Search results for

When resorts compete, who wins? You do.

11 Reasons Designer Clare Vivier Loves Seoul

Australia’s Double Wild Appeal: Big City to Outback

The Best New Local Designers Around the Country

Writer Alexandra Marshall finds the reality behind the mystique of craft and artistry in the world’s fashion capital.

A new generation of tastemakers puts Beijing on the fashion map.

The destinations to visit in Cartagena, Colombia inspired by the memoir of Colombian magic realist author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Overview

Oil-paper umbrellas, vintage wood furniture, Chinese-crafted cloisonné ceramics, handbags, and tongue-in-cheek T-shirts... Shoppers tired of low-quality souvenir markets should explore Beijing’s lively art and design scene for unique mementos.

The best markets and bazaars in Istanbul are scattered all over the city. Either open every day or held once a week, these markets are the places to haggle with vendors to buy a range of Istanbul’s best goods on the cheap, including farm-fresh produce, organic products, affordable souvenirs, leather handbags, clothes, and more. The neighborhood weekly bazaars are the places to go to shop, pay local prices, and nab the best bargains in Istanbul.

A cotton checked krama, the scarf worn by locals in myriad ways, is probably the most quintessential of Cambodian souvenirs for travelers to Siem Reap, however, a number of other locally made objects have become must-buys for many visitors to Temple Town. These are my tips as to what you should buy, including everything from colorful lacquered elephants made by the artisans at Theam’s House to a soft silk scarf or silk ‘fur’ handbag by Siem Reap-based designer Eric Raisina.

Wander crowded market aisles jammed with stalls selling jade and goldfish and knock-off handbags or head instead to the hushed and air-conditioned boutiques of world-class fashion designers. Buy a bespoke suit and put a plastic Chairman Mao figurine in your pocket—the port city of Hong Kong is where you’ll find what you didn’t even know you were looking for.

In Portuguese, saudade is yearning for something that once was. And at Saudade, a lifestyle store smack in the center of Toronto’s Little Portugal neighborhood, the goal is to make the customer yearn for the old country (or wish a country as cool as Portugal were their old country). White walls provide the backdrop for a variety of handmade crafts and Portuguese products. Wrapped soaps from Porto, vividly colored ceramic pitchers, handbags basket-woven in rainbow hues, painted serving platters, and wooden racks displaying gorgeous textiles of cotton and wool fill the shop.

Shoppers come to this trendy El Born concept store in search of unique clothing, jewelry, and accessories created by emerging local designers. Look for handmade, sustainable fashion from up-and-coming independent brands like Citizen X (cool contemporary streetwear), A Pares (colorful socks), Rita Rembs (minimalist handbags), and Li Jewels (bold, ethnic-inspired pieces). You can also browse illustrations and photographs by Barcelona artists and even get some work done: The shop has a bright and airy co-working space. Designs available for both men and women.

Located in the middle of New York harbor, less than half a mile from Manhattan (and even closer to Brooklyn), 172-acre Governors Island feels like a world unto itself, far from the bustling city. It has played a key role in the defense of New York at various points and two fortifications here, Fort Jay and Castle Williams, reflect that history. From 1966 to 1996, the island was a Coast Guard station; since it closed, the city, state, and federal governments have discussed various plans for the island’s development. In the meantime, it is open to the public for six months each year, from May 1 to October 31, when it is possible to wander among the Coast Guard barracks, visit the commander’s house, and bike around the mostly car-free island. Ferries depart from both Manhattan and Brooklyn starting at 10 a.m. and running until 6:15 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. During many weekends in the summer, art fairs, food festivals, and other events help draw visitors to the island, but even if you go on a day without anything special scheduled, a journey here provides a refreshingly different perspective on New York.