LCC x MST: The Man Under the Hat – A Conversation with Soho George | My Soho Times

This issue of My Soho Times magazine is presented by MA Journalism students from London College of Communication (LCC) who have assumed responsibility of producing content as part of their collaborative unit. This special edition is a reflection of their ideas and creativity, featuring their chosen articles, images and social media content (keep an eye out on our TikTok for more!), all centred around the vibrant central London area loved by visitors and locals alike… Experience the world of Soho through their distinctive perspectives.

The Man Under the Hat: A Conversation with Soho George

George Skeggs, a.k.a. Soho George, reveals how creativity and confidence made him the man he is today.

Written by Jess Watts | Photography by Zhouhang Li & Natália Maria de Oliveira Magalhães

Many things have changed about Soho throughout the years, but one thing has remained untouched by time: the man who is widely regarded as the essence of Soho, George Skeggs, a.k.a. ‘Soho George’.

Meeting the Legend

George has long been heralded a Soho icon and has strutted the streets since 1956, standing out for his unique fashion and demeanour. Today, George emerges from the corner of Firth Street, a vision of sophistication and style. He is sporting a bespoke grey and white suit, black bolero hat, and purple-tinted sunglasses. He is the epitome of elegance, standing out amidst the sea of casually dressed passers-by.

We arranged to meet at Bar Italia, an iconic café which has been running since 1949. George walks in like he owns the place, notifying the staff of his arrival and settling down at a table as if it were his second home. “It’s got history, it’s fantastic”, he says, gesturing to the café before adjusting the flower attached to the lapel of his jacket. It is common knowledge that Bar Italia is George’s ‘go-to’ spot, he has been pictured in front of the classic neon sign on many occasions.

The Art & The Artist

The now 80-year-old was called to Soho by its music scene, more specifically ‘skiffle’ groups who played rock ‘n’ roll on acoustic instruments. George relished the creativity that shrouded Soho. “I always knew who I was” he tells me, “what you see today is me as a creative person”. He reminisces upon the birth of his love for colour. He tells me that he was dropped off for his first day at junior school and the only thing that distracted him from being homesick came in the form of coloured bricks. “I was mesmerised. It’s one of those turning points in your life where you realise something’s happened. That was a moment.”

George’s passion for art grew from this early fascination with colour. His teachers quickly saw his talent and encouraged him to go to art school, but he “didn’t want to be boxed in”. George’s creativity spanned beyond the world of art and spilt over him in the form of beautifully tailored suits. His style has always been an important statement and is an authentic realisation of his inner creativity. “There’s two types of people” he declares, “there’s an individualist and there’s a fashionista. I’ve never been a fashionista. I wouldn’t buy something for the name.”

“Always be yourself”, he tells me firmly, and for some reason, the 80-year-old man sat in front of me has instilled more confidence in me than any L’Oréal advert has ever managed to.

It seems George’s unique fashion sense has grown up with him. He tells me that he once surprised a cinema attendant when he showed up to watch a movie, aged fifteen, wearing sunglasses. The attendant told him he wouldn’t be allowed in as he couldn’t possibly see the film while wearing the dark shades. “She was missing the point”, he grins as if he were a teenage boy again, “I was just making a statement, I was going to take them off when I got inside”.

One-of-a-kind

One of the main things that makes Soho George so striking is his individuality, something he prides himself on. “You could say I am kind of shepherd,” he says with an endearing lack of arrogance. “That’s always been my life […] I was always there at the front, and everybody was always copying me”. He’s right, his style has attracted a lot of attention, and a lot of people want to emulate it, but George tells all his fans the same thing “Don’t look like me, just look like you”.

George is a champion of individuality and self-confidence. “Always be yourself”, he tells me firmly, and for some reason, the 80-year-old man sat in front of me has instilled more confidence in me than any L’Oréal advert has ever managed to. “You get flack” he admits, “some bloke the other day called me an idiot”. We roll our eyes in unison as he tells me that such criticism reflects worse on the giver than the receiver. Soho George is a man of both style and substance, with the wisdom that can only come from living a life unapologetically and authentically. “It’s all about self-expression”, he says, adjusting his lapels, “this is me; this is my brand.”

When I ask him where he gets his style inspiration from, he smiles and taps his head, “I don’t get it from anywhere, it’s in here”. It is at this point that he opens his jacket and reveals his nickname, Soho George, proudly embroidered on the inner lining. “I know who I am” he says, and not just because it’s embroidered on his clothing to remind him… it’s deeper than that, an intrinsic self-awareness that is so refreshing. “You’ve got to be you”, he says, “we’re all in a box and you’ve got to figure out where you fit within that”. It’s safe to say George has this figured out: Soho is where he has always and will always fit.

Written by Jess Watts | Photography by Zhouhang Li & Natália Maria de Oliveira Magalhães

Read the LCC takeover edition online here

LCC Takeover edition contributors:

Ada Kohli | Natália Maria de Oliveira Magalhães | Erin Mussett | Mary Jane (MJ) Viado | Rafael Bonito Cheira Xavier De Pina | Jess Watts | Zhouhang Li | Isha Sankala | Tamaa Almashama | Noïra Ndakwala-Boketi | Marsho Dzanchuraeva

Articles from this edition will be published online weekly – stay tuned for more!

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