KEY POINTS:
No go-getting fashionista worth her salt would be found hibernating in Auckland over winter. No, she's headed overseas looking for inspiration and the coolest shops to fill that empty suitcase. Four of our favourite fashion savants share their travel plans, packing tips and how to do it all in style.
STACY GREGG
Fashion writer Stacy Gregg is the Editor-at-Large of Fashion Quarterly magazine and author of the top-selling Pony Club Secrets series of children's books. This winter she's escaping to London and Andalusia in Spain.
Where are you going this winter? I'm escaping from Fashion Week for the first time in eight years and going to Spain instead. We're spending a week in London where I have meetings with my Pony Club Secrets publishers at HarperCollins, then enjoying two and a half weeks of "research time" in Andalusia, which is where Pony Club Secrets 6 is set.
Why Andalusia? I'm in it for the horses - Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia is the heartland of Spanish horse breeding. I've already pre-booked tickets to visit the Royal riding school and the Carthusian horse studs. Jerez is also the home of sherry - not the sickly sort you find in your nana's liquor cabinet but proper arid, salty sherry that tastes great sipped out of tiny, chilled glasses with a bowl of fresh olives on the side.
Who are you going with? My partner Michael and our eight-year-old daughter Issie. We aren't very good at taking regular breaks in our house so we try and do one massive holiday every two or three years instead. We're lucky that with just one child we're an easily portable family unit. Although it is hard sometimes booking a triple hotel room.
Where are you staying? We always travel via Singapore on Singapore Airlines because they're so good when you're travelling with kids. Changi Airport in Singapore is the best airport in the world and Singapore is such an ideal stopover destination. We're staying at the Goodwood in Singapore - it's got a great swimming pool. In London we're staying at the Hoxton. It's a cool neighbourhood and still afforable compared to most London hotels, which tend to be frigheningly expensive. Spain is more of a moveable feast - the pick of our accommodation is probably the Hotel Dona Maria in Seville, which is in the historic district, with a pool on the roof.
What luggage do you travel with? Usually when I go away I'm attending a fashion week and need loads of clothes. This time, I'm trying for the first time to pack light. I've got a great new skull-embroidered Karen Walker bag to use as carry-on. Also, I plan to take an empty suitcase and fill it up shoe shopping at Selfridges!
What do you always pack? My daughter's teddy bear, Mimi. He's like the fourth family member.
What do you never leave home without? My Mac powerbook - I like to write on the flight.
What beauty products do you take? Nothing - they'll only be confiscated by customs because they think your Kiehls moisturiser is a liquid nitrogen bomb. Just pack a toothbrush and be prepared for your skin to dehydrate to a prune by the time you reach London.
Did you buy anything especially for the trip? I tend to go overseas with really unsuitable footwear. I once got stuck in Prague trying to walk the cobbled streets with nothing but platform heels. This time I've prepared in advance by buying a pair of ridiculously overpriced black patent leather Philip Lim 3.1 designer Birkenstock sandals for strolling around Spain.
What books are you taking to read? I'll be reading the manuscript to my latest book (did I mention that I love to work on planes?), Comet and the Champion's Cup which comes out in the UK and New Zealand in October. And I'll be watching movies that I would never bother to go to the theatre to see, probably ones starring Seth Rogen or Jack Black.
Any travel tips? Actually, without wishing to earn a good fairy badge, my tip is to be nice to other travellers less fortunate than yourself. I know long haul is tough on all of us, but it's particularly bad for people travelling with very young children, so be a samaritan and help the poor, stressed-out woman with the wee baby to lift her bags and let her slip in the queue ahead of you, OK?
DEBORAH SWEENEY
Deborah Sweeney just returned from a trip to Europe with her husband Niels, where they visited London, Germany and Copenhagen. The Wellington-based fashion designer lets us in on her trip...
What about this destination appeals to you? We love visiting Germany to see Niels' family. Then I always try to tag on a couple of cities for inspiration for my next collection. London I love because I catch up with old friends and the street fashion and vintage stores are always inspiring. It was my first time to Copenhagen and I am a big fan of Scandinavian design so found quite a few flea market treasures there. I met up with a girlfriend, Silke Heuer there. I collaborate with Silke on all the jewellery for the collections.
