RIMOWA Exhibition ‘SEIT 1898’ To Launch During New York Fashion Week

“Fire Island is a very special place, especially for queer people,” Jimi Urquiaga, a.k.a. Missleidy Rodriguez, told me. While that might seem like a statement of the obvious, Urquiaga has experienced the island from an atypical vantage point: for the past two summers, they've been packing up their life in New York City as a costume designer, producer, creative director and drag queen to come work at the Pines’ plant shop, CAMP. Urquiaga called me on their break, sitting behind a desk at the plant shop, with a view overlooking the bay. “So that’s the fantasy,” they said with a laugh after describing their surroundings.

Global Fashion Collective (GFC) showed at Milan Fashion Week again this month, this time surrounded by glorious frescos in the 16th-century San Barnaba church. Led by Jamal Abdourahman, director of Vancouver Fashion Week, the second largest fashion week in North America, GFC is one of the top showcases of new talent from around the world, producing runway shows in various fashion capitals. In addition to Milan, GFC creates shows at New York, Paris, Tokyo and London fashion weeks and plans to add showcases in Mexico in 2024. As well as being a keen advocate of emerging fashion, Global Fashion Collective has partnered with a popular new makeup brand for all their runway needs. The healthy, mineral-based, chemical-free brand BullyBlocker, was founded two years ago by American businesswoman Donna Baker Brittingham and is fast becoming a top choice of makeup artists. Seven international talents were in the spotlight in Milan during an exclusive Spring/Summer 2024 runway presentations.

In my latest column where I profile creatives and highlight their travel style, I had the pleasure of interviewing Yulia Ziskel, who is a violinist for the New York Philharmonic and has been a member of the first violin section since 2001.

Three life-changing words: New York City.

When you're after a beach in New York State, the glitz and glamor of the Hamptons and the old-school appeal of Coney Island – both in the vicinity of New York City – tend to steal the spotlight. But there are plenty more sandy havens to be found across the Empire State.

Yes, NYC can easily monopolize all of your vacation time but don't sleep on the incredible landscapes that await you in New York State – we've got all the info you need on how to get there and around.

Manhattan’s concrete jungle may get New York’s marquee treatment, but the state’s natural beauty lies outside of the five boroughs.

The best way to visit New York City and Boston is through a unique experience designed for luxury travelers. The Mandarin Oriental is offering a 75-minute seaplane shuttle for two as part of a four-night package split between its properties in the two cities. It’s the ideal vacation for anyone who can afford one of the best view suites in each city, is eager to bypass the hassle of entering and exiting a major airport, and is up for the adventure of taking off and landing in the water while enjoying magnificent airplane views in between.

From the shores of Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands on the Canadian border, down through the Finger Lakes and the Catskills, and out to the tip of Long Island, New York State has something to suit every kind of traveler.

The beauty of New York State lies not just in its landmark attractions, but also in the places in between – the foliage-blanket hills of the Catskills , the serene stillness of the waters in the Finger Lakes and the silent strength of the peaks of the Adirondacks .

Manhattan’s Lower East Side has always been known for its gritty edge. This is the place where immigrants, arriving from Ellis Island and typically holed up in a tenement apartment, had their first view of New York, and indeed of their version of the ‘Great American Dream’. As a consequence, there is still a strong presence felt of a wide variety of different communities and cultures – from Jewish to Italian. In fact, at the crossroads with China Town, Little Italy and SoHo, you still feel as if you are in the heart of the city’s infamous melting pot which makes this city so diverse and exhilarating.

The time of year will definitely be a factor in how you choose to get around when you visit New York City – taking the subway in summer or opting to walk in the depths of winter can test your discomfort threshold. On the other hand, in the city that never sleeps, you can get anywhere, anytime, thanks to night-owl cabbies and trains that run around the clock. That's a boast not many other cities can make.