Beyond the ‘Gram:
A Talk with World Traveller @ldn2hk
JUN 11 2017
|
Remember those museum field trips in grade school?
When you and your crew wanted to skip the boring junk and go straight to the dinosaurs? For today’s streetwear heads, tapping into @ldn2hk’s Instagram profile is like a dinosaur-obsessed kid stepping into a huge exhibition hall filled with nothing but lifesize models of T-rex, velociraptors, and longnecks… with the dinos draped in Saint Laurent. The ‘Gram Before Time. “It sounds cliche, but growing up I always had an interest in fashion and dressing well,” says the US / Hong Kong raised, London native. “In the early 2000’s, I used to run a large digital platform as it relates to hip-hop fashion and urban culture. But I started my Instagram in 2013, and that’s what most people know me for. At that time, fashion / streetwear was still a nascent category on the platform and I felt it was a great place to start curating my style, personal passions, and travels.”
And that he did. Like a seasoned museum director, Landy’s curated a visual profile that not only appeals to the urban fashionista followers but also to wandering globetrotters. Working in the marketing / branding / advertising industry has led to a career filled with travelling, allowing him a healthy mix of business and pleasure.
“My passion for fashion and street culture intertwined with my love of travel,” he explained. “I always enjoyed travelling to new cities, checking out the stores and local styles, and documenting everything meticulously.” We caught up with Landy recently to ask him more about his travel preferences and where the streetwear culture is heading. With all the flying that you do, what’s your go-to airline and favorite frequent flyer program?
My favorite airline is ANA. Any chance I have to travel to Asia, I’ll use them. ANA is consistently one of the best international airlines, especially because of their generous award redemptions. Yeah, that and their service is impeccable and there’s always a layover in one of my favorite cities: Tokyo. It’s also part of Star Alliance, which is what I use. You’ve seen your share of airports around the world. Which one is the illest?
Not to be biased, but Hong Kong International Airport is THE best airport. A lot of travellers say this. Why is that? Well it’s a number of things: DESIGN - The Norman Foster-designed building is a thing of steel and glass beauty. INFRASTRUCTURE - It’s perfectly connected to the Hong Kong public transportation system. You can actually check-in your luggage at the train stations throughout the city and simply ride the train straight to the airport without worrying about it. SHOPPING - HK is a shopper’s paradise and the airport is no different, complete with every major luxury brand from Hermes to Chanel. AMENITIES - I don’t know what other airport you can get good dim sum AND Popeye’s Chicken! How about hotels? Any specific program you enjoy more?
Nah, I don’t really have one. I tend to stay in hotels based on location and what the property offers. When I can, I’ll funnel hotel program points to my airline miles. I’d much rather stay at an airbnb than a hotel. I do love Kimpton properties, though. You got a full day of shopping ahead of you. Whether you’re domestic or abroad, what card do you reach for first? Any favorite rewards program? Chase Sapphire. Co-sign, the 3X points on anything travel-related on their Sapphire Reserve product makes it arguably the best premium travel card out right now. No foreign transaction fees also, which is a must. Everyone’s sneaker rotation always changes from time to time, but what’s your Top 3 right now?
Saint Laurent Wyatts - can never go wrong with these. Air Max 97 - a classic.
adidas Ultra Boosts - perfect for the gym and casual wear.
|
As long as the luxury houses come from a place of inspiration and not appropriation, then it’s fine.
|
Interesting that you mention the Wyatts, a high end boot instead of a typical athletic shoe. I can never seem to stop wearing the SLP Jodhpurs nowadays also. What do you think about the higher end fashion houses seeming to take a very streetwear-like aesthetic and influence?
It’s all very circular where the street influences high fashion and vice versa, until it’s all very blurred. What do you think about that? Good or bad for the culture? I don’t have an issue with it and it’s going to continue to happen. As long as the luxury houses come from a place of inspiration and not appropriation, then it’s fine. In your opinion, what’s the key with blending streetwear and high fashion? Not to over do it. Whether it’s luxury or streetwear, choose one statement piece and mute the outfit around it. Otherwise, it just looks super tacky. What are your travel essentials?
A good, cozy hoodie for the plane and some good Bluetooth earphones. For the fellow wanderers out there, what’s your best travel tip? Spend the time to learn a little bit of the language before going to some place. It really does make a world of difference. What are you using to pack nowadays? Tumi all day. What’s left on your personal travel bucket-list?
Plenty. Peru, South Africa, and Argentina are all still top places I want to visit. The world is shrinking by the day. Everything is so hyper-connected because of today’s social-media driven culture, and accessing the means to showcase whatever the heck it is you want to showcase has never been easier. @ldn2hk has been doing just that, curating and sharing his impeccable style palette throughout different parts of the world.
His feed has grown into a visual, stylistic field trip that any frequent flyer would be excited to go on. No permission slip required. |
© 2017 Foot & Ankle Champions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.