Naiise Conversations With Blogger Lux Mondi

Whether you're hitting your favourite city, or visiting a new one, staying stylish and comfortable should probably be at the top of your list of priorities while packing. The trick: sticking to a neutral colour palette so everything matches seamlessly, no more fussing in the mornings!

For our third collection in our Travel Series, we invited Monica Lie, blogger for Lux Mondi and creative director for The Ordinary Co, to curate a collection of items that help you fit right into any city, well - except maybe with that Luxe City Guide as a giveaway. Read more about Monica, her love affair with Europe, and favourite cities for design.

1) Who is Lux Mondi and how did the blog come about?

Lux Mondi was a personal project I embarked on at a period in time in life when I wasn’t too happy. I used to love taking photos, going out with friends, and for a while, activities in school got me down, so one day I decided to screw it all and start this blog to encourage me to not care so much about what people thought about me, to put myself out there in the world. The results really have been amazing because I’ve gotten really heart-warming feedback from friends and strangers, and even made new friends in real life through my blog!

2) Thank you for curating this travel collection for Naiise. How do the products reflect your own style?

I’m definitely more of a neutrals and classics kind of girl and I chose things that are easy to wear and mix with, especially when traveling. 

3) Top 3 picks from the collection, and why?

1) Spotted Suede Loafers - I’ve never been a prints girl, but I really like these because it’s so hard to find leopard prints that are subdued enough without being trashy, plus they look like they’ll be really comfy to dress down that adorable black dress I picked out as well for a day out vacationing in the city!

2) Rei Camera Bag – Are you sure it’s a camera bag?? Because I would carry this out as an ordinary bag as well. I love the shape and how it doesn’t straight out look like those bulky generic camera bags you normally see for sale. I love to drag my DSLR around for my blog even when traveling, and this bag would definitely help me to smartly and in style.

3) Sleek Pinafore Dress – I don’t think you can ever have enough LBDs. This one is perfect because it’s so subtle in the front, but there’s a sneaky surprise behind! Plus I can imagine dressing it up, and dressing it down so it’ll be worth it!

4) Best vacation spot you've been too?

There are too many cities to pick! I’ve done quite a substantial bit of traveling to Europe in the past 5 years, but the cities that stood out to me the most were Paris, Edinburgh, London, Prague and Berlin. The great thing about traveling around Europe is how diverse each city is – you can never get bored or see it all!

5) Most inspirational city/place for design?

Hands down I would say Morocco. There’s so much inspiration, energy and colour to draw from the city and the desert. I couldn’t get enough of how exotic and other worldy Moorish architecture is from the vibrant tiles, arched doorways and how intelligently the cities are built to reduce the heat from the Sahara Desert.

6) Why is design important to you?

Design is important because the truth is, people like looking at pretty things. But I think what’s more important about design is the story it tells and how to can make information easier for people to absorb. Whenever I do a blog post, the photos have to have an order and make sense so that it’s not just prettiness for the sake of prettiness, because there is no value in that.

7) What is Lux Mondi reader like?

The Lux Mondi reader is someone who is looking to enjoy life; is casual and doesn’t take herself too seriously.

8) Destinations on the cards this year, and what else can we look forward from you in the future?

This year I’ve already booked a short trip to Bangkok. I’ve been there twice already but I’ll never get tired of the energy from the city – because one can never shop too much or have too many massages! I’m also hoping for a trip to South Korea post graduation, but it’s still in the works. In the far future I see myself returning to Europe to finally visit Iceland and Florence, and also to North America for New York. They’ve been on my list for too long!