Emma Breislin
How many times have you admired a gorgeous vase, book or artwork at a friend’s house, only to discover they found it on holiday in some far-flung destination? I am the first to admit that I am not a great shopper here at home, or overseas, thanks to a perpetual case of decision paralysis and perhaps some level of impatience. I’ve suffered serious buyers regret (the kind you get from not buying anything at all) and come home from holidays empty-handed, wishing I had something to remember them by. Shopping is a true talent and I’m envious of those who have used a discerning eye to seek out incredible souvenirs and memorabilia in hard-to-find boutiques.
One such person with said talent is former Interiors Editor of Livingetc.com, Emma Breislin. Always one to nab amazing Vinnies finds, a two-and-a-bit-year stint as an expat in London saw Emma travel far and wide, taking her shopping and treasure hunting experience to a global level. Here, Emma helps us unpack the best approach to shopping overseas, what to buy, and reveals the one simple rule she lives by.
How to shop overseas
Of course most of us know how to shop in a literal sense, but there’s an art to shopping well. The key, says Emma, is to mull. “I like to scour the entire market, shop, souk, or sometimes even city to see what’s on offer before committing,” she says.
“Believe it or not, I’m the complete opposite of an impulse shopper. Much to my husband’s dismay (sometimes! He’s really very patient) I shop… slowly.”
Taking photos as you go to remember what you loved most and where it was from is also key to Emma’s approach. “My camera roll at the end of the trip is littered with half-blurred snaps of homewares in between the actual holiday,” she says. With your library of photos and the knowledge that you’ve done a thorough inspection of what’s on offer, you can then go back and make your purchase with confidence.
There is, however, one warning that comes with Emma’s meticulous process — and it’s not risk of buyer’s regret, but rather the opposite. “Sometimes the thing I have had my eye on sells during my ‘thinking’ process, sometimes I can’t find it again, and sometimes, I regret not buying more.”
What to buy when you’re travelling
How exactly do you wade through the tourist traps and tacky keychains to find something truly special? It’s all about research, and therein lies Emma’s one golden rule: “I only buy things made in that country, and preferably city.”
Look for things unique to the place or region, and choose something that will remind you of your time there. Emma says buying practical things can also help to justify purchases, rather than something that is purely decorative. “That said, there are always exceptions. I’ve bought handmade olive oil soap from Marseille, ceramic dinnerware from Lisbon, that viral tomato knife from Paris, and Tamegroute pottery from Marrakech,” she says, adding that she carried the said Tamegroute pottery on her lap for the entire flight back to London to make sure it didn’t break.
Author Samera Kamaleddine, who spent a lot of her previous career as editor of Women’s Fitness magazine travelling, lives less by Emma’s practical criteria and more by whimsy. “I love buying little bits and pieces – things even that I have no use for, but I’m like, ‘One day I’m gonna have a use for this.’,” she told editor-in-chief Elle Lovelock on The Edit podcast. “When I was in Portugal two years ago, I was on the Algarve…and there was this store, and it was just full of little terracotta bowls painted inside with olives. And I was like, ‘I don’t know what I’ll ever use this for, but I’m gonna buy it’.”
Aside from objects, both Emma and Samera say they look to literature, but in slightly different ways. “Another thing I’ve started looking for whenever I travel is interior magazines from the local market. It’s so interesting to see what’s inspiring and shaping interiors in different countries,” says Emma.
“I’ve collected Architectural Digest from the US, Spain, France, and Italy — I’m currently hunting it down in China as we speak!”
Samera, on the other hand, collects books – and one book in particular. “I also collect Great Gatsby books… It’s become a thing where when I travel, one of the first things I do is go to [a] bookstore. I always seek out new covers for Great Gatsby…they’ve produced so many.”
The best places and cities to shop
While planning must-hit destinations is essential, equally is leaving time to wander.
“I do my research first to find the places I want to go, but I definitely leave time and space to wander down unexpected paths — that’s where you find the stuff that hasn’t become a ‘viral’ souvenir on social media,” explains Emma.
Samera says the first place she goes is always the same. “I love seeing beautiful bookstores,” she says, describing charming and quaint locations dotted across Europe and the United Kingdom. “Two years ago, I was in Lisbon, and [I visited] the oldest operating bookstore in the world….it was so lovely. And I actually stumbled on it by chance.”
In terms of the best countries and cities for shopping, Emma says it really depends on what you’re after. “Places with antique or secondhand markets always have my heart — I was pleasantly surprised to find so many in Athens. Berlin and Beijing also have some great ones, and Shanghai is supposed to be huge, too. And while they’re not antique, you can’t beat the homeware stores in Paris, either.”
Her dream destination, though, is L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in Provence, France — the home of antiques. “It’s been on my bucket list for years now. In a way, I think that is a form of self preservation though, as it would have been hard (and very, very expensive) to get all the furniture I would no doubt fall for home to Australia.”
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