You’re Invited! Dining with Cultural Inspirations: Jacu Strauss, Creative Director & Designer of Lore Group
Imagine hosting a dinner party where every detail – from the setting and soundtrack to the food and guest list – reflects the people, ideas and influences that have shaped your creative journey. In this joyful feature, we step into the mind of Jacu Strauss, Creative Director & Designer of Lore Group, to discover his ultimate dinner party and the fascinating mix of guests who have inspired his outlook on design and creativity.
Party setup
Venue
My ideal dinner party would take place in one of our Lore Group hotels while it is still under construction. There is something exciting about experiencing a space in transition, before it has revealed its final identity. I’ve hosted a few hard-hat dinners over the years, and they have always felt wonderfully atmospheric.
The arrival would be part of the experience. Guests would navigate a working building site wearing hard hats before emerging into an unexpectedly elegant dining room. I love the juxtaposition of refinement within an industrial setting: a crystal chandelier suspended from scaffolding, paintings hanging between exposed beams, classical statues beside toolboxes, and a beautifully dressed table set with crisp white linen and exquisite tableware.
I think this reflects my approach to design and to life – I always appreciate the balance between high and low, the polished and the raw.
Menu
For me, food is a form of theatre. I would happily leave the cooking to one of the exceptional chefs from our hotels, asking them to create a menu that mirrors the spirit of the evening: sophistication mixed with surprise and fun.
I love the idea of ending with something over-the-top – perhaps a gigantic cake covered in candles or an elaborate jelly creation. Nothing would go to waste, guests would take home pudding and even the flowers home with them.
The drinks would be classic: Martinis and Champagne to begin – never Prosecco – followed by a beautiful white Burgundy, a classic Bordeaux and, to finish, an exceptional dessert wine such as Vin de Constance or Château d’Yquem.
And when the evening inevitably stretches into the early hours, there would be one final course – an enormous tray of French fries served beneath a giant silver cloche. Nobody craves a salad after a great night.
Entertainment
The evening would begin with classical music before gradually giving way to some disco. If Grace Jones and Freddie Mercury happened to end up performing an impromptu duet, then all the better.
Ultimately, though, the guests themselves would provide the entertainment. The most memorable dinner parties are never about a performance, but about the energy and conversation that happen when fascinating people gather around a table.
Guests
Freddie Mercury: If I could invite anyone, Freddie Mercury would be at the very top of the list. I would give my left arm to have seen him perform live. He possessed an extraordinary combination of charisma, humour and generosity that I imagine would bring every guest together. I grew up listening to his music, my grandmother used to play Bicycle Race to me when I was little, so he is deeply connected to some of my earliest memories.
Grace Jones feels like someone who arrived from another universe. Her beauty, talent and absolute fearlessness make her endlessly fascinating, and I think she would bring incredible energy to the evening. I have seen her perform twice, and both concerts remain among the greatest live performances I have ever witnessed.
Yves Saint Laurent: To me, Yves Saint Laurent is the epitome of effortless style. Beyond his achievements in fashion, I have always admired his understanding that great design transcends disciplines. Fashion, interiors, architecture and art constantly inform one another, and his work embodied that beautifully. I also love the confidence and elegance he projected, qualities that never go out of style.
Lucy Worsley: I have a bit of a passion for history, and Lucy Worsley has an extraordinary ability to make it engaging, intelligent and accessible. I particularly love her series ‘History’s Biggest Fibs’, which challenges common narratives and encourages people to think more critically. Her objective approach has influenced the way I look at the world, reminding me that history often reveals patterns that continue to shape the present.
Catherine, Princess of Wales: A dream dinner party would not feel complete without royalty, and I have long admired Catherine, Princess of Wales. She brings a rare combination of grace, elegance and strength, and I have enormous respect for the way she has grown into such a public role while making it entirely her own. Secretly, I would also hope she arrived wearing the unforgettable Jenny Packham gown from the James Bond premiere.
My Mother, Lynette: The most important guest of all would be my mother, Lynette. She has been my greatest supporter throughout my life, celebrating every success and carrying me through the difficult moments. According to her, I inherited my creativity from her, so perhaps I owe her more than I realise. There is nothing more infectious than her unstoppable laughter, and seeing her delight in an evening like this would mean more to me than anything else.
Jacu Strauss
Jacu Strauss is the Creative Director & Designer of Lore Group where he and his team are behind the redesign and launch of One Hundred Shoreditch, as well as the award-winning Dutch hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam, and boutique hotels Riggs Washington DC, Lyle Washington DC and Hotel Park Ave NYC in New York. In addition, as former senior designer at Tom Dixon’s Research Studio, Strauss designed Sea Containers London, including Lyaness bar.
He is currently working on the redesign of elements of Sea Containers London, Jacu began his architectural training in New Zealand and studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Westminster University in London before joining Tom Dixon’s design studio. He is now London based, and splits his time between Amsterdam, New York and Washington.
Lore Group is an international hospitality company that designs, transforms, manages,and operates hotel and food and beverage concepts in notable cities across Europe and the United States.