Timeless Tuscany
We'll take you to the places you'd rather be. Off the beaten track or amongst the urban jungle, these destinations share the ethos behind our brand. Pack your bags and enjoy the journey. Back again for our fourth leg is Abe, the Head of Design, as he journey’s through the Tuscany, Paris and London with his girlfriend Belle.
Abe: I was in Paris for men’s fashion week, which was mental. High energy, lot’s of boozing and full of inspiration. My girlfriend, Belle and I then made our way to the north-west coast of Italy, in Tuscany region to unwind a little. We spent 8 nights around that area. I couldn’t recommend it more, especially after working hard and playing hard in Paris the week prior. Now in London with a few days to hang-out and catch-up with mates before shooting our Q3 campaign at the end of the week.
Q: What was your favourite spot?
Abe: love Paris, but our time in Italy was unmatched. We spent most of the trip about a 10 minute drive out of Lucca. It’s an amazing city with rich history in architecture and art and only around 30 min drive to some small seaside towns - essential.
Q: Was it smooth sailing or run into a couple mishaps?
Abe: No major issues yet. I haven’t picked up the samples for Thursday’s shoot yet though, so that could make or break this last leg…
Q: What kit did you pack? How do you keep your style on point while on the road? Any tips?
Abe: I always start with shoes and limit to 2 pairs. I packed my Sebago Ranger’s in Waxy brown and my ASICS Gel-1130 in White Clay Canyon. From here I just try to get 3-4 staple bottoms that can be worn with both shoes. I lived in the Herringbone flow shorts and pants. After bottoms and shoes are sorted, I just cover all bases with top of body. A few tee’s, a few shirts, 1 jacket, 1 hoody and rib tanks. That’s how I find it most manageable to pack light but stay versatile with enough fits for a few weeks.
Q: Best food you ate?
Abe: We ate at River Cafe in London last night. Might be recency bias but that was an incredible meal right by the river. Overall real nice vibe.
Q: What was your go-to travel playlist or podcast to keep you entertained during the long journey?
Abe: I don’t really keep playlists, I use Spotify’s artist radio feature quite a bit and it’s mainly rap artists. I listen to everything from Nas to Future and everything in between. I also usually get weirdly nostalgic on long-haul flights and listen to the old rock stuff my dad brought me up on like Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, etc. Kind of a weird mix actually…
Q: Beach bum or city explorer? Which was the split or this trip?
Abe: 50/50 for this trip which has been perfect. I love being poolside and on the coastline but I can’t just lay around in the sun all day (which is what Belle wants to do), so it’s nice to get in the city and pick up the pace a little and check out the insane retail the big EU cities have to offer.
Q: Any secret travel habits that you've picked up?
Abe: It doesn’t sound that cool but… It’s 24 hours door to door from SYD to LND - I’ve found, if you can have some work to get done on your laptop, it’s serves as the perfect distraction and sucks the time out of the trip. I intentionally leave handful tech packs for the flight… time flies…
Q: How important is to travel with good people?
Abe: I think the people you’re with are more important than the places you go. When you see people arguing at beautiful beaches while holidaying, it’s not because of the location….
Q: Where are you heading next?
Abe: Heading back home and can’t wait. Looking forward to a bit of routine, exercise, Aussie coffee, Sydney’s beaches and no more beers and wine for a bit.
Ciao
