PRISM has collaborated with stylist Tina Leung on a pair of Swarovski-encrusted eyewear – launched exclusively online at prismlonddon.com and with On Pedder in Hong Kong. Here PRISM creative director, Anna Laub and Tina discuss their travel coping mechanisms, packing tips and favourite things about the cities they spend most of their time in.
Anna: how did you start out in fashion Tina, what is your background, what did you study?
Tina: i studied and graduated with a diploma in drama, film and television from the university of Bristol. half way through the degree though, i decided fashion styling was what i wanted to do instead. I started assisting freelance stylists wherever I ended up during summer and Christmas breaks, then after graduating I moved to NY as that was and still is the epicenter of print and of magazines. I took a one-year crash course atFIT in Styling and learned about things from invoicing to the use of muslin. after the one year though, I got a job at Prestige magazine in Hong Kong, just as it was starting up, handling everything from styling the accessories shoot, to interviewing the chief engineer at Lexus. One year after that, I went freelance… and then life brought me here!
anna: what is your favourite thing about each city that you’ve lived in?
tina: London – the cleanliness, civility, how it doesn’t get dark until 10pm during the summer, its creativity.
anna: I love the english sense of humour how down to earth everyone is – and how there are so many totally different sides of London that you can discover on a weekly basis. I love (loved?!) being part of Europe – so many amazing places to go and so close. Nothing beats London.
tina: New York – non-stop, can-do energy, its many different sides, how you can still get lost and/or see something you’ve never seen before and I do love, that after all this time, it’s still rough around the edges.
anna: I agree, there’s nothing like the energy in NYC – when you cross that bridge into Manhattan from the airport it still gives me that feeling of excitement every time. It really is a land of possibility – I’ve had so much fun there over the years.
tina: I just love the light in LA.
anna: I agree the light In LA is really something, also those palm trees..
tina: Hong Kong is all about convenience, ease, energy, kindness (except from the taxi drivers), the fact that you can get from the city to the sea to the mountains within 15-20 minutes each way. The food – there is something for everyone in hk.
anna: next on my list of places to go – with you as my tour guide hopefully!
anna: what’s your favourite holiday destination?
tina: The maldives or a safari in Africa
anna: I would love to go to the Maldives, I also love the coast in Italy – Positano; Costa Rica is amazing and Japan and Rio is prob one of my favourite destinations in the world. How do you keep up with all the travelling?
tina: long baths with epsom salts are a must!
anna: i agree baths are always a good cure, but once you have a child travelling seems easy without them – it’s like a spa day! I think when you travel a lot you have to learn to sleep on planes, so it’s all about bringing everything you need in a carry on – to optimize your comfort.
anna: what are your top tips for the best packing? i find that even though i’m travelling so much, i never get better at packing.
tina: i feel like i have to pack and unpack at least once a week. it is the bane of my existence! so, normally, I pack the newest things I’m obsessed with first, then my basics, then my underwear, jewelry and lastly my toiletries and makeup. I pack my shoes on one side of my rimowa, clothes on the other. then in the second rimowa, toiletries and jewelry on one side and underwear and basics on the other. rolling everything is a great way to pack and save space, but these days i barely even fold! i pack my shoes quite nicely, then dump and stuff everything soft in, close it, sit on it, then zip. voila!
anna: i agree, packing is the bane of my life. I do the same – exciting things first then i start to trail off with boredom. It’s amazing but as much as i travel i can’t get better at packing – i think it’s mainly because i just want to take everything with me and get bored with having to edit the piles and piles of stuff i’d like to bring. That’s why I love multifunctional pieces in my wardrobe – i made most of my one piece swimsuits function as good tops too – or dresses i take are thing i can wear all day and dress them up at night!
The post Anna Laub x Tina Leung in conversation: Travel + packing tips appeared first on Prism London.