Richmond: Travel Tips from Christine Young of Young Frankk

I'm delighted to present part 2 of our interview with Richmond-based jewelry designer Christine Young of Young Frankk. As one of America's oldest cities, Richmond boasts a wonderful combination of history, creative energy and natural beauty. From her favorite food places, local haunts and beloved design community, Christine gives us a peek of this beautiful historic town she now calls home.

Young Frankk's Richmond Studio

Vuela X Young Frankk Necklace

You are currently based in Richmond, Virginia. What is your favorite thing about living in Richmond? How has your city influence your designs?

Richmond is such a cool city to live in. There's always something to do, the cost of living is cheap, the people are so friendly and fun and it has a great art and design community. I have so many talented friends here who also have their own businesses and seeing their work is definitely inspiring and motivating. 

What are "must see" things or "must do" for those visiting your hometown?

Probably the first place people will say to check out is Belle Isle or the James River. You can hike along it, swim or there's even a natural rock climbing wall to climb. Carytown is a cute little shopping area with boutiques, restaurants and bars that is all very walkable. The Byrd Theatre is also in Carytown and I like to go there because they play $2 movies every night in a very historical grand theatre. VMFA is a great art museum in the Fan district with great special exhibitions that come thru with fun wine nights on Thursday and Friday nights. And I would also recommend driving down Monument Avenue to see beautiful and historic homes and statues. 

 

Virgina Museum of Fine Arts image via

What are off the beaten path local hangouts? Favorite neighborhoods, parks, etc.? 

Maymont Park is a huge beautiful park to check out with a wildlife rehabilitation center, a children's farm and different themed gardens. But my personal favorite park is Libby Hill Park in the Church Hill neighborhood, its not expansive but you can get a really great view overlooking Richmond and the James River so it's really serene to sit and enjoy the view. Richmond also has a huge music scene, so theres shows happening all the time either at local venues or house shows. 

Favorite places to shop: boutiques or outdoor markets:

I love to check out what my friend Kate has in store at her shop Na Nin, she carries the most beautiful handmade clothing, objects and apothecary made by independent designers. And of course there is Need Supply, which has a huge following and a constant flow of great selections. I am so grateful to have both awesome shops in Richmond carry Young Frankk! Another great boutique is Verdalina, which has a great curation of my favorite designers. Other than clothing, I also love checking out the vintage and thrift stores around town for home stuff, my favorite one is probably Verve which is a huge warehouse filled with awesome vintage home furnishings. Once in a while there'll be the Well Worn Markets which showcases local makers and designers plus vintage finds so it's fun to go and see what everyone is creating and doing around town.

Na Nin

 

Need Supply Co.

Favorite places to eat or type of food: 

There's so many great new restaurant and bars constantly popping up in Richmond, some of my recent favorites are: Dog and Pig Show, Saison, Proper Pie, Sabai, Sub Rosa Bakery and Pasture. Then there are old favorites such as 8 1/2, Helen's, Mamma Zu, Lamplighter, The Magpie and Can Can and so many more!

 

 

Metzger / Stella's / Sub Rosa Bakery / VMFA Cafe / The Dog and Pig Show

Best mode of transportation to get around the city:

Richmond is definitely known for its bike community, people love to bike here. But other than that, driving is great because you can pretty much get anywhere you need to go within 10 minutes.

Easy day trips from Richmond-cool places to see right outside the city: 

Skyline Drive is a great scenic route to take to see beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I like to go there to do some hiking and joyriding. Charlottesville is the next city over where I like to go for some good food and a change of scenery, its a really cute and beautiful town surrounded by historical buildings and vineyards. Then only 2 hours away is DC, where of course is great food, shopping, museums and shows. 

Thomas Jeffereson's home: Monticello in Charlottesville image via

Favorite local designers or makers: 

Favorite local designers and makers in Richmond are Na Nin, GiantLION, Emimade Ceramics, Colo Palo and Campfire & Co. 

Lookbook Photo from Giant Lion Jewelry

Lookbook Photo from Calo Palo

For the wanderlust in all of us, what are some of your favorite places to visit? Where would you like to travel next?

I love to visit Korea and on my bucket list to travel to is: Greece, India, Africa and Iceland! 

Shop Young Frankk Jewelry Collection
Personal photos courtesy of Young Frankk

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Thanks so much Christine for giving us a glimpse of the wonderful city of Richmond! I'm so happy to share this travel guide to one of our historic cities in the US. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your favorite places and these lovely images. Thank you!

Vancouver: Travel Tips from Ceramicist Jacqueline Klassen

Spring time is upon us (more like summer here in So Cal!) and I've been looking forward to a little spring break to my "must-visit" destination. Since Vuela is rooted in my love for travel and design, it's always exciting to highlight the locales our designers call home. We're thrilled to feature our neighbors to the north! Canadian ceramicist, Jacqueline Klassen, offers the best tips on her beautiful hometown of Vancouver sparking the wanderlust in us.

