Holiday style, the fashion designer’s way

Christian Cowan is a guest contributor, and appears courtesy of Booking.com.

Christian Cowan’s “fashion fix” tips

1. It’s no wonder that what we see around us on holiday can transform what we wear at home. We get used to the norm of dressing a certain way back home but when we travel, our minds expand and we become open to new possibilities with style, fabric and colour. Watching the locals is the best way to get inspiration. Experimenting with local style and translating it to your look back home can make you feel like a new person, whether it’s simply wearing your hair differently, trying a bolder colour or tying on a scarf in a vibrant local print.

2. A holiday is the time to get experimental with your style. The environment often allows you to be bold and adventurous with prints, textures and accessories. It’s the perfect time to try out a new look that you wouldn’t necessarily wear at home, whether that’s due to a different culture or different climate. 

3. We are all guilty of spending excessive amounts of time planning our holiday wardrobe. My top tip for packing quickly is to simply keep everything on the hanger. I have all my outfits on thin hangers, so they can easily fit right into a suitcase, and then on arrival I just pop them on the rail.

4. TV and Hollywood has always influenced holiday style, we always want those magical movie moments on our vacation and a strong sense of style can help emulate that.

5. This year will be all about animal print and unnatural colours. Be bold, vivid and exciting! Don’t be afraid to pack and mix different animal prints together, this creates a greater depth to your style, and shows you are unafraid. It is a style risk, but one that is sure to pay off.

6. I love to stay in fashionable accommodations when I travel and for me there is no better stay than the super-chic Château Marmont in Los Angeles, Calif. I adore a spa stay anywhere, but Acqualina Resort & Spa in Miami Beach, Fla. is brilliant, the facilities are amazing and the view is second-to-none. I love the Cheval Three Quays at the Tower of London apartment, too, in a great spot in central London and close to countless stylish bars and restaurants.

7. There are so many incredible fashion capitals. The most dominant for me are Dubai, Las Vegas and Rome. Dubai has an extreme sense of opulence that is envied globally. Las Vegas is the ultimate place to have fun and Rome is super-chic and refined, and the style there represents that to a T. I think it’s fun to visit places outside the traditional style capitals: some of these cities are up-and-coming, and totally experimental, so it’s a fun environment to sample new style personally.

8. When it comes to taking photos for social media, show people the side of you in a way they haven’t seen before—wear your new swimsuit or favourite dress, with your hair up (or down) for a change! For selfies, make the background interesting to show people you are on holiday. •