Former Fashion Director at Tatler Asia and a Citizen Femme contributor, Rosie Lai is a frequent flyer. Her latest trip to Mexico serves up some serious travel inspiration.
Always championing new and up-coming brands, Rosie shares what she packed for her trip to Tulum and Coba, and how she found inspiration for her fabulous Mexican wardrobe.
Where did you travel to in Mexico, and for how long?
We went to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. I discovered a gorgeous group of boutique hotels called Coqui Coqui and decided to stay at them in two locations. We started in the small but colourful town of Valladolid for two nights, the hotel was a converted colonial mansion where the founders used to live and host friends and family. There are only three rooms; each is unique and decorated stunningly. During our time here we took day trips out to the famed ancient Mayan ruins Chichen Itza and some neighbouring cenotes, or natural sinkholes.
We then spent two nights at Coqui Coqui’s Coba location. Here, the five-bedroom hotel set in front of a lake is built on fallen Mayan ruins and boasts gorgeous pools beneath stone staircases. We spent the last few days of our trip soaking up the sun on the beach in Tulum where we stayed at La Valise, a boutique hotel with a private beachfront away from the parties in the centre, but close enough to all the best restaurants.
How did you decide what to pack for your trip?
When I visit a hot destination, I always prefer dresses or matching sets. I knew I would be covered in sweat or sand most days so I wanted flowy dresses, or things that could easily go over swimsuits.
Where did you find inspiration for your outfits?
I always look at photos of the destination to see what materials and colours would fit. For example, I saw that Valladolid had streets lined with colourful walls, mostly in reds and yellows, so I wanted to fit in by picking looks in similar hues. Crochet is also common in the area and helps with keeping cool.
What did you pack?
For Valladolid, I brought a striped red and white dress by Escvdo and a mustard linen dress by Piece of White. For Coba, a skirt by Port de Bras, a lemon-yellow dress by Baobab, and a crochet dress by Remain Birger Christensen. For Tulum, I packed a red Oséree bikini and trousers, a black feathery jumpsuit, and a gold Maygel Coronel dress.
For accessories, I took my trusty Helen Kaminski hat and Ancient Greek Sandals, a Heidi Klein straw bag, a Le Ninè bejewelled straw clutch and a Fikile mini bag. Oh, and some big gold jewellery, of course, mostly vintage from my friend Anna Vitiello’s store Cassetto Club.
What is your favourite piece or outfit that you wore while there?
I loved the yellow Baobab dress as it was incredibly comfortable, but also quite different from a lot of summer dresses out there. The Maygel Coronel dress also holds a special place because I wore it for my birthday dinner in Tulum at the yummy ARCA – a restaurant I’d highly recommend.
What’s the dress code like on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula?
In Valladolid and Coba, you see a lot of day-trip tour groups looking to visit the sites, so it’s very casual and utilitarian (but that shouldn’t stop you from dressing as you wish!). Tulum has a reputation for its party scene, and while it does get busy at night with plenty of people celebrating their hen do, even the nicest restaurants, like Hartwood, have a laidback atmosphere so there’s no real need to be in heels.
Did you rewear or restyle outfits, or did you pack a different outfit for each day?
When I’m on the beach, I definitely rewear outfits because most of the time I’m just in a bikini. The things I rewear the most are the ones that are easy to throw on, these were my Piece of White linen dress and Remain crochet dress.
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Any Questions or Tips to add?