Soho heiress Rose James is launching an art exhibition to raise money for Ukraine after hearing harrowing stories of ‘rape and sex trafficking’.
The multi-millionaire granddaughter of late British porn and property mogul Paul Raymond was invited to be chief curator for an auction hosted by the Art On A Postcard charity.
The exhibition, in aid of the Choose Love charity appeal, will sell small artworks from celebrities and budding artists including Courtney Love and Joe Lycett from £50.
Polly Edsell, an artist who has previously created collages using copies of old porn magazine’s by India’s grandfather, will also feature in the collection – showcased in a private exhibit at the heiress’ Soho galley later this month.
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She founded the charity with the aim of eliminating Hepatitis C – however decided to deviate from tradition considering the situation in Ukraine.
India, whose £329million fortune saw her beat the Queen ‘s wealth and make the Sunday Times rich list at just 21, launched her London gallery, Soho Revu, in 2015.
India, whose £329million fortune saw her beat the Queen ‘s wealth and make the Sunday Times rich list at just 21, launched her London gallery, Soho Revu, in 2015
It originally opened in an old recording studio on Greek Street but has since relocated to Walker’s Court – which was once the site of site of Britain’s first-ever strip club, the Revuebar.
Paul Raymond, India’s beloved ‘Papa’, opened the famously raunchy Raymond Revuebar in 1958 before branching out and founding his own adult magazine empire in 1964.
Over the following years ploughed his profits into property to the extent that it was said he bought a freehold a week in 1977. The nickname ‘the King of Soho’ followed.
When Paul died in 2008, the majority of his portfolio was left to India and her half-sister Fawn (whose biological father is Duncan Mackay from the rock band 10cc, xhamster but was adopted by India’s father John James as a child) then aged 16 and 22, respectively. A hefty chunk was also left to Paul’s son Howard.
India and Fawn’s mother Debbie died of a drug overdose at the age of 36, leaving behind ten-month-old India and six-year-old Fawn.
Paul Raymond, India’s beloved ‘Papa’, opened the famously raunchy Raymond Revuebar (pictured) in 1958 before branching out and founding his own adult magazine empire in 1964
The family fortune, which was estimated at £482 million in the 2016 Sunday Times rich list, is derived from a property empire that includes the site of Soho House, nightclub The Box, and the former premises of the bookshop Foyles.
In her early 20s, India, who has been sober for four years, became a firm fixture on the London social scene, frequenting fashion launches and art openings.
It was on a night out at celebrity haunt Brown’s Hotel, in Mayfair, that she met former fiancé Hugh Harris, lead guitarist of The Kooks. Their first kiss was at Reading Festival in 2015 and three months later India was pregnant.
Hugh proposed with an enormous emerald on the roof of the Hotel Café Royal in Piccadilly Circus in 2016.
Soon afterwards their daughter Sapphire, known as Saffi, was born at The Portland Hospital in Central London, where well-heeled women including Victoria Beckham and the Duchess of York go to give birth.
The couple never married and later separated.
