How 6 Influential Philadelphians Travel in Style

Amy Voloshin in Jaipur, India. Read on for her picks for the best travel gear and hotel.

Amy Voloshin

Founder of Printfresh and Voloshin

Favorite destination: Cadaqués in Catalonia, Spain. It was home to Dalí, and it’s a great place to retrace the artist’s old haunts, drink wine, and snack on grilled seafood.
Must-pack item: Lifesystems Expedition 100+ insect repellent. Someone gave it to me at a hotel in India, and it’s been a game changer!
My suitcase is: A Rimowa Essential Check-In. It’s been strapped to the roof of a car all throughout Rajasthan.
Best travel shoes: Silver Arizona Birkenstocks. I can pair them with a dress but also trek up a hillside.
When traveling, I always wear: An oversize Voloshin scarf that can double as a blanket.
In my carry-on, you’ll find: Way too much stuff! A DSLR, iPad, laptop, Kindle, a change of clothes, a magazine, two different kinds of headphones to change it up mid-flight so my ears/head don’t get sore, eye drops, facial mist, lavender oil and earplugs.
Favorite hotel: 47 Jobner Bagh in Jaipur. It has an understated beauty to it.
Regular trips: Miami every year for Art Basel; Strathmere every summer with the family; and India twice a year to work with our vendors.
Travel tip: If someone invites you to dinner at their home, go! Spending time with families or new friends in the country you’re visiting is the best way to learn more about the culture you’re in.

Dinner at Høst in Copenhagen is the best meal Bela Shehu has ever had while traveling. Photograph by Chris Tonnesen

Bela Shehu. Photograph by Matt Zugale

Bela Shehu

Fashion designer and founder of NINObrand

Favorite destination: Barcelona.
Must-pack item: Rick Owens oversize slippers.
Tech accessory: I don’t go anywhere without my Sony a7 camera.
Most memorable trip: A five-week trip to Albania, where I grew up. The energy in this country is very special. The nature is stunning, the people are warm, the food is honest, community is thick.
Best souvenir: I almost always bring back clothing from emerging designers I discover in my travels.
Worst travel snafu: A couple years ago, I went to Colorado for a few days of hiking and packed entirely on the wrong weather forecast. I ended up cutting off a couple of pants and buying straw hats and bandannas for protection from the aggressive sun.
Best meal I’ve ever had while traveling: A five-course dinner at Høst in Copenhagen. From the lighting to the selection of flatware and glassware, the way the food was plated, the flavor layering — everything was just perfect.
Regular trips I take: Brussels — my mom lives there — and Montréal.

Sabir M. Peele in Paris, France.

Sabir M. Peele

Founder of Men’s Style Pro blog and freelance creative consultant

Favorite destination: It’s a toss-up between Florence and Paris.
Tech accessory: Jaybird wireless air buds.
Most memorable trip: My honeymoon in Greece. We spent time in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. You can’t beat waking up to a view of a volcano in the Aegean Sea.
Regular trip: Puerto Rico. My wife, Marina, is Puerto Rican and has a lot of family there. It’s a beautiful island.
In my carry-on, you’ll find: Sneakers, quality skin care, a jump rope, one suit, a few t-shirts and ties
Worst travel snafu: On a flight to Arizona, a guy knocked my Bloody Mary on my lap. He paid for my dry cleaning. The funnier thing is that the flight attendant gave me maxi pads to sop up the spill!

Danuta Mieloch’s favorite hotel, Soho House in Berlin, Germany. Photograph courtesy Soho House Berlin

Danuta Mieloch. Photograph by Alice Gao

Danuta Mieloch

Founder of Rescue Spa Philadelphia and NYC

Favorite destination: I will always love Paris, although I’m anticipating a trip to Japan this spring.
Must-pack item: My Biologique Recherche travel kit. I never go anywhere without my skin-care essentials.
My suitcase is: An original Rimowa. When I visited Korea a few years ago, I locked the suitcase and couldn’t get it open. Luckily, I was with someone who had military training, and they were able to unlock it for me.
Best travel shoes: Balenciaga pull-ons.
When traveling, I always wear: A cashmere travel wrap by White + Warren.
On-the-go skin care: Valmont Prime Renewing Pack, because it’s a skin thirst-quencher, and Prime Regenera II cream. I wear both in-flight.
Best souvenir: My Italian greyhound puppy, Ebory, from Amsterdam.
Favorite hotel: Soho House in Berlin, Germany.
Best meal I’ve ever had while traveling: All of the food in Korea. I even loved the food on Korean Air; they serve an excellent bibimbap.

Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar.

Eddie Ross + Jaithan Kochar

Founders of Maximalist Studios

Favorite destination: Kochar: Marrakech. Ross: London.
Must-pack item: Kochar: My COS cross-body pouch.
Our suitcases are: Mark & Graham.
When traveling, I always wear: Ross: My hoof pick belt from Sid Mashburn. It just gets better with age.
On-the-go skin care: Kochar: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream with sunscreen. Double-duty skin care!
Something I always bring on planes: Ross: My inflatable neck pillow from MUJI. Kochar: We try to bring our pups, Chutney and Shiitake, on trips as often as we can — they’re frequent flyers!
Way to look less tired after a long day of traveling: Kochar: Caffeinated mints by Penguin. I buy them in bulk from Amazon. Ross: A spicy skinny margarita, rocks, no salt.
Travel tip: Kochar: Do your research! I love the city guide apps from Wallpaper.
In my carry-on, you’ll find: Kochar: A stray shoe or two that didn’t fit in my suitcase. Ross: International design magazines.
Best souvenir: Ross: Artwork from Carly Glovinski that we bought in Provincetown.
Favorite hotel: Kochar: Casa San Agustín in Cartagena. It’s three 14th-century houses connected by an aqueduct that’s now a courtyard pool. It’s pure magic.
Most memorable trip: Ross: Portugal and the convertible ride from Lisbon up the coast to Nazaré.

Published as “How I Travel” in the March 2020 issue of Philadelphia magazine.