What did you love most about your trip? In London we stayed with old friends who live in Hackney, which has moved on a lot since I lived in London six years ago. There are some great local markets now, a favourite being Broadway Market - good food, coffee and retro stores. In Germany we stayed with Niels' family who live in the north, close to the Dutch border. Here we unwind - eating, drinking, cycling in the countryside and basically spend time with family. I loved Copenhagen for the people and their great sense of style! This trip was mostly about inspiration for me. In Copenhagen we jumped on free tourist bikes and cycled the canals stopping at cafes on the way. I also visited the Danish Museum of Art and Design. There is an amazing collection of Danish 20th century design, including textiles, ceramics, jewellery and furniture... divine!
What luggage do you travel with? When it comes to luggage I just take a big suitcase, as empty as possible, as I like to pick up things on the way. It's fun to collect pieces in memory of places we have been.
What do you always pack? A good book or two.
What do you never leave home without? My cell phone.
What beauty products do you take? When it comes to beauty I keep it pretty simple to be honest. My make-up bag this trip comprised of a good mascara, lipgloss, orange nailpolish, eyeliner, cleanser and moisturiser.
What do you always have in your carry-on luggage? My phone, sketchbook, a good novel, toothbrush, moisturiser and mascara.
What were your best buys while you were away? I found some great West Germany pottery in Niels' hometown and a couple of very special Danish lightshades in the fleamarket in Copenhagen. Also Niels has been working on some amazing native bird drawings and is planning an exhibition for the end of the year - so we picked up some beautiful old frames at the Munster flea market.
Did you take any books to read? I read The Book Thief , which I can't recommend enough - it was absolutely brilliant. I also finished A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khalid Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner), another great read that got me through a 24-hour delay on the way home!
How many trips have you taken in the last year and where? This year we have been to Australia and around New Zealand selling our winter range. After the busy sales period we took some time out in Taveuni - described as the Garden Island of Fiji. Heaven on earth! It is a very laid back place and there are few tourists so you really feel like you are in another world.
How important is travel to your work? Very important! To me it goes hand in hand. The majority of our business is overseas and I think to sell into another country you have to go there and have an understanding of how people live. It also is important in keeping the collection fresh each season and most of all it's good for the soul.
ANNA FITZPATRICK
Anna Fitzpatrick is the stylish presenter of Alt TV's fashion show, The Seen, and has just returned from a trip to India with her family. The three-week trip saw her visit the Rajasthan region, where she stayed in luxurious hotels converted from palaces.
Why did you go to India? I have Indian blood in my veins. My great grandmother was born to a French man and an Indian woman, and lived in India most of her life as she married a British colonel who lived there during the Raj. My grandmother also grew up in India and left at 21 when she married my grandfather who also was in the British army. I have grown up hearing wonderful stories about my grandmother's childhood there and have always been fascinated with the country.
Who did you go with? As I am about to turn 22, my parents decided they would like to take one last big family holiday together as we hadn't done so in a while.
Where did you stay? We stayed in five gorgeous hotels on the trip and a few nights with an Indian friend of dad's in Delhi. In India there were once kings and queens of every area, so there are palaces everywhere and a lot of them have been convereted into hotels. They are so luxurious and opulent, they felt full of culture and were some of the best hotels I've ever stayed in. The best hotels in Western countries are always sleek and minimal, which is cool, but these hotels in India really made you feel special. The hotels were: Taj View in Agra; Samode Palace in Samode (my 2nd favourite); Rambagh Palace (this place was really special, the princess who lived in it is still alive and is on the board to make sure it stays in the best condition, which is probably why you really do feel like royalty Fateh Bagh Palace in Ranakpur; and finally Shivniwas Palace in Udaipur.
What did you love about India?
I loved that it was so colourful, which came from the the fruit stands on the side of the road and the big bags of red and orange spices, but mostly it was the beautiful saris. Many wealthy women don't wear a sari every day but the poor do. The thing I really loved was the fact that even though they earn very little money and often live on the street, their saris were so colourful and were made from beautiful material. They were always clean too, they obviously felt a lot of pride in their dress and appearance which is something a lot of Western people give up on.
What luggage do you travel with? A very big Samsonite hard-shell case. It's bright red so its easy to spot and the shell needs to be hard to store any delicate items I buy.
Any packing tips? Use all the space available! I'm an over-packer so I always need extra space, rolling items is a good idea and I always stuff shoes with smaller items.
