first of all, congratulations. even though I’ll be living in LA for part of next year (eeek), I really and truly feel that living in New York City at some point in your young adult life—whether you end up falling in love with it or detesting it—is a life-changing experience that everyone should have. you’ll be surrounded by people from all walks of life, from all countries, from all orientations and cultures… all united by the common experience of trying to make it in NYC. so, my advice: a) start saving now. it is ridiculously easy to spend money in NYC (you’ll want to meander into every little cafe in the West Village, browse/shop in every indie boutique in Nolita, etc), harder so to make it. b) establish a network of friends from college, high school, whatever who are also planning on moving to NYC. it’s good to have that support system in place early on c) try not to get too swept up in the “wooo, party time!” scene. I have seen it time and time again—deeply ambitious and together and talented people who get sucked into the NYC nightlife scene. have fun, of course, but don’t be utterly frivolous either. remember, NYC is the city where you Make It. dream big, have fun, and make it happen

over the holidays this year, I’ll be visiting five cities in three weeks (London, Manchester, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul)—my weary back misses my fancy organic mattress just thinking about it. but, after so many years of travel, I’ve gotten used to it. but nevertheless, there’s almost always that point in the evening where I bolt up, hair and limbs akimbo, wondering where I am, haha. in any case, my top tips for travel-sleep: 1) try to acclimate to the time zone you’re going to, whether that means snoozing on the flight or going to bed as soon as you arrive (if you land at, say, midnight). 2) recreate the rituals of home as much as you can. for me, that means my extensive (and exhausting) seven to nine step skincare routine every night. 3) I tend not to take pills. I do try, instead, to wear myself out during the day. whether that means sightseeing, shopping (whee!), or family time, I try to max out my energy on day one so I sleep well. happy travels!

oh dear. I went through a phase like the one you’re talking about in my early twenties (and all throughout college, if we’re being honest). it was hard to break out of the cycle because, well, what girl doesn’t love to shop? now, though, I have a much more pragmatic approach to shopping.  I really (try to) take time to think about the things I’m buying, asking myself how and whether they fit into my wardrobe, am I buying it just because it’s inexpensive, and will I still be obsessed with it in three weeks, three months, or three years from now? for your situation, though, first of all, anything you haven’t worn yet and that you’re ‘meh’ about (the items that don’t make your heart race thinking about them), return them. like, now. secondly, I think you have to ask yourself why you’re in a shopping funk—are you stress-shopping because of school or family? are you competitive-shopping because you’re comparing yourself to friends? spend some time thinking on that, and whether there’s a way to cut whatever it is that’s triggering the spending out—or at least reduce exposure to it. you will be happier, your closet less packed, and your bank account will thank you!

well, living in NYC definitely does. the energy here is amazing—everyone here is here for a reason, striving for something. it’s an ambitious city and I love that feeling. who do I try to emulate? well, honestly, no one in particular. I find that the qualities I most admire tend to be value systems (I realize this will sound hokey but being kind, helping others, etc), not  personality or style. it’s funny, this fashion/media industry I work in… there are so many people trying to be someone else—people trying to be frosty to act one editor (who in fact is not frosty at all), people peacocking to try to get the attention of street style photographers to be just like a blogger whose style truly comes naturally to them. it’s a lot of work to try to be like someone else. I find that it’s always just best to be yourself. as for books, I’m reading anything and everything about Diana Vreeland right now. love her voice! check out this book. and happy holidays to you as well—I love getting offbeat questions, actually! thank you for asking!