You are currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia. What are "must see" things or "must do" for those visiting your hometown?
Vancouver is such a naturally beautiful city. Nestled between mountains and the sea, the city itself is still pretty new and offers so much to explore. In general I’d say that you’ve got to experience a bit of it all when you come here. I’d recommend going to Third Beach in Stanley Park to fill the beach / park requirement, and perhaps a hike through Lynn Canyon to satisfy the mountain experience. But then, of course, my favourite thing about Vancouver is the food, and I could talk your ear off about that. Vancouver has an amazing craft beer and coffee thing going on right now, which I would HIGHLY recommend investigating. For beer: Brassneck, 33 Acres, and Strange Fellows. For Coffee: Elysian, Revolver, and Matchstick.

Matchstick Coffee

 What are off the beaten path local hangouts? Favorite neighborhoods, parks, etc.?
Crab Park is my favourite spot to have a picnic. It’s quaint and quiet, and it has a beautiful view of the orange gantry cranes, the water, and the mountains.  Le Marche St George is my go to for French crepes and coffee. It’s located in a super old house that is filled to the brim with beautiful (and delicious) treasures. The furthest point west you can go at Spanish Banks is my top choice for watching the sunset. Oh, and I also love the top of Queen Elizabeth Park. I like to go there in the spring and wander through the gardens, just as they are starting to come to life. The view from the top is pretty spectacular, and then there is the Bloedel Conservatory… a glass dome filled with tropical plants and birds. I go there in the dead of winter and pretend I’m on the other side of the world.

Picnic essentials + Lunch at Le Marche St. George

Bloedel Conservatory

Favorite places to shop: boutiques or outdoor markets:
For clothing, I love Community Thrift store. The prices are reasonable and I almost always walk away with a one of a kind treasure. I balance out my thriftiness by splurging on shoes. My favourite shoe shop is Umeboshi on Main Street. They have the most gorgeous, drool- worthy selection of shoes, and the sweetest staff. I also adore Old Faithful Shop, a store filled to the brim with gorgeous home goods. I would buy every single thing in that shop if I could. I do all my book shopping at Pulp Fiction.  Dressew on East Hastings is where I go to get any and all of my crafting supplies. It’d huge, so be prepared to lose yourself for a couple hours, even if you plan to only stay for 5 minutes.

Then of course there are all the wonderful farmer’s markets that pop up around the city throughout the year. We’re lucky to live in a place where we have a pretty decent variety of local produce available all year round. I’ve always found the farmer’s markets to be a source of inspiration and connection within Vancouver.
 

Image via Old Faithful Shop

Favorite places to eat or type of food:
Vancouver is absolutely loaded with incredible ethnic food. My favourites are Toshi for sushi, Phnom Penh for anything on the menu, Menya Japanese Noodle for Ramen, and Au Petit Café for Bahn Mi. Vancouver also has some really, really great pizza. Pizza is probably my favourite food on earth and I take it pretty seriously. My favourite spots are Campagnolo, Pizzeria Farina, and Nicli Antica.

Pizzeria Farina

Best mode of transportation to get around the city:
By bicycle! Or if it's pouring (which it might be), by foot (with umbrella in hand). Transit is always a last resort for me.
  
Easy day trips from Vancouver-cool places to see right outside the city:
My favourite day trips are the ones that allow me to really escape from the fast pace of the city. I love to drive to Squamish and hike The Chief (the second largest granite monolith in North America, I believe). It’s a challenge, but the view from the top is staggeringly beautiful. In the summers I love to visit either Lighthouse Park or Whytecliff Park, where I’ll always climb along the rocks and jump into the sea. I’m convinced that there is nothing better than that.

Whytecliff Park

 Favorite local designers or makers:
Olla Urban Flower Project- ethereal bouquets, informative workshops, etc. I go into their shop anytime I need a pick me up.
Lissu Linen - I’m a sucker for linens, and Lisa crafts the most clean and classic towels, napkins, and duvet covers I’ve seen.
Wylden – for minimal, timeless and elegant jewelry... it’s all I wear.
Hendrik Lou – for the coziest (and most gorgeous) knits
Charlotte Falk - I want to cover all my walls in her paintings.

Wearing Wylden Jewelry

Painting by Charlotte Falk

 For the wanderlust in all of us, what are some of your favorite places to visit? Where would you like to travel next?
I love to visit Ucluelet, BC perhaps more than any place I’ve ever been. It’s located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Wide open ocean, and wild, rugged beaches… it is the place I go when I want some peace and perspective. I recently returned from Europe and I got to visit Portugal for the first time… I fell so in love. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I got back. Next on the list though will be South Korea, Turkey, and Spain.

