Dear Diana, Cannes you help?
A reader needs ideas for a work trip that don't involve South of France cliches.
Happy Sunday! This week’s newsletter is a little different: a reader reached out because she has an international work trip and wants some help. I’ll let her put it in her own (lightly edited by me) words:
Dear Diana,
Long time fan, first time caller!
I will be at Cannes Lions June 14-24 hosting events and meeting with global clients.
MY CANNES ITINERARY
No formal/red carpet events.
Creative Cabana, Speaker and Host. I will be hosting daily panels and talks so I’ll be mingling with executive clients/prospects. Vibe is creative, professional, energetic, dynamic.
Client Dinners, fancy-ish business casual. For me, the move would be a piece that can transition day to night, with a little boost of glam for the Cannes crowd.
Villa/Yacht/Pool Parties. I’d love to rock something fun and loud and be seen and visible and take up space as a queer Asian-American leader in industries where white men dominate.
MY CANNES CAPSULE WISHLIST
Chic Uniform. Jumpsuits, jumpers, rompers, caftans, kimonos. I love a one- to two-piece uniform, easy to throw on and go.
Comfy, Breathable, Flowy. Cannes is a sweaty hot mess in June. Nothing tight! No hard pants! Looking for lightweight cotton, linen, jersey, terrycloth.
Statement Accessories. accepting any nominations for: swimwear, shoes, slides, tech accessories (iPhone/iWatch/AirPods), jewelry, wide brim hats, and statement sunglasses (I have Ali Wong-level thirst for eyewear).
ABOUT ME
5’3”, 135lb - Small to Medium size in most things, 29 waist
Figuring out my evolving style as I enter my 40’s: chic minimalism
Go-to look: monochrome basics with a pop of flair
Go-to everyday brands: Uniqlo, Everlane, Madewell, Zara, Wildfang
Looking for a new silhouette — have I entered my Eileen Fisher era??
Unsure if I could pull off the extreme avant-garde looks, but I want to push my comfort zone and was so inspired by your blog and fresh eye for AAPI fashion and culture.
So, I always find that the most successful stylists remain true to their personal style for their work — imagine Rachel Zoe and her cadre of giant sunglasses, maxi dress wearing starlets or Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele and her glamorous models complete with over the top jewelry. In this case, your needs happen to overlap with my personal style, down to the sizing, so I’m going to pretend like I’m the one going on this trip. Keep in mind, I don’t think you need EVERYTHING, just a few things to mix and match with your existing wardrobe so you have enough new options and outfit ideas.
For Hosting Panels and Daytime Meetings
I’m going to assume that most of your daytime affairs will involve being outside in the heat for some part of the day. A breezy dress and/or a fitted top with flowy trousers, all in light colors would be a good choice given the weather. Fortunately we’re in the throes of sale season so there are lots to choose from:
Raey is my favorite for basics. It’s the in-house brand for Matches and usually goes on sale so price wise it’s fairly comparable to the likes of Madewell, Everlane, etc. This dress screams South-of-France with glass of rosé in hand to me and feels pulled together enough to take meetings.
If you have a little bit more budget, Attersee is one of my favorite labels and not just because Isabel, the founder, is a friend. It’s incredibly stylish and ageless. This combo of vest and trousers is so sharp. If you want looser pants, the brand has a relaxed style that’s equally as chic. The best part is everything at Attersee can be mixed and matched so it’s really up to you as to what works best for your body and style.
As far as elevated basics go, this Attersee tank might be pricey but it really does go with everything. Click the link and you’ll see it paired with literally every trouser and skirt that the brand has to offer, which is a really compelling argument for its versatility. I especially love it with a tonal pleated skirt — elevated and screams I’m a stylish leader. That being said, if you need similar pieces for less, COS has a version in sunny yellow, complete with matching tank, that’s super flattering on Asian skin tones.
If you really want something black, there’s really no better combination than my favorite Commando bodysuit with any of these Please Please bottoms. They’re also super travel-friendly — I wear my pair on the plane. Uniqlo has a dupe but I don’t know how well those pleats hold up over time.
