What I Pack: Kathryn Wilson

Do you travel light or heavy?

Always very light, as I am usually hoping to fill my bags with amazing new ideas for fabrics, vintage clothing, shoes and cool magazines.

Cattle or first class?

Recently we have splashed out on premium economy with Air New Zealand which is worth every cent on a long-haul flight - even just for the nicer pillows and noise-reducing headphones.

I can't travel without...

Lucas papaw ointment and Nurofen.

What type of suitcase do you carry?

A light-weight soft duffel with wheels that can carry 25kg+ back to New Zealand.

What's always in your hand luggage?

My diary to scribble ideas that come to me in the strangest of times and a book (hopefully one that's hard to put down).

Are you a planner or last-minute packer?

Definitely a last-minute packer...but well thought out in advance on what I need to take.

What's the best thing you've brought back from a trip?

Six pairs of beautiful vintage shoes from a store near the Portobello markets in London.

Favourite or most exciting airport to land in?

Narita, Tokyo because they are so quick and efficient to process you through customs and the airport is so clean and quiet. I'm always excited to land in Tokyo because it's my favourite city for shopping.

Best packing tip?

Take as little as you can, so you don't have to pay excess luggage fees on the way back.

What do you do while on the plane?

Read until I feel sleepy, then get as much sleep as I can so that I'm ready to go once we get to the destination.

Kathryn Wilson is a New Zealand-based footwear designer who sells her shoes around the world.