The Style Council member and Paddle8 founder opens his diary.

Although clothes are our bread and butter, we like to think that we have a conscience beyond the fickle world of fashion. We like to know that we’re doing our bit for the world, by lending a hand when a good cause comes along. And with that in mind, today we’re happy to announce our involvement with a charity auction which will support the Elton John Aids Foundation.

The auction, which kicks off today at 12 noon EST (5PM BST), is hosted on the online art auction house Paddle 8, where the lots – donated by members of the MR PORTER Style Council – will be up for sale. The auction will run until 6 November, comprising of 24 lots from 20 Style Council members. These include a cycling trip with ex pro cyclist Mr David Millar, a photograph of Sir Mick Jagger donated by Mr Jean Pigozzi, and a signed Gucci tote bag put forward by Sir Elton John and Mr David Furnish.

To kick off the auction, which you can learn more about here, we spoke to the Paddle8 founder, Style Council member Mr Alexander Gilkes, about his working day.

I usually wake up at 6.30am. If my jet lag doesn’t wake me up, my alarm clock will.

I have a terrible tendency of reaching for my phone as soon as I wake up to read emails and the top stories tab of my New York Times app. If my girlfriend is not with me, then I will call her for a long chat. If I am being disciplined then I will meditate.

I like to run as I find it meditative and energising. If I’m in New York, I have a personal trainer who I work out with two to three times per week, usually at 7 or 8am. I go to Soho Strength Lab for my workout with Stephen and head home via Cha Cha Matcha.

I usually sit down to work at 9 or 9.30am, but will have started dealing with emails before that.

We launched Paddle8 seven years ago as a way to help a new generation of collectors access art and collectables beyond the confines of the elitist and musty brick and mortar auction houses. We aimed to educate via accessible and fun content, to guide the eye with well curated sales and selections, and elevate the experience with tech-forward efficiency.

Since selling Paddle8 to The Native [Swiss tech and e-commerce specialists] at the end of 2017, my role has changed. I am less involved in the day to day running of the company, but as a board member I am on hand to support the new management team with business development, vision setting, recruitment and creative direction.

In the morning, I usually spend a couple of hours attending to emails, then arrange calls from 10.30 to 2pm. My favorite new lunchtime find is Le Botaniste, which makes delicious vegan food.

I’ll have meetings from 2 to 5pm, before following up with more emails and any proposals. I am less social than I used to be, but I’ll usually finish the day at a work event or dinner, dinner with friends or a visit to the Russian banya.

I am an omnivore, but could live as a pescatarian. My comfort dish is spaghetti Bolognese or an English roast, but my favourite cuisines are Lebanese, Indian, Iranian, Greek and Spanish. My daytime drink is an Arnold Palmer and evening drink is a Mezcal Negroni.

I love thinking creatively and intuitively about where the future lies and how consumer patterns will emerge. I have always been excited about the many problems we have had to solve at Paddle8, supported by so many great brains. I am driven by curiosity and learning and feel happiest when surrounded by smart people, from whom I can learn.

One has to be honest about one’s strengths and flaws. I am a better right brain thinker and do not deal so well with the analytical and pragmatic operational considerations. One of the least enjoyable aspects of the job has been firing people: no matter how well you look after your colleagues, they only remember how they were treated on the way out.

I used to be a maximalist and am now a minimalist. My desk is clean and clear with my laptop, extra monitor, pen jar, mail box, headphones and lamp.