Packing Edit: SoCal in March
From Frieze in Los Angeles to our annual Molly Kidd Studio retreat in Laguna Beach—plus the pieces I packed for a week that moves from city to coast.
I landed in Los Angeles on Monday morning with that familiar mix of anticipation and creative adrenaline that only design week can bring. The city was buzzing — collectors, designers, artists, editors — all converging for Frieze!
Knowing the suitcase had to work for both a few busy days in Los Angeles and a slower stretch for our team treat in Laguna Beach, my approach was simple: pieces that could move between city and coast without feeling overthought. Everything fits into my favorite suitcase rotation, which somehow always ends up holding small treasures come home from the week. I’ve linked everything (or the closest versions I could find) below:
I. Pre-loved Bottega II. Butter V Neck III. Collarless Leather Jacket IV. Black Denim V. Slip Dress VI. Kitten Sandal VII. Lace Short VIII. Lace Cami IX. Sunnies X. Twisted Seam Denim XI. Favorite Fragrance XII. Crewneck Sweater
Los Angeles has a way of making work feel like discovery. Between gallery visits, studio stops, and a whirlwind of design conversations, the week unfolded like a living mood board — textures, materials, ideas, and people colliding in the best possible way. One of the highlights was spending time with Swike for my personal rolodex— the kind of evening where you find yourself deep in conversation with people who all share the same obsession with beauty, craft, and culture.
But now the energy shifts.
This morning I’m leaving Los Angeles and heading down the coast to Laguna Beach for something I look forward to every year: our Molly Kidd Studio team retreat.
Our entire team will be there — and what feels especially meaningful this year is that half of the women joining have been with the studio for more than four years. In an industry that moves quickly, that kind of continuity feels rare and incredibly special.
These retreats are less about schedules and more about space. Space to recalibrate. Space to talk about what’s working and what we’re dreaming up next. Space to connect with one another outside of job titles and project deadlines.
Running a studio is often described through the lens of projects or growth or milestones, but the truth is that the heartbeat of it all is the people. The women behind the drawings, the sourcing, the installations, the emails, the late nights, the brand, and the tiny details that make our work what it is.
Design week fills the well creatively — but this retreat fills it personally.
And after a few days of ocean air, long dinners, and honest conversations, I know we’ll return to the studio a little clearer, a little closer, and very ready for what’s ahead.
The Reunion: Laguna Beach…here we come.