The best thing about New York City, is the fact that you can be casually walking down the street and someone will hand you a bouquet of white flowers, just because. I created my City Guides, because I really truly love finding the best of the best everywhere I go. This doesn’t mean that restaurants have to have a Michelin Star, shops have to be the most expensive, and bars have to be the most exclusive; rather, I look for things that have character, are interesting, and provide me with unique experiences. New York is my favorite city on the planet, so naturally my New York City Guide is my absolute favorite of them all.
My City Guides are made up of locations that hold many dear memories to me and have provided my friends with ample entertainment throughout the years through my array of stories. Like Proust, each of my stories are a secret key to some major happening in my life. These happenings are impossible to fully clarify, but the reason as to why I do what I do, think the way I think, and am the way I am. I’ve been writing a screenplay on and off for the past few years. I think it will be one of those things that I just work on for years and years, and then one day I will release it, and everyone will see what all the fuss is all about. Maybe.
In terms of shopping, I am absolutely enthralled with todays luxury consumer and this stands as my succinct rebuttal to all of you who decry the manifold magnificence of luxury goods. Never before have we seen a consumer so interested in life, food and travel, or care enough about art, design, and architecture. That kind of mix is now displayed in the many stores that I enjoy spending time at; I have and forever will be a gal that really loves the experience of going into a physical shop, even if I live in this digital world more than most.
In the early 2000s, verticals were created in tech and now those verticals have shifted horizontal. You now have companies that are creating better efficiencies and all of those efficiencies are wrapped around engagement levels. That is why media is such an interesting sector to me right now. Now more than ever, engagement is the most important thing to companies. But why are efficiencies important? Time is the one thing no one has more of. Create an efficiency that saves people time, resources, or money, and that is valuable. Experiences lead to new efficiencies (products); new efficiencies (products) lead to engagement; engagement leads to sales; sales lead to revenue; revenue leads to profit. It really is such a great time to be alive.
Last year, I purchased some new luggage from a new consumer-tech company called Raden. Raden and Away are both brands that have been riding the consumer wave by being an online retailer first, and a physical retailer second. I think there is an interesting value in these types of brands. For instance, a Raden or Away customer isn't also going to be a Tumi and Rimowa customer. If they are, they have traded in their Tumi and Rimowa for a new luggage experience. The value proposition of these companies are completely different.
The same outlook can also be applied to Dollar Shave Club and Harry's. Dollar Shave Club was one of the largest and only large retail acquisitions (besides Jet.com) in 2016. Dollar Shave Club doesn't take market share away from Gilette, and if you are a Dollar Shave customer, you probably won't be a Gilette customer. Harry's has an entirely different value proposition to Dollar Shave Club, because they own the manufacturing. That means Harry's margins are even better than those of Dollar Shave Club, and the sale of Dollar Shave Club to Unilver for $1B just set the price for what Harry's is worth. Make sense?
Anyways, I find this time in history to be particularly fascinating. There is a lot of noise out there, but a lot of potential for disruption across many different industries. I purchased this skirt from Moda Operandi last season and love it. I'm really into outfits that are cinched at the waist, slightly flared, and progress out into a full skirt. It gives an ultimately classic outfit such a modern feel. I'm just starting my week in San Diego for work, and ending it in Los Angeles with friends, then off to Europe for a few weeks on holiday. Stay abreast with my travels through Instagram stories & my newest City Guides on all my favorite spots. Ciao, ciao!
Coco wears: Korean Top, Ellery Flared Skirt, Givenchy Bag, Celine Sunglasses, Hermes Watch. Photography: Bethany Halbreich. Location: Flation, New York City. City Guide: New York City