138/ What I'm Wearing: Weeks 48-49

Packing for 72-hours in Miami + a tour of Art Basel

Dear readers,

Last week, I booked a very last minute 72-hour trip to Miami! In this newsletter, I’ll share my packing strategy and also take you on a tour of Art Basel.

As with any trip, I ran through the questions in my In Moda Veritas Packing Primer. My anticipated plans included 1.5 days at Art Basel and Design Miami, a couple of lunches, one night out, a lot of walking, and hopefully some time lying on the beach.

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One thing I’ve learned over the years is that asking a local about how to dress for the weather can be misleading. My earliest memory of this was in March of 1991; our family flew to Dunedin, Florida for the Blue Jays’ spring training (and eventually onto Disney World and Epcot). My brother and I — coming out of a Toronto winter — were stripping down into shorts and tees (“it’s so hot!”), while our family friend was dressed in a collared shirt with a sweater on top (“this is cold for us,” he countered).

The temperature at which a Floridian “needs a blazer”¹ is different from that of a Torontonian. Even though I couldn’t imagine that 25C (77F)/19C (66F) was “cool at night” and “I-wish-I’d-brought-a-light-jacket” weather, just in case, I planned outfits using a Liam and a cashmere sweater, and incorporated them into my plane outfit.

Beyond the weather, in the past I’ve struggled with how to dress in Miami. Like New York, it’s a city where “anything goes,” yet their moods are undeniably different. Miami doesn’t seem to take itself as seriously as NY: the fashion is loud and brash and skin is in — two descriptions that don’t fit my usual style. I also wasn’t sure what the vibe would be at my various events so I packed to give me options to lever up and down, forward and backward, if necessary.

What that in mind, here’s everything I brought minus underwear, bras, toiletries, and electronics. Circled in red is what I wore on the plane; X’ed out are pieces I didn’t end up wearing. Overall, I was happy with the versatility of my pack and it would have been perfect if the temperature was 5C lower (in the 60s, for you in the States). Knowing what I know now, I would have taken out the jeans and packed a day dress or skirt/top instead.

Clockwise from top left: Tibi Liam blazer, Tibi Calder sweatpants, Margiela sweater via VSP Consignment, workout top, Toteme curve tank, Zara sheer black tank, workout shorts, Aligne leather top, Knix fullback underwear (sized up), me Issey Miyake pleated bag, Lake x Brooks Brothers pyjama set, Issey Miyake pleated dress, tube socks, Margiela thigh slit jeans, Balenciaga knife heels via TRR, Margiela tabis via 2nd Street, Dries suede sneakers, Brooks running shoes, Christopher Esber Minette flat, Vee Collective tote, Janessa Leone Dakin hood.

Day 1

My aforementioned plane outfit (roundtrip). Temperature in Toronto is 0C (32F) with a light dusting of snow on the ground. Wool balaclava and cashmere gloves are in my tote.

After I landed, I did a super quick change and and went for a late lunch with

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and our friend, Toni, at Sadelle’s in the Design District. My outfit was centred around an open weave Zankov skirt. During the day I wore it with a leather shirt and sneakers. For my evening events, I was planning on swapping my sneakers for white heels, and wearing a sheer tank with the leather shirt tied around my waist.

Daytime outfit swapping into night — or not….

As a backup, I brought an as-yet-unworn Issey Miyake dress I bought in Tokyo. I had been itching to wear it, but as a full-length substantial knit, it took up a lot of carry-on real estate. I reasoned that being Miami, and moreover, Design Week, it’s as good a place to wear a creative, dramatic piece as any, especially one I was hesitant to wear in my more conservative city. Sussing out the vibes, and feeling like my original outfit would be too casual, I went for it and it was definitely the right call. I felt good.

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I dropped into a few parties around the Design District and Ironside including the launch parties for Miu Miu Select x Gigi Hadid launch and Hublot’s Big Bang Tourbillion Carbon SR_A watch by Samuel Ross. One of Gigi’s “selects” was my favourite cocoa ballerinas (that I picked up at a resale shop in Tokyo).

