The Maximalist Almanac, Vol 05

It is a Summer Friday and I am writing to you under the gilded ceiling that crowns the New York public library on 42nd street, with its fresco of pastel clouds. Long dark wood desks fill the room and gold lamps are dotted neatly throughout. Dozens of heads bow to laptops, fingers clacking keyboards while open notebooks lie nearby. It’s a gorgeous day in the city. 30 degrees, clear blue skies, and the sunlight streams in through large domed windowpanes.

I think I May have been pinching myself the entire way through this month. May, you’ve spoilt me rotten. I know we were all excited about the year of the horse, but my goodness has it lived up to it’s expectations so far.

The month started with a week-long trip to Seoul, South Korea to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friends, Doha, with the rest of my girlfriends from my masters program in Paris. It had been two years since we saw each other last as we’re all living and working in different parts of the world (no exaggeration—our friendship group literally covers New York, Paris, London, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, India, and Tokyo!) and now I’m struggling to readapt to my dinners for one instead of seven. Seoul was incredible and I got up to soo much fun—read all about it along with my recommendations if you have a trip coming up.

I was back in New York for a week afterwards, and then off to Northern Italy gallivanting between Milan and Verona for a ten day work trip to visit my company’s headquarters and spend a few days visiting our cashmere factories and learning about the artisanal craftsmanship and design processes.

Milanese sciura, the soaring mountains of Northern Italy and the vines that decorate them, oxblood red, girl groups, the burning orange of a perfect negroni sbagliato, beautiful Italian men, deep chestnut wood details, marble floorings, bougainvillea.

• Dim Sum Brunch. My girlfriends and I have recently made it a tradition to go to House of Joy in Chinatown for a dim sum brunch and debrief every few weeks and it’s already become one of my favourite New York things ever. HIGHLY recommend.

• Vintage shopping in Italy. Um who was going to tell me how superior the Italian secondhand scene is?? I had an absolute ball thrifting in Milan and Verona and, despite exercising biblical self-restraint, came away with quite the haul. All my vintage recs and goldmines can be found in my Milan city guide.

• Long pendant necklaces (esp. Meryl Streep’s in DWP2). I’ve been eyeing these off more and more in the last year and finally bit the bullet and bought a long beaded tassel one from a vintage seller on Vinted.

• Cotton blouse and worn-in denim. Dare I say it’s the spring uniform.

• Cultural appreciation. The dress code for my friend’s Korean wedding was hanbok, a traditional Korean dress. Renting and wearing it for the day granted us free access to all palaces in Seoul (post-Japanese occupation, the government is actively encouraging foreign participation in Korean culture) and the girls and I all felt like princesses. It was such a treat to experience and partake in without feeling too much like a westerner abusing the culture only for its aesthetic.

• Wig nights. This is your sign to organise a wig night out! Wholesome, silly, fun!!!

• Negroni Sbagliato. Obviously.

• Korean skincare. I’ve been a Korean skincare fanatic since high school and I did some damage in Olive Young while I was in Seoul. Since getting back, I’ve been happily reaping the benefits during my skincare routine.

• Film camera. I loooove my film camera and have been using her non-stop in the last two months. It’s such a treat to be more intentional when taking photos, and it really feels like you’re capturing memories, no matter how grainy or unfocused the photo comes out.

• Walking to work. I’m usually an avid cyclist when it comes to getting to and from work—mostly because it’s cheaper than the subway and means starting my day outside—but I’ve recently been fretting about my incredibly poor step count performance and decided to do the 45 minute walk to work at least twice a week to make up for it. It’s been such a blessing and a huge source of outfit inspo, feeling a part of the city, and people watching in general.

• Business of Fashion Daily Digest podcast. While I’ve mostly been doing these walks without headphones, I’ll occasionally plug in a podcast and listen to the BOF Daily Digest—I’d forgotten how good of a snapshot it offers into the luxury/fashion/beauty latest.

• 80s Hong Kong interiors and jewel tones. Last month, I watched In the Mood for Love (2000) and have been heavily inspired by its aesthetic and design choices. In particular, I’ve been loving emerald, ruby, sapphire accents and rich, warm dark reds.

• Salt bread. Yes, I “discovered” it in Seoul and YES IT WAS DELICIOUS. The croissant’s cooler, younger cousin.

• The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham. This book was kindly gifted to me (highlighted and with a handful of notes) by a Hinge boy on our second date because he was convinced I would love it. I’d somehow never even heard of it, but intriguingly very happy to say he was bang on the money. A society novel set mostly in Paris during the Roaring Twenties, it grapples with notions of purpose and meaning vs. materialism. It is FULL of wisdom and I LOVED it. Would highly recommend adding to your list this summer, and I already can’t wait for the reread.

