globe trotting

I just had the pleasure of attending my father's book launch party in Amsterdam, where he is from. The book, called Footprints, is a retrospective of his work as a photographer, and it includes his most iconic pictures, from the snow monkeys of Japan to his Marlboro-man advertisements to Bali in the late 1960's (above), where he met my mom. It was a quick 36 hours in the city, during which my sister and I enjoyed some long walks along the canals, and it was preceded by a few days in London, where I spent a good portion of my time shopping (surprise, surprise!). Years ago I would fly to London just to shop at  the High Street stores, because the offerings are so on the mark (i.e., runway-inspired but affordable) and relatively unidentifiable (i.e., rarely seen in America). Today, as LE CATCH readers know, you can get virtually all of it online, often via the miracle(!) of free shipping and returns, but I still thoroughly enjoy scouring in person the brick-and-mortar versions of the stores you so often see on LE CATCH. I bought a bunch of great stuff including some recent "le catches", such as this Miss Selfridge jacket, these Topshop jeans (almost sold out) and this (already sold-out) Monsoon cardigan, plus some new finds, including this faux fur trimmed dress by Minkie (which I plan on tailoring into a top). Below are some snaps from my trip.

Coco and I ambled along the canals and poked around The Leidseplein, a hip and bustling boutique and cafe-studded neighborhood (somewhat akin to NYC's Greenwich Village). Earlier in the day we went running in Vondelpark, where the leaves were just starting to turn. It was amazingly beautiful--one of those endorphin-flowing runs that makes you count your blessings.  

Here we are (me on the right) leafing through my Dad's book in the lobby of our hotel, The Conservatorium, a former 19th-century bank-turned-music school that was recently renovated by Milanese architect Piero Lissoni. It's a spectacular sight to see, as it features original neo-Gothic architecture along with a fantastically modern multistory glass atrium. And it's conveniently located next to the Van Gogh and Stedelijk museums. 

Back in London, on a mission (me on the left)!