Can't Leave Without — Firmdale Hotels Designer Minnie Kemp Tells Us What's in Her Suitcase This Year

Ever wondered what's in the travel bags of your ultimate artistic inspirations? Curious to know what are the items shaping their lives while taking a break from the dayjob, how they plan for weather swings, or stay inspired in their downtime? Can't Leave Without is the Livingetc column bringing you packing advice courtesy of our favorite names from the contemporary interior design and creative scene.

London-based designer Minnie Kemp recently spent time in New York to design Firmdale Hotels' third site in the city, Warren Street Hotel, so she knows more than most the importance of a well-organized suitcase. But rather than learning about what she packs for an extended work stay, we were more interested in what Minnie, one of our favorite tastemakers, has with her when she's off-duty, heading out on vacation.

Minnie's pastel-shaded, retro-inspired hotel projects immerse the public in imaginative and vibrantly decorated spaces informed by her global wanders and appreciation of English eccentricity, and it's no surprise her suitcase essentials are similarly aesthetically-inclined.

Below, the Firmdale Hotels executive and Kit Kemp Design Studio’s design director shares her tips for a vacation focused around relax, discovery, and self-expression.

1. Hotline Tote Bag

‘It all starts with a really good bag,' Minnie says, 'one that is tough enough for the beach, big enough for all my holiday things, and has space for any treasures I find on the way.'

Made from a vibrant kilim weave in ‘Hot Line’, ‘one of our iconic Kit Kemp Design Studio patterns’, this tote bag is the ideal styling choice for anyone looking to complete their outfits with a touch of color while keeping everything needed at hand.

2. Faber Castell Colored Pencils

While summer is certainly about unwinding, 'you never know when inspiration will strike,' the designer tells me, and I couldn't agree more.

To avoid being caught unprepared, Minnie likes to carry a sketch book and pencils wherever she goes. 'These Faber Castell water color pencils in a roll are designed for drawing on the move,' she says, allowing you to give in to creative sparks as much in as outside of the studio.

3. Nick Top by Martan Official

For Minnie, 'there's nothing like crisp white cotton when you are somewhere hot'. With its loose, casual chic fit, this long sleeved top is the perfect cover-up to cool down your summer adventures. Featuring a nautical-inspired scarf-like collar, 'it is cut from linen bedding sets recycled from a luxury hotel,' adds the designer — a detail that makes it a valuable addition to the wardrobe of every environment-conscious fashion addict.

4. Mostro Lo Ottolinger Lime by Ottolinger x PUMA

When on holiday, nothing is worse than uncomfortable shoes, yet finding sneakers versatile enough to be paired with classier outfits can prove challenging. Minnie's pick has her walk for miles while catching passersby' attention too: 'if I'm in a new place, I want to see, do, discover, and experience everything, so I tend to cover a lot of ground,' she says. 'Trainers are my go-to footwear, and these Ottolinger x PUMA shoes in neon and silver have sci-fi vibes that can take you anywhere.'

5. Ortigia Mosaic Silk Scarf Celeste

Ortigia scarves are bold and vividly colored, but if there is someone who knows how to marry seemingly irreconcilable shades and motifs into eye-pleasing, beautiful combinations, it's Minnie.

'Weighing barely anything, a large printed silk scarf is the most adaptable travel companion,’ she says. 'I wear them as a sarong or beach cover-up, as a shawl or a scarf to glam up an outfit, or use one as an extra layer on the plane.'

6. Stellina2 Sunhat by Shilo Engelbrecht

No true explorer travels without a hat, let alone when you're heading to a sunny destination. Minnie seems to know it all too well, but protection isn’t the only thing she is looking for in her headwear: 'Any hat of mine needs to withstand being scrunched up in the bottom of a bag and look fabulous after a week or two in the sun, sand, and sea,' the designer explains. 'This Shilo design is the mullet of sun hats — business up front and a party in the back, it provides extra shade and a place to appreciate Shilo Engelbrecht's incredible, lyrical, and free brush strokes.'

7. Carla Belted Swimsuit Teal

The secret to packing smart, and making savings on both space and weight, lies in prioritizing versatility. Such is the case of Monsoon’s Carla Belted Swimsuit Teal.

'Always ready to dive in, I often travel at short notice, so if I haven't packed one in advance, I will grab a swimsuit airside — ideally one that doubles up and can be worn with trousers or shorts too,' she says.

8. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

No vacation is complete without a good book. Whether you are off to a tropical island, a historical city, or soaking up the sunshine on a stay-cation at home, the right book will let you travel in a different sense.

And for the Highbury-based designer, it's a non-negotiable. 'Relaxing beach reads might be people's favorite holiday reading, but I need a book that will transfix, transporting me somewhere magical during those moments when I'm stuck in a noisy airport lounge or queuing for security,' Minnie says. 'My Brilliant Friend is just that book, a captivating story of an epic friendship set in Naples.'

A blend of futuristically cut, high-end fashion items and nostalgia-fueled accessories and objects, Minnie Kemp's summer holiday essentials hold a mirror up to her genre-transcending approach to interior design — proving that good taste has no time.