TULUM

Photography Teddy Nguyen

I've been putting off this blog post for a few days now, in hopes of avoiding the sad reality that I no longer have pristine beaches and organic fruit smoothies at my disposal. If you couldn't tell from my incessant Instagram and snapchat posts last week, Tulum was AMAZING.

My good friend Teddy recently graduated from law school and as a surprise, a group of us conspired together and lured him to Mexico under the false pretense that he was going to be traveling for a job. Little did he know, we were all waiting for him at a palatial property in the heart of Tulum--eagerly anticipating the moment we could all resume documenting our whereabouts online. 

To say it was a bonafide success would be an understatement, once the initial shock wore off it we wasted no time in exploring every corner of Tulum. At the risk of sounding like a pretentious douche bag,  I have to be honest and say I was a little weary of what was in store--everyone and their mother has been to Tulum. However once on the ground, it made no difference how many times I've seen the interior of the Couqui Couqui on Instagram--Tulum has an energy that is unexplainable. Your mind slows down, your eyes hang a little lower and your skin glistens in the humidity 

My biggest take away form this trip is that there is nothing like traveling with a group of real friends--the kind you can sweat profusely in front of without shame or embarrassment. Having the luxury of being your true authentic self in paradise, is priceless and should never be taken for granted. 

FINDERS KEEPERS

I've been in LA for a solid two weeks now and I'm starting to go stir crazy. Luckily, I'll be getting away at the end of this month!

I scored this vintage Givenchy blazer on my way home from Coachella at The Fine Art of Design in Palm Springs. It's perfect for a day of meetings 

MAMA LOVES YOU

After a full recovery from Coachella, i'm finally getting around to sharing some pictures from my trip to France a few weeks ago. 

I was on assignment in Versailles but extended my trip to explore Paris proper. During my stay, I got the opportunity to team up with Buzz and Go and stay at Mama Shelter. I was already in love with their Hollywood property and was super excited to experience their Parisian counterpart. 

I loved the neighborhood the hotel was located in, it felt young and cool--similar to Silver Lake here in Los Angeles. The french breakfast spread each morning didn't hurt either. The hotel is small which is key when visiting a big city, I relied on the staff a lot for translation and dinner recommendations. 

If you're planning a trip to the city of lights I highly recommend checking out this swanky property. 

An Elevated Approach To Coachella: Tissot Style

Coachella came and went in the blink of an eye. Before I left to the festival, I was in disbelief that it was already mid April. Now, as I sit here writing this post I'm in disbelief that Coachella is already over! 

While I'm always the friend you should call for a good time, I have a very specific approach to how Coachella should be done. The sun-drenched grunginess of it all attracts the masses year after year. I however, prefer to have an elevated festival experience. 

This year, I was lucky enough to partner with Tissot and I don't think I could have chosen a better brand to take with me to the festival. Tissot has a rich heritage rooted in luxury watch manufacturing that dates all the way back to the mid nineteenth century. I loved the juxtaposition of wearing such an iconic time piece at the ultimate millennial playground. 

So what's a classy guy with a Tissot watch supposed to do at Coachella? Check out my list below. 

1. Check into a luxe desert Oasis, that frowns upon obnoxious festival behavior.

This year, I stayed at Sparrows Lodge, one of the most tranquil and serene properties in Palm Springs. They had a zero tolerance for any sort of flagrant "after party" behavior and because of this, they kept the pool and jacuzzi open 24 hours a day for civilized festivalgoers. (Nothing better than a soak in the hot tub after the festival)

2. Keep your Coachella crew small

I always try and stick with one or two people throughout the entire weekend. There is nothing worse than being with 15 people and having to spend half the festival trying to all find each other again. I stayed with two blogger friends, Eugenie Grey and Eric Jess so coordinating the day's itinerary was a breeze. It's also an amazing feeling to have people around you that understand the importance of treating Coachella as work and not ALL play. 

3. Book a driver

While booking a driver sounds like a lavish thing to do, I can guarantee that you will spend more money than you have on Uber's. Having a private driver that was able to safely get us from point A to point B with ease was a true god send. In years past, i've left a party that ended at 9pm and wasn't able to get home until 4am because of the demand from the massive crowds. There is nothing more vulnerable than being completely stranded in the middle of the desert.