett. A renowned party planner, he designed lavish social events for Sir Evelyn and Lady de Rothschild, the English National Gallery, Cartier jewellers and the Dorchester, Ritz and Mandarin Oriental hotel groups. His design work was showcased in the 2002 book Sheer Opulence, followed by a memoir, Redeeming Features, published in 2009. In his 2013 book Nicky Haslam’s Folly de Grandeur, he described his efforts to restore his 18th century home in rural Hampshire. A frequent columnist and reviewer for Harper’s Bazaar, House and Garden, the Sunday Times and Telegraph Magazines, The World of Interiors, Tatler and The Spectator, his reviews and interviews were collated in the 2019 book The Impatient Pen. He has also staged a series of cabaret shows, performing the songs of Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter and Rogers & Hammerstein, and released a terrifying album in 2013, co-recorded with celebrity friends including Jagger, Ferry, Bob Geldof, Helena Bonham Carter, Cilla Black and Tracey Emin. In recent years, he has designed a limited edition tea towel for London department store Selfridges, listing current trends he finds “common”. (The targets of his 2024 tea towel included podcasts, Zoom meetings, jumpsuits, Grayson Perry, Taylor Swift and Type 2 diabetes). Haslam lives between London and his country mansion near Dayleford in Gloucestershire. His current relationship status is unknown, but is presumed to be busy.