#mood

Vacay piccies from Australia, New Zealand and England.

I have been missing traveling a lot, but luckily I got to catch up with some of my closets in London last weekend. I know that getting to travel is very privileged, but I have also worked very hard and prioritized my holidays. There have been many sacrifices and not only sartorial ones. Also, such experiences may not possible later in life.

Anyhow, I was in the mood to post something else than fashion - fashion is only one of the many fun things in life. And I have such fond memories from all of these places.

New Zealand Part I

A selection of photos my friend took on our South Island road trip in New Zealand. I spent almost all of January on that beautiful island, mainly camping and hiking. It is rather annoying, but I think I have lost my professional camera. I moved to a new apartment last year and I have not seen the camera ever since. But then again it was kind of nice not to worry about shooting all the time. I could just be there. Feel it and see it. And like my friends say I am a New Zealand regular. I also think Jenni did a good job!

Image courtesy of Jenni Piilola.

Aussie Diary

Roads in Western Australia.

Hi all! This is a long and very old school photo diary from Australia. I got to spend a bit over two weeks over Christmas and early January over there. I had been longing to go back and it was damn nice to see some good friends and just hang out. I was away for six weeks in total and just got back from New Zealand. But anyway, enjoy!

Smiths beach.

Smiths Beach Resort.

Heavenly bath tub.

The morning of 24th of December.

Outdoor shower.. no words.

I stayed with an old friend near Margaret River and managed to squeeze in an overnight stay at Smiths Beach Resort amid all the wine drinking the region has got to offer. We had seen the resort before Covid while getting some much needed morning coffee and only ever dreamed we could splurge and stay a night there. But somehow we got lucky as we found a good cancellation deal just the night before. It was a bliss.

Cutest infrared sauna spot, Tama Wellness, near Margies.

Paddington.

The last day of 2022.

Best green juice from Orchard St.

Another morning walk.

Facial at Melanie Grant.

And her book.

Yes, so I treated myself to a facial at Melanie Grant. I suppose this is in the category “you know if you know” but, nope, Melanie herself did not do my facial. But Natasha was absolutely brilliant and this was hands down the best facial experience I have ever, ever had. They also gave me a personalized at-home skincare plan which I am now committed to. Lots of great products I had already been using. Could not recommend more!

Morning swim.

Fluidform Clovelly. My old go-to pilates studio.

And just another morning swim.

Berlin Diary

Pierre Jeanneret and Andrianna Smaharis at Soho House Berlin

Sophie Buhai at Soho House Berlin.

Jaja Berlin.

Architecture at the newly opened Châteu Royal Berlin.

I spent a long weekend in Berlin with good - old and new - friends. It was a blast, like you’d probably expect, and very inspiring in many ways. Many people asked me if we had actually stayed in Château Royal Berlin. And: no! My friend is an interior architect, so she picked the interior stops, whereas I was in charge of the fashion side things. I have some old friends in the city who were kind enough to accommodate us.

Memory Lane

Near The Box.

I was deleting some images from my iPhone when I came across these images from my Aussie adventure earlier this year. Before the pandemic, obviously. All of these are from the area near Margaret River. It is a nice lifestyle over there and the locals were such nice people. I think I might even prefer the West Coast…

Hamelin Bay.

Yallingup Beach.

New Zealand

The picture above is from early January when I went to New Zealand for one of my closest friends got married there. It features a house that would be my dream home. Isolated, on top of a cliff… hell yessss. Anyhow, I loved every minute of hanging out with people I have known for years and just enjoying the scenery. New Zealand is so special and beautiful. It is my favourite place. If you ever get a chance, please visit the South Island and I promise you won`t regret it.

I was able to get some wear out of these bad boys too. They are the comfiest shoes I have ever worn, but definitely not ideal for hiking.

NYC Photo Diary

The Row on Upper East Side.

I had completely forgotten to post some more photos from New York. It was one of the best vacations I have had in a long time, as I got to catch up with a lot of dear people to me at the wedding, and I did not remember how much I had missed New York! That city has such a unique, vibrant energy, which I am still feeling a month later.

My stay was rather wellness focused, but one of the best things I did was to go see Betrayal on Broadway. It is Pinter's emotional masterpiece, which should still be running another week or so, and it stars Tom Hiddleston.

Shopping as per …

I did not want to dedicate the entire week to running around in stores either, so instead I checked out a few selected ones like The Row's townhouse store on Upper East Side and WARDROBE.NYC in SoHo.

I did end up ordering The Row's mesh flats from their online store after the trip, though I am still thinking of the Japanese inspired Ginza flip flops too. Maybe?

Hangs in Central Park.

I love long walks in Central Park and the weather was just perfect! Almost autumn with the trees covered in yellow leaves, but I could still wear a trench with a t-shirt and flats and stay warm.

