How do you want to arrive?
Fashioning travel
There is a certain element to traveling that makes fashion an integral part of the picture—literally and figuratively.
Scenery is arguably the star, but when the traveler becomes part of the picture—how should he or she make that picture paint more than a thousand words?
Sometimes in a bikini, sometimes in a Birkin.
But always, in style.
“The best travel wardrobes are not simply practical. They tell a story about where you have been, where you are going and, perhaps most importantly, how you want to arrive,” says world traveler, tastemaker and writer Tonette Martel, whose favorite destinations include Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and London.
I believe, having traveled quite regularly myself, that how one wants to arrive is both determined by what one wants to feel—or look! Immigration sizes you up, admit it. Some people you encounter at the hotel give you the “elevator look,” and I am not talking about the person manning the lift. More importantly, you look at yourself in the mirror as soon as you close your hotel or bedroom door and judge yourself. Ready to crush, or ready to crash?
***
How does Tonette herself wish to “arrive?”
“It’s important to be comfortable,” says Tonette, whose bucket list includes visiting Sweden, Brazil, Istanbul, and St. Petersburg, among many others.
To achieve this, “I like to wear dark neutrals for tops and pants. I always bring a scarf and a light jacket. Prada nylon jackets are great for traveling.”
To her, the best brands for traveling are “very personal.”
“I like classic tops from TSE that work for all seasons, light jackets from Armani, and cashmere and silk-blend shirts. An elegant black dress is good to have for evenings out. Scarves and shawls are essential,” she elaborates.
One’s trip can be made or broken by two things: a pair of shoes. Travel usually entails a lot of walking and exploring, after all. Slaying it doesn’t mean letting your feet kill you.
So I asked Tonette, which footwear for walking down the streets of Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris or the night markets of Seoul?
“Tod’s loafers or Hogan ballerina flats for walking around Faubourg Saint-Honoré. For the street markets of Seoul, I’d wear sneakers or Prada Sport shoes,” says Tonette, “The Gracious Lady” founder, who is presenting from today until Sunday at Mile Long a new selection of pre-loved pieces from her own closet—a wardrobe shaped by an assured eye for style and years spent travelling.
I’ve not solved the “best bag to bring” dilemma on long flights. If it’s too big, you have to dig in for your stuff. Bag organizers make bags even heavier. If it’s too small, it will burst with my essentials—including power banks, which can’t be stowed in the overhead bin for safety purposes.
Tonette has her verdict on bags.
Prada nylon bags or duffel bags to bring on a long flight, she says.
Which bags make waiters in hoity-toity places give you the best table and serve you first?
“I think beautiful classics from Chanel, Hermès or Fendi,” she says.
She also says accessories can ace a look.
“A statement bag or a piece of jewelry can shift the mood of an entire look,” she points out.
Because ultimately, travel fashion should make you feel like you’ve “arrived.”
***
For this edition of Tonette’s The Gracious Lady, the latest pop-up at celebrated interior designer Jonathan Matti’s creative space, Vetted, the collection is a heady mix of bold, playful finds and enduring classics, spanning clothing and accessories from some of fashion’s most coveted names. Stylish without being precious, they are pieces chosen to move easily from one destination to another, making them particularly appealing to the modern traveler.
“The travelling wardrobe’s indispensable classics are here, too: the little black dress I recommended and the perfect top, making understated appearances,” she describes what’s in her trunk.
The pop-up has handbags and totes from Stella McCartney, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Chloé, Marni x Ekta, Jil Sander and Hermès, that sit alongside jewelry by John Hardy, Angela Caputi, Lanvin and Donna Karan.
Available, too, is comfortable footwear, from sporty Balenciaga sneakers and classic Hogan ballet flats to sandals by Chanel, Marni and Prada—the finishing touches for a wardrobe designed to keep pace with wherever the journey leads.
“Ultimately, The Gracious Lady celebrates the pleasure of personal style on the move—the thrill of finding something that feels distinctly you, even if it once belonged to another wardrobe, another journey, another life. The pop-up offers the rare opportunity to step into a wardrobe with an established point of view, then take it somewhere entirely new,” says Jonathan, founder of Vetted.
As for me, I always like to look like a million bucks, not a million miles, wherever my feet take me. From immigration counters to hotel lobbies, from press conferences to personal photo shoots, whose pictures line the gallery of my smartphone. I think my phone’s photo gallery is the most prestigious gallery—and certainly the most visited. By me!
The Gracious Lady runs from Sept. 25–27 at Vetted, Unit 126, Mile Long Bldg., Amorsolo Street, Makati City, from 11 a.m. –7 p.m.