Ucluelet, BC

Jacqueline Klassen Inspiring Interview Part 1
Shop her collection.
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I'm truly grateful Jacqueline for giving us a wonderful travel guide to your hometown of Vancouver. Such a great resource! Some of my favorite things to do when I travel is to explore the local food scene. Even though I live in the west coast, I've actually only explored the east coast of Canada. I can't wait to visit and hang out especially to try out the great selection of food there. Thank you!

Personal photos courtesy of Jacqueline Klassen

Ellen Truijen Interview Part 2: Travel Tips from Ellen

Ellen at her brandstore opening

It's still summer here at home and given the unbearable heat, I'm definitely dreaming of a fall getaway. And what better time to share part 2 of our interview with shop fave bag designer, Ellen Truijen. While most people visit the big city in the west, I was excited to get some travel tips for Ellen's hometown of Maastricht in southern Netherlands.  Plus she just recently opened her brand store in the city featuring her beautiful collection as well as products from some of her favorite brands.

Ellen Truijen Brand Store

Ellen Truijen Fall Collection

You are currently based in Maastricht Netherlands. What are "must see" things or "must do" for those visiting your hometown or southern Netherlands?

Maastricht is not that big, so stroll around the city, visit the little streets or public squares, drink tea in a cafe or enjoy a glass of wine on a terrace in the sun.

via

Sint-Servaasbrug-oldest bridge in Holland

What are off the beaten path local hangouts? Favorite neighborhoods, parks, etc.?  

The Jekerkwartier, a neighborhood with small little shops and nice bars.

The little streets in between the Vrijthof are also worth a visit or Wyck, the area

behind the old bridge.

 

Jekerkwartier

St. Servatius Basilica adjacent to Het Vrijthof

Favorite places to shop: boutiques or outdoor markets:

From the same owners, there are Traders Pop, Muchachas and Kinsjasa. Traders Pop has both men and women's clothes, second-hand, books and magazines. Muchachas is for the ladies, with nice brands such as A.PC., Monique van Heist (a Dutch designer) and Isabel Marant. Kinsjasa is shoe heaven where I bought my favorite K. Jacques sandals last summer.

I also recommend Festen, this funny store that has a lot of accessories, home stuff, gadgets and more. It's perfect place to find a present. And there is Conflict store, which is focused more on (Dutch) design, lamps and home goods.

Traders Pop

 

Festen

Favorite places to eat or type of food:

I love to go to Cafe Sjiek, it's low key and cozy with good food.

For lunch I go to Take Five bar, with the best club sandwich in town. 

 

Take Five Bar

Easy day trips from Maastricht-cool places to see right outside the city:

Liege is a nice city to visit and just a 20 minute drive from Maastricht. And visit their really cool station as well.

 

Liege-Guillemins Station by Catalan architect Santiago Calatrava

Favorite local designers or makers: 

Lena Berens is one of my favorite local designers. She makes beautiful, simple clothes, in neutral colors and shapes.

 

Lena Berens

I know you’ve traveled to many places, any suggestions? What are some of your favorite places you’ve visited? Where would you like to travel next? 

I really enjoyed visiting Berlin and Copenhagen and would love to go to New York!

Copenhagen via

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Thank you so much Ellen for sharing a little piece of your hometown! I really enjoyed learning about about your city rich in history (one of the oldest in Holland) as well as its significance in modern times (Maastricht Treaty). It's definitely on my growing list of top places to visit!Hope to travel there soon. 

Lookbook and brandstore photos from Ellen Truijen

Nancybird Interview Part 2: Travel Tips from Emily Wright

Fall is officially upon us and winter will be here soon enough. So this travel post is an ideal inspiration for a winter getaway down to the southern hemisphere where they're having their spring/summer season. I've had the pleasure of visiting Sydney and the surrounding beach towns. We didn't have a chance to visit Melbourne, so I couldn't be more excited to get some local tips from Nancybird founder Emily Wright about her hometown of Melbourne and Australia. Plus it's giving me an excuse to go back and check out this amazing country.

Nancybird Studio Photo by Tony Owczarek

You're currently based in Melbourne. What are "must see" things or "must do" for those visiting your hometown? 
Melbourne is perhaps not as beautiful as other Australian cities like Sydney or Hobart, but it’s a great place to live. I think the geographic isolation means that an interesting culture can form which is slightly different from anywhere else – I think Melbourne has that.

Must see – Sarah our textile designer has suggested Federation Square for the paving (!!) and the dome in the State Library…

The laneways in the central business district (CBD) are full of tiny cafes and design stores.

Flinders Lane for shops and galleries.

Eating at Movida – best Spanish in town! And it’s on Hosier Lane which is full of incredible street art too which is definitely worth a look.

Ceres – a community garden right next to Nancybird HQ.

