fashion

What I Take On Holiday… With Charlotte Hicks, Founder Of ESSE

24/07/23

Author: Divya Venkataraman

DOCUMENTED BY: CHARLOTTE HICKS

SHARE

image
image

There’s a fine art to packing well for a European summer holiday.

You need shoes that will last the distance, enough suitcase space for the pieces you’ll no doubt find on your travels, and a wardrobe made up of items that can work for both sand-laden beach days and cool cocktail nights. Stumped? Never fear: we’ve enlisted the experts….

Charlotte Hicks is a master of sharp, clean luxury. Her thoughtful fashion label, ESSE, splices voluminous silhouettes with elevated basics rendered in monotones: black, cream, earthen grey, sometimes a shock of red. Over ESSE’s four-year-old life, Hicks’s vision for the label has been one of selectivity: a wardrobe made up of simple, mindful pieces, ingeniously broken up with a statement strappy silk camisole, or a bandeau frock with cut-outs in just the right places.

left
right arrow

Documented By: @charhicks

Naturally, Hicks’s label is an extension of herself: her style, too, is pared-back and a little luxurious. Whenever she can, she wears natural, home-grown fabrics, both at home and on holiday. In fact, when designing her collections, Hicks often uses packing a suitcase as inspiration. “Packing well is really about following the same principles as creating a curated, considered wardrobe,” she explains. “Curated and considered really is always best.” 

Below, read more about Hicks’s travel philosophy, her holiday habits and her carry-on non-negotiables. 

RIISE: Hi Charlotte! We love your designs here at RIISE, and we think we’d probably gladly swap any suitcase we packed with the contents of yours. Tell us: what are your European summer travel packing essentials?

Charlotte Hicks: I like to keep it simple. An oversized cotton shirt, a silk dress, silk pants and a tank top. Cotton for the day and silk for the evening. 

RIISE: Do you travel with an outfit itinerary all planned out, or do you just pack pieces that you love and figure out combinations later?

CH: When I started ESSE, I often thought about designing a collection as if I was packing a suitcase. ‘What are the ten things you would like to pack?’, I would ask myself. So my packing philosophy basically follows that idea. Take the essentials and the outfits will always come. You can’t go wrong. 

left
right arrow

Documented By: Taylor Hallett and Sarah Canavan for RIISE

RIISE: We know that packing light is a good way to reduce our impact on the environment when travelling—how do you minimise the pieces you take on holiday?

CH: I used to be in a bad habit of over-packing and taking fifty things and eventually finding that nothing felt right! A suitcase full of nothing to wear. The age-old problem. 

But it really is about picking a curation of things: the essentials. That doesn’t mean they have to be bland. Take a statement evening dress or great top—but just invest in one great top. Packing well is really about following the same principles as creating a curated, considered wardrobe.

RIISE: Do you have any exciting travel plans this year? 

CH: Theoretically, as a fashion brand, I should travel four times a year for selling trips and multiple inspiration trips in between. But I have inherently ‘strategised’ my busines and set it up with a less is more approach to all of the above, which does by default limit the excess. It might be a bit of a case of that start-up life, too, where this year I’m staying put, dreaming of a European summer from Sydney – and living vicariously through Instagram. Thankfully, we are lucky to live in one very beautiful country!

RIISE: We’re ever curious about what people take in their carry-on. What are your  non-negotiables?

1. A sketch book. Always. 

2. A Verso gel eye mask. 

3. My ESSE jersey trousers, for chic plane comfort.

4. A podcast or meditation tape, perhaps one by the Huberman Lab (they discuss all things neuroscience and neural plasticity). 

SHARE THIS STORY

Linka Short Sleeve Silk Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Linka Silk Shorts

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Linka Twist Maxi Dress

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Linka Silk Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Linka Silk Pants

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Aire Silk Maxi Skirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Aire Silk Slip Skirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Classico Double Blazer

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Classico Waist Tailored Trouser

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Evie Scarf Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Classico Midi Skirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Strap V Maxi Dress

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Twills Tailored Trouser

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Odessa Square Top

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Odessa Cross Over Top

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Signat Silk Scarf

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Amor Collared Knit Dress

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Amor Knit Collared Sweater

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Classico Drape Silk Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Circa Split Tank Top

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Lave Tie Jacket

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected V Blouse

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected V Blouse

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Cross Front Blouse

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Short Sleeve Dress

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Short Sleeve Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Short Sleeve Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Circa Tank Top

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Circa Strapless Top

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Classico Wrap Skirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Short Sleeve Dress

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Short Sleeve Shirt

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Collected Mini Dress

Esse Studios

SHOP →

Linka Short Sleeve Silk Shirt

Esse Studios

Linka Silk Shorts

Esse Studios

Linka Twist Maxi Dress

Esse Studios

Linka Silk Shirt

Esse Studios

Linka Silk Pants

Esse Studios

Linka Scarf

Esse Studios

Aire Silk Maxi Skirt

Esse Studios

Aire Silk Slip Skirt

Esse Studios

Classico Double Blazer

Esse Studios

Classico Waist Tailored Trouser

Esse Studios

Evie Scarf Shirt

Esse Studios

Classico Midi Skirt

Esse Studios

Strap V Maxi Dress

Esse Studios

Twills Tailored Trouser

Esse Studios

Odessa Square Top

Esse Studios

Odessa Cross Over Top

Esse Studios

Signat Silk Scarf

Esse Studios

Amor Collared Knit Dress

Esse Studios

Amor Knit Collared Sweater

Esse Studios

Classico Drape Silk Shirt

Esse Studios

Circa Split Tank Top

Esse Studios

Lave Tie Jacket

Esse Studios

Collected V Blouse

Esse Studios

Collected V Blouse

Esse Studios

Collected Cross Front Blouse

Esse Studios

Collected Shirt

Esse Studios

Collected Short Sleeve Dress

Esse Studios

Collected Short Sleeve Shirt

Esse Studios

Collected Shirt

Esse Studios

Collected Short Sleeve Shirt

Esse Studios

Circa Tank Top

Esse Studios

Circa Strapless Top

Esse Studios

Classico Wrap Skirt

Esse Studios

Collected Short Sleeve Dress

Esse Studios

Collected Short Sleeve Shirt

Esse Studios

Collected Mini Dress

Esse Studios

Join RIISE’s mailing
list for 10% off your first order.

This website uses cookies. They improve your navigation and the quality of our site. By navigating, you accept the placement and use of cookies as described in RIISE’s privacy policy.

ADD GIFT CARD OR DISCOUNT CODE

ITEMS:
0
SUBTOTAL:
$0.00
Shipping calculated at checkout