What do you always pack? I always pack good face wash, shampoo and conditioner, and converter plugs!
What do you never leave home without? I never leave home without my mobile. I have to be able to stay in touch with loved ones at home. I also can't be without my diary (the date kind, not the dear diary kind).
What beauty products do you take? I always use Aesop. It's amazing and works wonders on my skin! It's 100 per cent natural and is perfect for young skin as many beauty products are too heavy for me to use yet; I don't need much at the moment to keep my skin looking good.
What do you always have in your carry-on luggage? I always have a book. I read really fast so I usually carry a few, this trip it was four books. They are heavy so I carry them in my handbag so my check-in bag doesn't tip the scales! I read the new Marian Keys novel (I know, chick lit, but it's always a fun easy read for beside the pool), plus Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey and We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
Did you buy anything especially for the trip? I bought a lot of 100 per cent cotton clothing as it is the hottest time of year at the moment and you would boil in any synthetic clothing. Indians are very modest so I bought items that were below the knee and covered my shoulders.
What did you buy there? I bought a lot of beautiful silk kaftans that were perfect to wear there, and will be a regular on the beach back here at home. I also had a few of my favourite dresses which had seen better days copied using the beautiful material they sell over there.
What about music? I have an iPhone so have all my iTunes folders on it. The best phone I have ever had!
How many trips have you taken in the last year? I've been to LA and San Diego for a bit of shopping, to visit my grandmother for her 80th birthday and to the Gold Coast with my boyfriend for a little holiday in the sun, except it rained the whole time! To Sydney twice, once for Fashion Week to cover the shows for my show The Seen on ALT TV, and the other time to attend the ball for the Princess Charlotte Alopecia foundation for which I am the ambassador. India of course, which had a stopover in Hong Kong for a few days. I'm also about to go to Queenstown with my boyfriend.
Best thing about travelling? My father is a pilot (hence all my travel, I wouldn't be able to afford it if it wasn't for my family discount!) so when a flight is really full they bump staff travellers off. As he is a captain he can ask whoever is flying if we can have the jump-seat, which is two seats behind the cockpit in the front of the plane, it's behind a closed door and no one else in the plane ever sees you. So when we come out at the end of the flight all the first class passengers who sit at the front get the biggest fright when I pop out of the door, they look very confused and start trying to figure out where I have been.
KAREN WALKER
Designer Karen Walker will once again show at New York Fashion Week in September, and will hit the Big Apple with four suitcases packed with her new collection. We find out more about her winter escape.
Where are you going this winter?
My next big trip is New York in August for New York Fashion Week.
What about this destination appeals to you? Well what's not to love about New York City? It's the best place on the planet. It's a place of big possibilities.
Who are you going with? I'll probably be going by myself and joining up with my New York based team there.
Where are you staying? Normally I stay at the Soho Grand but this time round I've got an apartment so we can have more space.
What do you love about it? The energy.
What luggage do you travel with? Samsonite.
Any packing tips? I'll be taking a full range with me - about four suitcases - so always use the porters in the US airports. I love having someone to carry my bags for me.
What do you never leave home without? My laptop.
What beauty products do you take? Environ everything. The best.
What do you always have in your carry-on luggage? My laptop and a magazine.
Did you buy anything especially for the trip? Over the years I've learnt to travel with the minimal amount of stuff apart from what's required for the job. Plus, it's summer there so I'll hardly need anything for myself.
Will you buy anything there? I'm sure I will do a spot of shopping.
Are you taking any books to read? No. Too much of a commitment timewise for this trip.
How many trips have you taken in the last year and where? Not many due to the new baby - just the bare essentials - NYC twice, Australia a few times. My highlight was having a few days in upstate New York after Fashion Week last September. There's nothing like de-stressing in a lakeside lodge.
Got any travel tips? Air New Zealand seats are the best there are.
What will you do there? This trip's all about work - five days pre-production, one day show, one day clean up and then straight home. If I'm lucky I'll get a couple of meals out but it's not really what the trip's about!
When you first arrive at a hotel what do you do? Check the view.
How important is travel to your work? This trip is all about work.
Inspiration? In New York? It's 100 per cent inspiring!
What are your travelling tips? Minimal packing and a good car service to pick you up from the airport (I like Ozo car in New York - nice Lexus hybrids).
