7 Fashion Notables Share Their Summer Plans

Harbor area in Lamu Island in Kenya. Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

1. Christina Zeller | Artistic Director, Delvaux

“For the past 25 years, I’ve been going to Lamu—a small village island off the coast of Kenya without any cars or bikes, just donkeys—every summer. It was historically the most important trade center in East Africa, so the architecture is mostly Arab inspired. My cousin, who is a photographer, happened to go there on a shoot, and I thought it looked like paradise with the sweeping terraces, daybeds, and mosquito nets. I bought a house right by the sea that was designed by one of the first foreigners to come to the island. For me, Lamu is the perfect mental and physical detox, especially after Paris Fashion Week. The beach is eight miles long, and you often won’t find anyone on it. And there’s no need to dress up: I just wear a swimsuit, kaftan, and some big jewelry. It’s a gypsetter destination—romantic, simple, but at the same time sophisticated.”

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Mount Everest. Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay

2. Prabal Gurung | Fashion Designer

“I’m from Nepal and always like to travel back to my homeland. I love the spiritual connection I feel when I trek through the Himalayan Mountains—it really makes me appreciate our impermanence. If trekking isn’t for you, I also once had an incredible experience having breakfast on Mount Everest, arriving there by helicopter. Later, I like to stroll through Thamel , also known as Freak Street, the birthplace of the hippie movement in Kathmandu. At night, there are these electric outdoor parties and festivals where we drink way too much raksi, ‘celebrate the colors,’ and dance through the night.”

Storm King Art Center. Photo: David Berkowitz

3. Alessandra Ford Balazs | Model and Actress

“I love going to upstate New York in the summer, specifically Rhinebeck and Hudson. On the way, stop off at Dia:Beacon or Storm King Art Center, which is a place you’ll want to spend the whole day. During the day, I love biking or hiking through Mills Mansion. Fish and Game in Hudson is perfect for a cozy dining experience and a delicious farm-to-table meal. Hudson also has some of the best vintage furniture stores and amazing emerging talent popping up every other day, from ceramists to painters and furniture makers. Just wander down the main road and you’ll find many shops that catch your eye, but one of my favorites is Paula Greif’s ceramic shop. But my absolute favorite thing to do on a summer night is go to the drive-in movie theater in Hyde Park. You go there with wine, blankets, pillows, and you have something to eat, turn your radio onto their station—and bam! You have your perfect movie night, snuggled up in the fresh open air and surrounded by everything you love.”

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Kedara Water Garden at the COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali. Photo: Courtesy of COMO Shambhala Estate

4. Chloe Gosselin | Shoe Designer

“One of my favorite places to travel is Bali. David [Copperfield] and I usually stay in one of the most beautiful resorts in the world, Como Shambhala. I love doing the early-morning yoga classes on top of the hill in the jungle of Ubud. We have shopped a lot in Bali for furniture and sculptures for our place in the Bahamas. Our friend John Hardy built this incredible school called the Green School, which is made entirely out of bamboo. Every class there grows its own rice and learns about farming and living in harmony with nature—so inspiring! One of my favorite things to do is to go to Lovina to watch the dolphins or visit the monkey jungle in Ubud. Some lovely places to eat are the Four Seasons in Ubud or the Hanging Gardens.”

Patmos Island in Greece. Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay

5. Ileana Makri | Jewelry Designer

“I love spending summertime in Patmos Island, Greece. Pantheon restaurant has the best grilled octopus and boiled zucchini. You’re lucky if you get one of the five tables outside! Lambi Beach is my favorite place for a great swim—it’s on the north side of the island, covered with pebbles, many of them in the shape of a heart, and amazing deep blue waters.”

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Bar area at the Ocean View Club in Bahamas. Photo: Courtesy of the Ocean View Club

6. Eva Zuckerman | Designer and Artist, Eva Fehren

“A few times a year, my boyfriend and I like to go to this special jewel of a hotel in the Bahamas called the Ocean View Club. We catch up on our reading and drawing, enjoy the peace and quiet, and bask in the pink sands and crystal-clear waters.”

Turkish mosaic lights at the Grand Bazaar, Turkey. Photo: Carlos Ortega

7. Beth Bugdaycay | Creative Director and Cofounder, Foundrae

“We travel to Turkey every summer and stay for about a month. I find the Grand Bazaar particularly inspiring. I love the rows upon rows of antique jewelry, Ottoman textiles, and Ottoman military medallions. Typically we stay in Istanbul for one or two weeks and then spend time in the south on the beaches as well as time on a boat in the bright blue Aegean Sea.”

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2019 Summer Issue under the headline Bon Voyage. Subscribe to the magazine.