In the age of social media, as we all well know, things are not often as they appear. With a crop, a filter, and color correction, one’s life may certainly seem picture-perfect. And in the case of Margaret Zhang, the Australian fashion blogger behind Shine By Three: Her Instagram feed not only records her enviable personal style but also documents a meticulous sense of detail, even when it comes to place settings. She couldn’t possibly be as fastidious about organizing IRL, could she?
But as Zhang heads to New York Fashion Week—and then on to London, Milan, and Paris—she reveals that, in fact, she’s one to plan out her ensembles ahead of time and has plenty of packing hacks to help her dash from one fashion capital to the other. Here she shares with us the pieces she never leaves behind, and how she creates space to take even more of her favorites with her.
Packing From the Outside In
I used to just throw things into my suitcase that I liked. Sometimes I could turn up in a new city with no pants! So now I try to be more systematic. I work from outerwear to innerwear so that I can mentally piece together outfits as I’m packing. And it’s always a good idea to have heavier outerwear at the bottom of your suitcase. I lay everything flat to avoid wasting space.
Fashion Week Wardrobe Breakout Style Stars
My winter personal style pivots on serious layering, so a solid selection of outerwear is key. I have this great, fluffy white shearling coat from Reiss that I’m excited to wear. I also bought myself some low-heeled, thigh-high Nicholas Kirkwood suede boots for Christmas that I’ll be wearing on repeat.
With Shoes, Less Is Actually More
I’m definitely more of a shoe person than a bag person. I use shoes to reinvent, mix and match, and refresh outfits, rather than having to pack a million separates.
Tricks of the Trade
I turn furry outerwear inside out so that it doesn’t malt on all my other belongings. All my shoes and bags are packed in their respective dust bags, and I stuff them with socks and underwear to save space and help keep their shape.
The Smallest Bag Packs the Biggest Punch
For a handbag that I take to shows, I need it to fit my DSLR camera and at least one other lens. Otherwise, I take just the smallest possible envelope clutch with a chain, carrying bare essentials: cash, credit card, phone, charger, and Lucas’ Papaw Ointment.
DIY Steamer
I used to travel with a hand-held steamer for styling work, but it kept breaking in my suitcase. Now I just hang everything up in the bathroom while I take a hot shower instead.
Flying in Style
I generally travel in either 3×1 oversized boyfriend jeans, or Camilla and Marc drop-crotch leather pants, both of which I’ve had for years and worn so much that they’re like a second skin. I’ll usually wear a simple silk camisole, no bra, and a big jacket to stay warm on the plane. I can always rely on an old Stella McCartney oversized denim coat that is soft and comfortable enough to fly in, but sculptural enough to look put-together with some heels straight off the flight.
The post How Margaret Zhang Packs for 4 Globe-Trotting Fashion Weeks appeared first on Vogue.