I am sitting in my room in Hong Kong (after a day working on the development of my Fall 2012 collection!) and finally have time to fill you in on what is happening. I left for Hong Kong the day after the craziest snowstorm to hit NY in October. On the morning of my early a.m. flight, the roads were still icy, and it was so bazaar to see three multi-vehicle accidents within a few hundred feet of each other! Luckily, no one seemed hurt, but lots of vehicles were damaged, and traffic was stopped for what felt like an eternity.
Fortunately, I had left extra time so I made the flight, but my luggage did not! I will never travel again without my wardrobe essentials in my carry on bags! When I arrived in Hong Kong after 24 hours of traveling, the last thing I wanted to do was deal with lost baggage. Since I didn’t have anything with me except my computer and tons of fashion magazines (these are essential, right?), I headed to a mall.
Hong Kong has the most beautiful malls and all very conveniently located. My first stop was Zara at the new International Finance Center (IFC) mall. It is so great having stores that are the same in NY, Europe and Hong Kong! I ran in and bought pants, two camisoles (leopard) and a wonderful new cardigan. The mustard color in Zara looks so great and works with both cool palettes and warmer colors. The other key trend is animal, and I bought both the brown leopard and the black/grey cheetah print camisoles. Both prints “pop” and act as a fabulous accent for simple, basics. I originally saw these at Zara in London and Paris and actually bought them in Hong Kong. How is that for shopping around the world? But how cool is it that the same fashion is all over the world? Fashion is global!
My next stop was Marks and Spencer, a department store that is synonymous with the UK like Macy’s is to the US. I remember that Princess Diana once made a comment that she bought her knickers (underpants) at M&S! As I mentioned, I had nothing in my carry on bag, so of course I had to head to M&S to pick up the rest of my essentials. They have the most wonderful lingerie department with everything I needed for my first day without luggage. How great they have stores in Hong Kong, and lucky for me, they were open until 9:30 p.m
Fortunately my bags arrived the next day! Otherwise, I was already planning what I would need to have for my trip without spending too much time and money. Being without luggage makes you realize what is important in your wardrobe. Think about what you would need for a one-week trip? For me, the most essential item was a basic black pant. A black skirt was next on my list with one or two black shirts. I would have needed at least two more cardigans and a simple (black?) dress. Accessories would be key for my wardrobe, added for color and to change up the outfits. Of course, I travel with four pairs of readers (Rosanne Black/Ivory just in stores now; Roxy Pale Leopard; Pamela Gold/Leopard and Sydney Golden Tortoise), and I am happy to have those back with me! One cannot be too thin, too rich or have too many readers!