Day 2

Who recognizes this selfie mirror? :)

Going back to misjudging the weather, I knew immediately upon landing that I would be too hot in my planned outfits. Yesterday’s leather shirt was pushing it, and there was no way Day 2s plan of a cashmere sweater with full-length jeans was happening, even if I was tying the sweater around my waist. What to do other than to re-wear what I wore the day before! As I mentioned in the intro, what I really needed was another summer weight dress or bottom.

Day 3

Besides it being too warm to wear my planned outfit, the main issue was that my feet were absolutely wrecked from yesterday’s long day of walking in my tabis, including a 2+ hour walk from the Design District to the Miami Beach Convention Centre.

I had developed numerous blisters and I had no choice but to wear my running shoes (athletic-running, not fashion-running). No other shoe would do. I opted for my workout shorts and threw the black tank and off-the-shoulder sweater on (again, mostly tied around my waist). I initially felt self-conscious for showing up to Art Basel/Design Miami in athleisure, but I got over that pretty quickly. And, I actually really liked this outfit.

Also, I never did wear my workout top because I didn’t end up working out. The walking I got in was enough!

I managed to squeeze in an hour on the beach! Glorious, warm sunshine.

At Design Miami, trying out a Zanotta x Bottega Veneta Sacco chair.

Highlights at Art Basel

Now a few highlights from inside the convention centre!

Lauren dela Roche @ Eric Firestone Gallery

Family, 1987; acrylic and fabric on wood, 78” x 60”. Marie Johnson-Calloway @ Eric Firestone Gallery.

It Only Takes a Moment #2, 2024; oil on canvas, 96” x 72”. Huê Thi Hoffmaster @ Eric Firestone Gallery.

The Cosmic Whirlwind of Past Faults, 2024; acrylic, bamboo, paper, wood, and Dacron, 66” x 60” x 8.25”. Jacob Hashimoto @ Miles McEnery Gallery.

Transcending the Dreams, 1976; oil on linen, 59.05” x 39.37. Giorgos Ioannou @ Kalfayan Galleries.

Portrait of Craig Fletcher II, 2024; oil on canvas, 19” x 24” unframed. Kehinde Wiley @ Roberts Projects.

Within the figure, 2003; mixed media, 75” x 80”. Manuel Mathieu @ Pilar Corrias.

Great American Nude #81, 1966; acrylic on canvas, 83” x 66”. Tom Wesselman @ Edward Tyler Nahem.

Isadora Ganem, director at Mendes Wood DM

Plucked, 2024; oil and acrylic on linen, 52” x '85”. Hayv Kahraman @ Pilar Corrias.

Untitled (Man with Big Hat), 2024; acrylic with fabric collage on panel. Derrick Adams.

L’Accord Parfait, 1947-1948; oil on canvas, 23.75” x 20”. Rene Magritte @ Edward Tyler Nahem.

Surge, 1958; magna on canvas, 91.5” x 149.75”. Morris Louis @ Yares Art.

Alex Mor and Philippe Charpentier of Mor Charpentier Paris.

Siesta, 2024; acrylic on wool panel, 55” x 67”. Kyle Dunn @ Vielmetter Los Angeles.

The Rest Of The Week

And a few outfits from the rest of the week, in my comfort zone of neutrals, especially navy. Always navy.

Both: Tibi Liam blazer, Tibi Calder sweatpants, James Street Sloane Vee, Aritzia Pegasus tee, Mansur Gavriel Candy hobo in denim. L: Hereu Puntera flat. R: Cariuma OCA sneaker.

Marina Moscone windbreaker, White + Warren cashmere turtleneck, Aritzia Pegasus tee, COS trousers, Mansur Gavriel Candy hobo in denim, Cariuma OCA sneaker.

Celine mens blazer via 1132 Consignment, COS dickie (similar), Zara trousers, Vee Collective tote, Cariuma OCA sneaker.

1. I swear it wasn’t just you,

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! Others said it too!