Wino!

I stayed in a hotel near the Butcher's Daughter, which is a great place for healthier vegan dishes. That is why I had a lunch there almost everyday. Though I was recommended Babs and Cafe Mogador by the sweetest Cyndle, and both were absolutely brilliant! Babs has a chic atmosphere and they were very accommodating even though I was very late. Cafe Mogador is a lovely place for brunch and it is definitely popular among the Brooklyn locals.

Ricari Studios

Usually when I go on a vacation, I have certain things on my mind that I want to do and purchase. Though my plan for New York was a bit different, see, I’d rather do things and treat myself to a wellness plan. Something has changed there! Maybe it’s because I’ve realised I won’t get any younger and I think my body deserves the best instead of seeing beauty treatments as a luxury I cannot afford. Not to say cellular stimulation at RICARI STUDIOS would not feel like the utmost luxury, it certainly does when you enter the space through a designer showroom, but appreciating my body’s needs has become a new priority.

After a couple of flights and the wedding (read wedding week in the American sense of things) in Atlanta I felt as bloated as one could. Actually, I suffer from poor lymphatic circulation, so what they do at RICARI STUDIOS is perfect for me. After just one treatment, two litres of water and a bit of sweating – it’s a two-part treatment – I felt amazing on the following day and did not feel bloated before I returned back to Finland. The point is not to loose weight, but instead it moves and awakens your system.

Find Ricari Studios here.

The Row Los Angeles Store

The entrance.

I am super interest in today’s customer experience, because I think it is quite sad how so many brands haven’t stepped up their offline game. The Row surely isn’t one of those brands, as their LA store pushes all the right buttons.

It may as be my all-time favourite store, I mean I just kept on adding new pieces of decor to my wish list along with the clothes. I also think the store showcases the clothes in a context, which makes everything more tempting. That’s what good branding is all about.

Visit the store on 8440 Melrose Place, Los Angeles. 

Totême On Biblioteksgatan

I did not attend Stockholm Fashion Week, but I had made plans to stop by when enough exciting things would be on. Yesterday Totême and Ganni opened their new stores and I was invited to both events. I also squeezed in a number of showrooms to make the most out of the trip (thank you for having me). I really had to focus on work on this trip, so sadly I could not catch up over coffee or wine with everyone. Next time!

But as you might have guessed, I was mostly excited about Totême’s new store on Biblioteksgatan no. 5. The store is now open for business, but you can go there, just hang out and enjoy the vibe. It is a beautiful space – completely on brand! I am sure I will be visiting soon again!

Sophie Bille Brahe In Paris

Wearing the iconic Croissant de Lune earring.

Here is a couple of images from a meeting I had with Sophie Bille Brahe at L’Hotel in Paris. It was a dream come true, and the reason why I decided to travel to Paris in the first place. Before the very invitation I was almost skipping PFW, but once in while something comes your way, which could make you think I am crazy, if I don’t seize the opportunity!

So I went and got the warmest welcome. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a warm welcome actually, and it was very exclusive. I got try on the jewellery and chat about this and that. I was made feel very worthwhile, and everything was so carefully considered. The only problem I have now is that my wish list is way too long. SOS.

Wearing the Escalier de Lune, Grace, and Bianca rings & Bracelet de Tennis.

If you have an extra minute or two, please, take a moment to get to know Sophie’s latest, pearl-inspired collection known as the Aphrodite. It is absolutely gorgeous! I am constantly thinking about the Botticelli earrings!

Iceland Snapshots

Here’s a few of my favourite images from Iceland, one of my favourite and the most inspiring countries. I draw a lot of inspiration from nature and I tend to prefer scenic destinations, which is why I had been dreaming of traveling to this magical island for many years!

And in case you were wondering, I did not dress to impress: I wore a raincoat from Rains everyday and Céline sunglasses when the sun came out. Hence I suppose these images will do more justice to the time spent out there.

Driving towards the Westfjords of Iceland after a dip in the Blue Lagoon. I definitely thought that the pricey swim was totally worthy of every penny, though had I not been the driver, I would have stayed a bit longer just to drink more than one glass of red wine.

Seljalandfoss in the South of Iceland. This spot is pretty special because you can walk behind the waterfall and the drive to the spot is surrounded by snowcapped mountains.

A river somewhere near the Artic Ocean captured at 7am. The morning felt like driving through a Game of Thrones set.

The view from Duhórlaey where there’s the Arch with the Hole surrounded by majestic black sand beaches and snowcapped mountains. This is also where we spotted a killer whale!

Skógafoss near Dyrhólaey which was one of my favourite spots. The walk up should totally be your a must-do list as the views only get even better.

The view from Gullfoss. I sort of have a thing for mountains and waterfalls… We spent the last night in these magical surroundings in a small cottage <3

Gullfoss. No words!