Most people taking part in a photo shoot want to look their best and Mark McCullum is no exception. He doesnโt normally look quite this smart though, as he usually dresses in T-shirt and jeans to cycle the 20 miles from his home in east London to his boss Gok Wanโs house in Hampstead, writes Colette Doyle.
His regular morning cycle represents just a tiny fraction of the amount of travel that Mark is expected to undertake in his job as Gokโs PA. In the three-and-a-half years that heโs been working with the popular TV presenter, Mark has travelled all over the UK, as well as further afield โ to film a television series in Poland and as far away as Australia, where Gok has a tie-in with Westfield malls that involves running fashion shows all over the country. He was advised at the interview stage that travel would be an important element of the job and this has certainly turned out to be the case; over the last three months alone he has been away for no fewer than 10 weeks: “You donโt know where youโll wake up next,” as he puts it.
Mark describes his primary function thus: “to make Gokโs life easier”. He is involved in every facet of his career, from building relationships with the suppliers involved in Gokโs many endorsement deals, through to diary management and other admin duties. Patience and trust are essential to the role. Tact is also a must, but honesty goes a long way too โ especially when it comes to advising the style guru on sartorial matters. So does Gok, known for the fashion advice he doles out on programmes such as How To Look Good Naked, allow Mark to give him tips on what to wear? “I do go shopping for him and style him to a certain extent, but only because Gok is the most time-poor person I know,” he reveals.
Having done a drama degree and worked in theatre as a stage manager and producer, Mark saw an ad for a telephonist/maรฎtre dโ at the salubrious
Rules restaurant in Covent Garden and then got a lucky break. The wife of one of the directors there was the print designer at Alexander McQueenโs company and from her he learned there was a vacancy going as the British style iconโs assistant.
“I admitted I didnโt know anything about fashion, or even being a PA, but I stressed that I was willing to work hard,” he recalls. The role saw him being thrown in at the deep end and he describes it as “a real baptism of fire… I was involved in household management, which included going to Leeโs place and waking him up every day” (McQueen was known by his first name among close friends).
When McQueen died tragically in early 2010, Mark made a bold move and transferred to LA to take up a position at talent management agency Todd Shemarya Artists. This he describes as the biggest challenge of his career to date; despite an รผber-glamorous lifestyle being based in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills, the job wasnโt a good match for Markโs talents or personality โ “it was such a challenge to fit in” โ and he only lasted four months.
It was difficult to admit at first that things werenโt working out as heโd hoped, but his coming back to the UK took a felicitous turn: through his network of contacts he heard that Gok was looking to take on a new assistant. He obviously impressed immediately, for as soon as the interview was over the recruitment agent called to ask him to come straight back to meet Gok in person. The fact he wasnโt particularly familiar with Gokโs work didnโt daunt him in the slightest. “Itโs better to put aside any preconceptions and just get to know them on the job,” he says.
Setting boundaries may be an issue for many PAs, but not so much for Mark, who says that his relationship with Gok makes it hard to know “if youโre working or playing”, as they often socialise together after hours with colleagues. He acknowledges there is some overlap โ “I always like to make sure he gets home safely” โ but he enjoys the perks of his position and regularly gets invited to premieres and other showbiz events.
So what advice does Mark have to offer other budding celebrity assistants? In the first place, he advises anyone looking for a way in to “make your own luck โ talk to the right people, do an internship”. For instance, his experience of working at Rules meant that he gained exposure to a high-profile and exigent clientele, which allowed him to showcase his own skills set to good effect.
“Itโs all about having the right attitude,” he affirms. “Donโt feel itโs not your job to make a cup of tea. You need to be willing to do [virtually] anything and your boss needs to feel comfortable asking you to do it. Youโve got to put yourself out there โ network, build connections and get recommended. Show youโre good and youโll get your chance,” he concludes. Sound advice from a young man who has clearly taken it to heart.
A day in the life
8am I cycle to Gokโs house in north-west London, where I begin my day.
9am Check in with Gok to discuss what we are going to be doing that day.
10am There is nearly always some sort of outfit that is needed either for filming or a photo shoot, so I will confirm with the client, production company or agency what is required.
11am Liaise with Carol, Gokโs agent, to make sure the diary is up to date and check that she is aware of any personal appointments that may conflict with professional engagements.
12-2pm Go through emails and action whatever needs to be done, usually with Dolly (Gokโs dog) keeping me company under my chair in my office.
2pm Gok may want to cook so we often have an Asian dish for lunch, or he will bake a cake โ and make me eat half of it!
3-6pm We might have a design meeting with Sainsburyโs that will involve going through colour palettes, design inspirations and trends, while working with a fitting model to fine-tune Gokโs clothes for his next collection.
Photo Dave Willis; with thanks to Rules Restaurant, rules.co.uk