• Sentimental Value (2025). After hearing so many good things about this film, I finally got around to watching it on a plane and found it super interesting. A slow-moving family drama where the genius lies in the subtleties, it tells a really interesting story of the relationship between two sisters in their 30s and their absent but acclaimed director father in Norway.

• The Pursuit of Jade. While in Korea, four of my girlfriends (obsessed with Korean dramas) put me on to a new historical-romance Chinese drama to download for the 20 hours of travel back from Seoul to New York. So, hungover, impossibly tired, heartbroken to be leaving my friends, and panic-downloading movies and shows onto my iPad at the gate as my flight was boarding, I ended up giving it a burl. It was the only thing to successfully download and what a blessing in disguise that turned out to be. Ladies, I WAS HOOKED. Completely obsessed. There are 40 episodes in the show, so for the entire week after I got back I was completely distracted and counting down to when I could get back home to keep watching. It was bad. But it was also SO GOOD. I honestly couldn’t recommend it more, it was such a fun watch and completely addicting. Also everyone in the show is incomprehensibly beautiful.
  Little known fact about me: I studied Mandarin Chinese for four years during school, and not to overdo it, but I actually understood way more than I expected to!! Obviously, I was entirely reliant on the subtitles, but it was such a nice feeling to hear Mandarin spoken again and re-pick up little phrases and vocab here and there.

• Rivals. If Rivals has no fans, I’m dead. What a truly superior show! Set in the 80s in the Cotswolds and brilliantly done in the most British way, Rivals genuinely might be one of the my favourite shows ever to be on TV. You simply must watch. Season two has just started dropping episodes and it’s deeply superior.

• Off Campus. A new college hockey show adapted from a book series for Amazon Prime, I quickly downloaded it for the plane. A fun, easy watch but I was surprised to not feel remotely bothered about the characters or invested in the overall storyline. While I definitely found it entertaining, I sort of wished it ended after the fourth episode. If you’re bored, I’d give it a watch. Otherwise, you’re not missing much.

• Funky print trousers. In the last year, I’ve felt myself increasingly drawn to funky printed trousers and have since thrifted two stunning pairs—one pink and paisley from Escada Sport, thrifted on the Upper East Side, and one that looks a bit like a blue snake print or pool water reflection from Guess, thrifted in Bushwick. Wearing them with a white tee or tank has been such a go-to and easy way to feel stylish without putting a particularly huge amount of effort in.

• Bold contrasting belts. I’ve been really into pairing statement belts with my funky trousers, too! I have these fab two bought from a market in Italy a few years ago—one is a skinny pink croc patterned leather and the other is a greyish snake print leather. I’ve been really into the look of deliberately clashing them with funkier trousers I’m wearing.

• Navy ballerinas. Navy ballerinas are an all time staple of my wardrobe and I wear them at least twice a week, but especially in Spring/Summer. However, mine are on their very last legs and I’m on a desperate hunt for a new high-quality leather pair that aren’t at a Repetto price point. SUGGESTIONS MORE THAN WELCOME.

• Burgundy Mary Jane flats. Similarly, I’ve been wearing my Charles & Keith burgundy mary janes everywhere this month and love the way the colour grounds an outfit. Bought a few years ago so no longer available, but this, this, and these are similar.

• Short pyjama sets. Absolutely nothing new here, but I adore a matching PJ set and have been switching out my longer pairs this month for shorter, lighter summer ones. Some faves: Intimissimi silk set (cami + shorts), Cotton On Body set (cami + boyshorts) Intimissimi cotton set (tank + boxers).

• Cashmere crewneck with embroidered initials. Although admittedly biased because I work on the brand, I adore my Falconeri Ultrafine cashmere crewneck. It’s my new go to and I’ve found it the perfect lightweight jumper to throw into every bag and wear everywhere from the office to the plane. I got it emboidered at our Madison Avenue boutique opening event and think it’s the chicest thing ever. Tiny bit about the brand: they flew me out to Northern Italy in the last week of May to visit our cashmere factories and learn more about the production processes and I’m just saying, I’m a believer!! The purest, highest-quality cashmere and entirely Italian-designed and owned. Hate to say it, but it’s giving quiet luxury and gorgeous timelessness. Big fan.

• Two handmade cotton blouses. Vintage Dolce & Gabbana sunnies. Patterned Roccobarocco midi skirt. Sheer lace top. Valentino jeans. Satin white night dress. Handmade Silk crepe blouse. Beaded necklace.