London’s most connected - The Gentleman’s Journal annual list

As every highly plugged-in person knows: it’s not what you know; it’s not who you know; it’s what you know about who you know. This rundown ought hopefully to help with the latter — a curation (scientific, to a certain point) of the gentlemen in London who seem often to be akin to tube stops on the capital’s sprawling and sometimes confusing social map: acting as both conduits and destinations, branching off to all manner of corners and bringing others together as they do so.

Softly spoken and with a novelist’s eye, King is the longtime spiritual godfather to London hospitality — a calming yet galvanising presence who seems to be almost everywhere at once, and whose restaurants Arlington and The Park have become almost instant institutions.

The designer has just been installed as the new creative director of Dior — a precipitous, affirming rise up through fashion’s ranks after early days at Sunspel and a magnificent transformation of Loewe.

A gallerist supreme, whose statement eyewear and towering height bely a quiet, thoughtful manner and an eye for both established talent and exciting new bolters.

Via Chateau Marmont and Chiltern Firehouse, Balazs has developed a signature style of swoony hospitality that is often imitated but never bettered — clubby, nostalgic, fun, escapist. London has a distinctly Firehouse-shaped hole in it since the hotel was struck low by a fire in February.

The clubman extraordinaire’s haunts fuse power with sensibility. Hertford Street has become the high-water mark of modern clubland — and Maxime’s, its counterpart over the pond in New York, has already sent the city aflutter.

The former Fortnum’s CEO most recently oversaw the expansion of the Artfarm group into hospitality and has recently been appointed to the Soft Power Council, jointly chaired by the foreign and culture secretaries.

The media string-puller remains a hugely influential and connected presence in London and beyond, securing some of the biggest (and often most pyrotechnic) interviews in the current cultural landscape.

Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, podcasters and writers

Their podcast (and adjacent sold- out live shows) has minted them as exemplars of a yearned-for centrism and sensibleness, with a nexus that spans the corridors of power and new media.

His Diary of a CEO podcast is a perma chart-topper, with an intriguing mix of guests as well as a never-ending knack for virality.

Gregariously and boundlessly energetic, the podcaster-turned- investor runs 20VC, a leading European VC firm which spins the contact book he conjured as a mere teenager via his show into a hugely influential investment vehicle.

Now chairman of the British Museum, the former chancellor remains a culturally significant connector and establishment panjandrum — while his podcast with Ed Balls remains a popular antidote to more firebrand political commentaries.

The Quintessentially frontman is charm personified — a towering, elegant figure who glides effortlessly between many varied worlds and has a seemingly endless capacity for making things happen.

The PR guru who, by his own admission “knows too much about too much”, celebrates 40 years of his eponymous agency this year. Now a film producer and Cotswolds hotelier, Freud is still the number so many call when they need a helping hand.

The husband-and-wife team’s St James’s gallery, Saatchi-Yates, combines youthful perspective with a formidable contact book and a winning sense of mischief.

The former British Vogue editor-in-chief announced in May the arrival of his new publication 72 Magazine, which will launch in the autumn with a no-doubt impressive roster of collaborators, contributors and advertisers.

The Soho House boss, who took over in 2022, has restored a certain buzz to the sprawling members’ club empire — not least by the opening of Soho Mews House in Mayfair: a new club- within-a-club with a delightfully starry crowd.

The Laing industrial complex marches on with the recent launch of Tuckshop, a new incubator for creators. See also NearlyParents, his new podcast with wife Sophie, and a prime- time hosting slot on Radio 1.

Goldsmith remains a tireless campaigner for the art and science of environmentalism— while his remarkable book, God is an Octopus, is a poignant meditation on loss, nature and the cosmos.

Lineker’s departure from the BBC marks a new chapter in his growing influence — not least through his powerful Goalhanger podcast network, with its hosting lineup of industry insiders.

The man of many talents has recently extended his dense creative nexus with Porte Noire, a lovely restaurant by the canalside at King’s Cross.

The Dover’s charming frontman has overseen the swooniest new opening in recent years — a gorgeously lit power room filled with interesting people and bolstered by a menu of exceptional food, all supremely executed.

Everyone’s favourite landlords march from hit to hit (Canteen! The Fat Badger!) at a staggering pace, bringing wonderful food and jolly atmospheres to all corners of London and beyond.

The multi-garlanded architect continues to exercise his precise eye all across London and the wider world, with bold, grand aesthetics and fresh takes on institutional design.

The Business of Fashion boss continues to curate the bible for the style world’s movers and shakers — an indispensable insider’s voice among the sometimes cacophonous hubbub of the industry.

With his bold new installation opening this month at Art Basel, film director McQueen’s influence across the creative sphere of London continues — with visceral, poignant works and a cast of powerful collaborators.

The bio-bean founder also created Skyroom, an ingenious idea to better use London’s rooftops and aerial space. He sits on plenty of fascinating boards, is a UCL associate professor and has just written Roadkill, about the true impact of cars on our cities.

The Devonshire is the most successful pub story in living memory — a monument to Guinness and good times kept aflame by Rogers’ bonhomie. Its not-so-secret Green Room is reliably filled with fun and fascinating figures.

The showrunning duo, whose HBO hit Industry is one of the finest British shows in living memory, are the name on everyone’s lips in film and TV — breakout stars in their own rights, with a distinctive sensibility and infectious sense of ambition.

The Spectator’s new editor has used his rigorous Westminster experience and deep contact book to add a smart, ultra- informed sheen to perhaps the UK’s most successful editorial product in some time.

The Curtis Brown guru worked his way up through the agency with guile and charm, and now represents a network of interesting novelists, journalists, former prime ministers, actors, musicians and thought-leaders.

This article was taken from the summer 2025 issue of Gentleman's Journal, which you can read more about here.

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