How to Souvenir-Shop like an Influencer

Between assignments, seven Instagram stars — a jet-setting stylist, a fashion blogger, and image-makers of all types — talk about their recent journeys, capturing the mementos that bridge home and abroad.

 
 

@ZioandSons

Hometown: New York, NY

When not ping-ponging between his Hudson Valley prophouse and the East Village flat seen here, Anthony D’Argenzio can be found sourcing patinaed accessories at flea markets from London to Paris, Savannah to New Orleans. “It’s important to be around inspiring objects,” says the stylist, who counts Cartier, Veuve Clicquot, and Condé Nast Traveler as collaborators. His latest touchdown? Cuba — “It’s like stepping back in time.” Exactly where Anthony wants to take his 80k followers.


 

@JoeStPierre

Hometown: North Attleboro, MA

By capturing everyday moments — like his sun-dappled breakfast — Boston-area photographer Joe St. Pierre has cultivated a particular style of homespun serenity. It follows that, when he’s not traveling New England for work, he wakes up in a Cape-style cottage amid simple, honest objects. “They remind me of summer, when I spend time with the people who make me the happiest and take a break from the digital world.”


 

@Claudia_Uribe_Touri

Hometown: Miami, FL

In the library of Claudia Uribe’s Coconut Grove abode, her sculptural reading chair is a foil to the crisp shelf and gallery wall. Like a time-traveling machine, the wicker wraparound propels her to all the corners of Africa she’s explored. “These chairs cover the continent,” she says, “from the fanciest safari in Namibia to the tiniest airport café in Zambia.” After documenting grand hotels for Ritz Carlton and Mandarin Oriental, how does she readjust to domestic life? “By making a photo book and planning my subsequent sojourn!”


 
 

@FranParente

Hometown: New York, NY

In most homes, the hallway is an unused artery. Not so for Manhattan-based architectural imagemaker Fran Parente, whose apartment corridor doubles as a travelogue. The minimalist Finnish bar cart is dotted with wine and books from his journeys, all framed by a smattering of artwork: Paris subway map, British WWII poster, pieces by Brazilian talents Theo Firmo and Ana Strumpf. Spot the mini camera? Between shoots for Casa Vogue, PIN-UP, and Wallpaper*, Fran picked it up at a flea market in Buenos Aires.

@TeamWoodnote

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

“Adventures influence who I am in every way,” says LA photographer and fashion blogger Caroline Lee. “I become a more empathetic human every time I experience a new culture.” At her whimsical cottage in LA’s hip Atwater Village, those experiences are on display. It’s where a shibori wall-hanging and flirtatious pillow from Rajahmundry, India, sit pretty with a plush wool rug she picked up from a souk in Marrakech. What gives her followers #goodvibesonly? “Anything in pink!” she laughs.


 

@ReemaDesai

Hometown: Washington, DC

Adding rich texture to Reema Desai’s sleek Shaw apartment, this blanket is the best type of souvenir. “It’s a gift from two women I met volunteering in Thailand,” she says. “I was unsure about my future, but my time there helped me understand what was most important to me.” She’s since used DC as a base for her roving assignments for Garden & Gun and Travel + Leisure, admitting “there’s something about being in your own bed after a trip. I get a burst of inspiration, then start plotting my next itinerary!”


 

@TanveerBadal

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Having globe-trotted for everyone from BBC Travel to Bon Appétit, Tanveer Badal uses Instagram to inspire people to get out of their comfort zones. “Experiencing how others live, seeing how we’re all basically the same, it makes the world a better place,” he says. And though his luggage is dedicated to photo gear, he saves space for tokens that pepper his Craftsman bungalow in Highland Park. “I’ve traveled to 50-plus countries, so memories start to blend. Souvenirs transport me to the sights, sounds, even smells.”

 

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