My life in travel Emilia Wickstead
The fashion designer on kayak races in Mauritius and eating Cornish ice cream in the rain
ITALY IS A DRAW FOR ME AND MY HUSBAND because it’s where we got married. We once went for dinner at Le Sirenuse on the Amalfi Coast and it was mind-blowing, like stepping into another era. It’s quite 1950s – so you sit at the table and, if there’s a phone call for you, they’ll bring an old-fashioned phone to where you’re sitting. There are mustard sofas and purple piping with lampshades that perfectly match.
WE WENT FOR A DRINK AT IL SAN PIETRO in Positano, where my parentsin-law honeymooned. We arrived there by boat, at a place where people were sunbathing on the rocks, and it was like entering a Slim Aarons photograph. It felt like we went back in time, which is hugely appealing. That, for me, is pure relaxation and it’s kind of enchanting. It takes you away from normal reality, which is what luxury hotels should do.
THE PLACE I’M DREAMING OF TRAVELLING TO RIGHT NOW IS NEW YORK. I miss the hustle and bustle of life in general and New York really is the city that never sleeps; you can go to a restaurant or a coffee shop at whatever hour. I also miss not being able to go home, which is New Zealand. While I love the energy of New York, I also miss that calmness and safekeeping place of New Zealand.
I NEED MY FAMILY FOR A PERFECT HOLIDAY, which is why One & Only’s Le Saint Géran resort in Mauritius was incredible. Everything felt very family-oriented, from the activities we did to our meals together. We danced all night with the kids, and we did kayak races, which was really out of the box for me and my personality but I loved it. There was a tent in our room that one of the kids slept under every night. They thought it was like asleepover party.
QUITE LIKE TO PICK UP THE SUITCASE OF DIANA VREELAND [the French-American fashion editor and columnist] because she would have a fabulous wardrobe. She would also have great notes that would inspire
my collection and my business.
MY MOST TREASURED SOUVENIR IS A REGULAR old sleeping bag from New Zealand. I got it when we went there a few years ago because we went camping under the stars. I don’t have a clue when I’ll use it next. There are such great stories attached to it and that, for me, is the best kind of souvenir.
I DON’T TRAVEL FOR INSPIRATION FOR COLLECTIONS but everywhere I go, whether it’s a city or a place by the beach, I spot people and see what they are wearing. In a restaurant, I’ll notice how the waiters are dressed, or the colour scheme. I once did a whole collection in mustard and purple because of the piping on the sofas at Le Sirenuse!
AIR NEW ZEALAND IS MY FAVOURITE AIRLINE. I remember from when I was a little girl that you would get what we called “lollies”, but they were just hard-boiled sweets that were given out as we landed – and they still do that. It was fun watching my children get just as excited by the sweets when we flew to New Zealand. It’s all in the details.
MY FAVOURITE PUB IS THE LANSDOWNE IN BELSIZE PARK, LONDON. My husband and I used to live near there when we were dating. The menu is unbelievable; it’s always changing. While I’m normally a champagne perI’D
son, I’ll often drink red wine when I’m in a pub – it’s that cosy feeling.
I ALWAYS SAY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVEN’T BEEN TO NEW ZEALAND that they have no idea what they are missing. I think it’s so relaxing, and everyone is so down to earth. It’s almost like stepping back in time to a very wholesome past where you can really connect with nature. It’s so peaceful and beautiful, too – you live in bare feet and you can just be who you want to be.
THE BEMELMANS BAR at The Carlyle in New York is my favourite. I love nothing more than ordering a glass of champagne and listening to whoever happens to be playing that evening. The place has such an Old World charm to it.
MY MOST LUXURIOUS HOLIDAY WAS AT JUMBY BAY resort in Antigua when I was working in collaboration with them. I designed the uniforms for one of the restaurants. I headed out there with
my husband and both our mothers – along with a huge group of friends. We all stayed in this huge house with all the children together. They were teeny tiny in those days and it was just amazing.
I’M CRAZY ABOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE SO I HAVE LOTS OF FAVOURITE PLACES IN BRITAIN. There’s Cornwall, which I love when it’s raining and you’re walking to get an ice cream – and so do the kids. Then there are the cabins at Soho Farmhouse, in Oxfordshire, which I never leave once I’m there – I think that’s the whole charm of the place! With your fireplace and your little kitchen, it’s like you have your own cottage on a lake. The place I’m really dying to go, however, is the Isles of Scilly – it looks like the Caribbean!