An Affair With Fashion

Today’s guest in my series of Travel Light(er) posts is Kelly Wells, the director of a new website called Young Designers Online. This Australian business was created to allow up and coming designers and creators of clothing, accessories, shoes, and hair and beauty products to reach an audience without having to set up their own stores. They also support the members with public relations services. I will follow up this interview with another post showing the items I like the look of in the current collections!

Where have you been?
I have been lucky enough to have travelled extensively; UK, Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa, USA & South America, Indonesia.

What was your favourite destination/holiday and why?
Oooh so many to choose from -  walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, riding through the desert to find the Step Pyramid in Egypt, jet skiing in a volcanic lake in Chile, and Jordan – because of the sheer size & beauty of the lost city…

What is your worst travelling experience to date?
After saving my hard earned money (whilst on a working visa in the UK) I bought loads of lush clothes for travelling in Italy….and then having all of my clothes, shoes, toiletries taken from our combi van, whilst swimming at a remote beach in
Romania!

What is the average weight/size of your bag when you travel for a weekend, a week and a month? 
For a weekend I can usually pop everything into a large shoulder bag. For a week, it depends where I am going of course, but I can travel with just ‘hand luggage’.  A month might be a different story I would love to visit Ecuador or Cuba, so probably a LARGE easy to carry bag. 

What are your secrets to keeping your baggage to a minimum?
I roll my clothes.

What bag/brand do you recommend for packing your belongings in? Spencer and Rutherford have some really cute luggage.

Any other gadgets/objects you can’t live without when
travelling light(er)?
Sunscreen, my joggers, iphone,  (besides all the glamorous pieces…)

What fashion staples and looks do you stick to when travelling?   
Fave pair of jeans, dress, shorts, dress jacket, loads of accessories & as many different pairs of shoes as possible..you can really change the look of an
outfit with the right shoes & accessories.

What do you buy when you get there instead of carrying it in your baggage?
Shoes…its just a great excuse to buy more!

What do you throw away/donate before you return home?
I am a bit of a hoarder, however when I left London I left all my beautiful long coats… to a very appreciative friend.

Any other travel tips / secrets you would like to share?
Although I have travelled a lot, I have only just scratched the surface..I would definitely recommend travelling and experiencing as many different cultures and places as possible. Always travel off the beaten track ! x

Thank you so much Kelly for being a part of this series. You’ve done some amazing things already! It all sounded so fun and adventurous! Previous interviews have been with Natty Michelle, Milla Fox Shops and All Things Ami.