But if you want to be a little more pulled together while still in a tank or bodysuit, I also love these Frankie Shop trousers in army green with low heels.
For Client Dinners, Day-to-Night:
While technically most of the above looks above are very day-to-night friendly, if you want a few dressier options, I’d consider any of the below styles.
Made with cotton and cupro, this is a breezy dress that looks equally as good with flat sandals as it does with heels making it really easy to go from daytime events to nice dinners. The layers of white ruffles are going to move so well in the seaside breeze and it’s my interpretation of “French glamour” if Coco Chanel decided to go avant-garde.
This dress gives me Cecilie Bahnsen vibes, at a fraction of the cost. I like it with these chunky Birkenstock-esque sandals. Normally I’d also wear it with kitten heels but European cobblestone is a nightmare on anything spindly so I recommend it with something thicker.
This dress would be great for evening dinner or for all of your yacht/pool/beach parties. Since we’re short, this will hit closer to the knee so it’ll feel work appropriate.
I’ve had this on my wishlist for awhile now — it’s perfect with a tank tucked in for a night out and I can also see it working well into fall/winter with some thin sweaters.
For Villa/Yacht/Pool Parties
So you want something that’ll take up space and be a little loud? That’s right up my alley!!
This will require a bit of hemming but I think it’s the perfect fit for your schedule. I’d wear this with flat black sandals for a villa or yacht party. I don’t do a ton of prints but the large scale orchid coupled with the giant singular sleeve is my way of doing beachy dressing without feeling like I went too far from my comfort zone.
I know you said nothing too tight but I really love Louisa Ballou for a pool, yacht, beach vibe. It’s fresh, young, and you can layer a black one-piece under for more coverage if you feel a little exposed. Again, since we’re short, this will hit closer to your knees, making it much more modest and work-appropriate than seen on the model.
This button up is SO fun and a great twist on a classic white shirt. I know you said no hard pants, but I do love how good it looks with jeans so I think it’s worth considering. But if you’re set on something more comfortable, a solid colored slim skirt to off-set the volume would work like this one from Aritzia.
If you want fun, colorful, loud, and proudly queer then Bad Binch Tong Tong could not be more perfect. I’m OBSESSED with what he did for his publicist Gia Kuan’s wedding. This dress would be perfect by the pool but if Barbiecore pink is too much, it also comes in black. I also love this sheer polkadot number with a little slip under.
Accessories!!!!
Shoes take up a LOT of space so I think the best way to go is to bring as few as possible, or choose styles that are relatively slim, for the sake of packing. This is the only time where I think fast fashion makes sense, because sandals tend to get destroyed pretty quickly. My recommendation is to wear a pair of chunkier slides or sandals onto the plane (bring socks in your carryon in case your feet get cold!). I like these COS ones, these woven leather platform ones, and on the cheap end, these Zara flatforms.
For daytime events, I’m obviously a fan of mesh ballet flats but there are plenty of inexpensive sandals if you want something new like these from Zara or this pleated fabric pair. As for heels? Black platforms, obviously, but also low stacked heels like these from Wandler are also chic. They come in an array of colors as well.
Jewelry wise, I love big earrings of all sorts and again, I don’t like to spend a ton of money for the most part. The Bottega dupes on Amazon are surprisingly good, even if I usually abhor knockoffs. My favorite pearl statement earrings are secretly from Zara and no one realizes, so I think these danglers would be just as impressive. And finally, when in doubt, Mejuri has my favorite hoop earrings at an affordable price point, like this chunky pair that would look good with everything.
I hope this helped! If you have a reader question, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. See you on Wednesday when I weirdly obsess over black raffia beach bags!
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So glad to find another homie who appreciates Raey and is confident enough to pick almost everything from the sale aisle. It's so easy to be aspirational, it's much harder (but way more helpful) to work within constraints. Thank you for being you!
Omg 🥹 this is amaaaaazing Diana!! I think I have to make this list a lifelong journey to collect - like art pieces! There are so many gems 💎 in here that I’m going to experiment with. You’re incredible!! ❤️ Merci beaucoup!! 🙏🏽