Taking the last person-operated lift in Melbourne to the upper floors of the Nicholas Building, to visit one of the many jewelers and designers’ studios in the beautiful old building.

Movida in Hosier Lane – artwork by Lucas Grogan. Photo c/o Broadsheet Melbourne

What are off the beat path local hangouts? Favorite neighborhoods, parks, etc.? 
I live and work in Northcote. It’s about 7 kms from the city and I love it. I like walking along Merri Creek, there are some sections that feel like you are in the bush. High St is the main shopping strip, we head to Gringo Vibes quite often for good Mexican.

Favorite places to shop: boutiques or outdoor markets 
Mr Kitly in Brunswick is a very cute little store, upstairs on Sydney Road. They sell beautiful ceramics, indoor plants and other “home” things.

Melbourne has a packed schedule of design markets – I don’t head to them often but they do support a bunch of local businesses, which is great! Finders Keepers, Markit, The Big Design Market, Rose St Artist’s Market, Melbourne Design Market, Craft Hatch, The People’s Market are just a few!

Mr. Kitly image via

 Favorite places to eat-cafes, restaurants or type of food: 
I’ve already mentioned Movida for Spanish…

Other goodies – the Vegie Bar in Brunswick St Fitzroy is an old favourite (they must have been there for 20 years!) – still packed every night serving fresh vegetarian food.

Really good Japanese at Kumo in Lygon St East Brunswick…

Oh! And the BEST jam donuts at Preston Market – 90 cents each, a bargain!

 

Kumo

Easy day trips from Melbourne -cool places to see right outside the city: 
A round trip to Daylesford, Kyneton and Woodend – all have really nice cafes and vintage stores, and the colors in Autumn are beautiful (a rarity in Australia as our native trees aren’t deciduous).

A trip to the beach would also be needed – I would head somewhere close like Barwon Heads, there are some wild beaches there that feel like you’re a million miles away.

 

13th Beach at Barwon Heads by Darren Stone via

Favorite local designers or makers:

I’m lucky to have some very talented friends! LoveHate makes cute things – jewelry, shoes and tights, Bridget Bodenham does the loveliest ceramics, The Gently Unfurling Sneak does really nice digitally printed tunics, I could go on… 

Favorite local musicians and places to watch concerts/bands: 

Northcote Social Club is a good local…

Melbourne has a few outdoor festivals like Golden Plains a couple of hours out of the city which are a great backdrop for watching music in the sun.
  
Best way to get around the city: 

Bike or tram, definitely. The number 96 tram line goes through East Brunswick, which has a bunch of great eateries, down past the stunning Royal Exhibition Buildings and Gardens in Carlton (where Australia became a federated nation in 1901), through the centre of town (Bourke St Mall is where the big department stores are if that’s your thing!) and then weaves it’s way over the Yarra River and through the bayside suburbs of South Melbourne, Albert Park to St Kilda. You could walk along the beach there and have dinner at the Stokehouse outside if the weather is good.

Royal Exhibition Building- a World Heritage Site via

Any other suggestions of places to visit or must do in Australia? 
I would get down to Tasmania. It’s beautiful and quiet – the beaches are unbelievable and deserted. There’s also MONA, (the Museum of Old and New Art) started by a local guy who is kind of an Asperger’s genius – he made hundreds of millions gambling and put most of it into creating this gallery carved out of the sandstone on the banks of the Derwent River.

MONA on the Derwent River, Hobart. Image via

I know you’ve traveled to a lot of places this past year like India and Italy, any suggestions? What are some of your favorite places you’ve visited? Where would you like to travel next?

I want to see more of the US! I’ve only been to New York and some of the West Coast, I would love to see more.

I have done a bit of traveling in my time, and these have been my some of my favorites:

The glacial hot springs of Iceland (the ones at the north of the island are much smaller and quieter than the main one near the airport) – bright blue water steaming off the barren volcanic rock - surreal.

Essaouira in Morocco – blue and white renedered buildings, not a straight line in the place. I would love to go back to see more.

Petra in Jordan – my film wasn’t loaded properly in my camera that day, so I have no photos, but the buildings carved out of the narrow gorges are amazing.

Paradise in New Zealand – this is a real place – on the South Island near Glenorchy. Imagine snow tipped mountain, the greenest grass you’ve ever seen, big glacial lakes and wildflowers. And a picnic. 

India – a confounding place – I feel like I’ve seen the best and worst there, often in the same day! It’s such an extreme place of beauty and ugliness. I always feel like I’ve been put through the ringer when I go there. But it is so rich in its culture, architecture and craftsmanship, I really love it.

Paradise, New Zealand

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What a great resource for the globe trekker in all of us! Thank you so much Emily for sharing your story, favorite local spots and destinations!It's clear how much travel and the world around you have influenced your designs and we're happy to showcase them in our shop.

Studio and New Zealand Images courtesy of Nancybird