CLUB 21 x SHENTONISTA: Travel With Paul Smith — With An Open Mind

Colin, Entrepreneur. Jacket from Paul Smith S/S 2016’s ‘A Suit To Travel In’ collection; cotton t-shirt, jeans, woven hat,  and leather shoes, all from Paul Smith; Colin’s own watch.

Despite juggling many different roles at work, and with a wedding to plan for, Colin always makes time for several trips throughout the year. It seems that Colin’s almost always on the go,  whether it’s for work or leisure, and his style is suitably appropriate: think plenty of well-fitted basics, and an obsession with sneakers that rank high both on the comfort and fashion quotient. We speak to him and find out more.

Shentonista (S): What does travel represent to you? Why do you like to travel?

Colin (C): I’ve always been fascinated with what goes on out of our world in Singapore, and travelling really opens up my mind to a lot of stuff. From there, I draw a lot of inspiration for my everyday work and life.

S: What is one memorable experience you had while overseas? Or something you learnt while you were travelling?

C: We got robbed. Okay, not robbed lah. My fiancée and I had rented a car to drive down the South of Italy. Inspired by the movie Eat Pray Love, where Julia Roberts went to buy a slice of pizza from this place called Da Michele in Naples, we decided to do the same. As typical Asians, we had rented an automatic car, which is not very popular in Europe, because most of the small ones were Italian manual cars. So we were driving this pretty cool luxury sedan all the way to Naples, not knowing that Naples is kind of like the Brooklyn of Italy — kind of rough. The moment we got onto the street, this guy tried to grab my wallet and phone right from my hands, but luckily I was holding on quite tightly, and we ended up in a stand-off in the middle of the street. Eventually he ran off and I thought everything was okay. We walked to the restaurant, got a slice of pizza — which was epic, by the way — and on the way back we realised that our car tires were slashed. We didn’t know a single word of Italian; there wasn’t a spare tire in the car; it was a weekend and all the offices were closed. We walked for quite a bit, found a car workshop, and tried to ask the mechanic to change the tires for us. It was super dramatic until some nice Italian guy who could speak a little English stopped by to help us. In the end, we had to call the rental company all the way back at the airport to come and tow the car away. Then we had to find our way to the airport to pick up a new car. (So how long were you stuck there for?) What started as a drop-by for pizza took up a big chunk of the day. Moral of the story: rent a smaller car in Italy.

S: What is your favourite place to travel to, and why?

C: To date, I think the coolest place I’ve been to is Iceland. I might go again, because I went there during winter, when it had a pure, white environment; it really felt like we were living on another planet. It was really cold though. We tried to catch the Northern Lights but didn’t manage to see them, so we’ll try again. But that’s the beauty of it, right? Iceland is a country that is unpredictable in its nature.

S: Describe your dream travel experience/trip.

C: No work calls or emails during my holidays! (laughs) (Can you just switch off?) My personality and the nature of my work doesn’t allow me to switch off as much as I’d like to, and I’m trying to move towards achieving that.

S: What’s your packing process when you’re travelling? Any tips? Is staying stylish important when you travel?

C: I always try to pack as light as possible because I like to move around a lot. It also depends on the weather: if it’s cold, I’ll pack a few essential outerwear, and cut down on the inner pieces either by repeating a few items or shopping for more when I’m there. In the summer, I’ll just pack as casually as possible, choosing lightweight pieces. When travelling, I basically don’t like to carry too heavy stuff.

S: Do you tend to be a last-minute packer, or would you plan ahead?

C: Oh, I’m definitely a last-minute packer (laughs). But I guess my wardrobe is quite simple and I know the ‘usual suspects’ that I always wear when I travel.

S: When it comes to dressing, do you have any tips when it comes to balancing comfort and style?

C: To me, I think everyone just needs to know what they are comfortable in. What works for one person may not work for everyone else — some may be suit-and-pants kind of people, while others may be more shorts-and-jeans. At the end of the day, you just need to know what gives you comfort. Style can be refined over time: you learn to pick out nicer basics, or fancier tops depending on personal preferences.

S: Menswear has its own set of rules. What are some rules of thumb to follow, or things that you’ve noticed other men don’t pay attention to?

C: There’s this whole movement now about men trying to dress better, but the same theory as before applies here: everyone has a different body shape and set of proportions. I actually fall into this odd category, where I can’t fit into a lot of standard apparel because the fit just isn’t right for me. So to be honest, I don’t think there’s a fixed rule to follow. Everyone should explore a few styles and from there, decide which they are most comfortable with and look the best in.

S: What do you look for when it comes to a suit? Top considerations?

C: Being lightweight is one of them. The first time I encountered suits, back when I was younger, I found them too bulky, troublesome, thick and hot. Right now I’m starting to appreciate suits made with lighter materials; they look polished, and they’re also more comfortable. Fit is another important aspect. A well-fitted suit makes you look great; a poorly fitted one makes you look worse off than you are without it.

S: Do you think your style has changed since we last saw you?

C: (laughs) I think I’ve been pretty much the same. I know what I like, what I’m very comfortable wearing, so from time to time I try to experiment a little, but I’ll still fall back to the basics.

S: You don’t think it’s changed a lot over the years? Or is there something you used to wear that you would never wear nowadays?

C: Back in the ‘90s when we were still in school, there was this thing for baggy jeans and loose fitted hip-hop shirts. I mean it’s always a fun phase right, but would I wear it again? I don’t think so, but you’ll never know whether trends change. I guess I usually add slight tweaks to trends with my personal style, but it’ll not be as extreme as from skinny jeans to bell bottoms, for example.

S: What’s your favourite mode of transport and why?

C: I don’t know if walking counts, but I actually like to walk a lot. (Even in Singapore?) In Singapore I do try, but the weather here doesn’t permit us to do that all the time. But when I travel, I try to explore places by foot as much as possible. In the city, I usually drive or take the train. I like taking trains because I think it takes you to places you wouldn’t typically go to if you’re on a simple drive-through. You can possibly punch through mountainous ranges with a lot of scenic spots.

S: Do you have any alternative modes of transport? Do you wish you could incorporate them into your lifestyle?

C: I have a bike, but I don’t get a lot of opportunities to cycle in Singapore. When overseas, we sometimes rent bikes in bike-friendly cities. I’m trying to pick up skateboarding, but haven’t started it seriously.

S: So do you think you’d be cycling or skating more if the weather was cooler?

C: I think, if you plan out the distances, if the roads were safer and the weather was better, yeah, I’d definitely try to cycle more.

S: What’s your favourite part about your job?

C: The best part is I don’t feel like it’s work sometimes; the bad part is I work too much. (Because you enjoy it too much?) Yeah, so I don’t feel like I’m working, but it drags on and it isn’t good.

S: What’s the biggest lesson that your work has taught you?

C: It’s clichéd but yes, it’s important to like what you do because we spend a lot of time working each day. It’s going to be tough over the years if you don’t enjoy what you do. I think I’ve learnt to do less of what doesn’t make me happy, and do more of what I enjoy.

S: What kind of journey do you hope 2016 has in store for you, whether it’s in your career, in life, or to new places? Any plans or projects you’d like to share about?

C: 2016 is all about simplifying and streamlining my life, I think. I mean, as we grow older, we’re more selective of the things we want to do and how we want to spend our time. Our time becomes more and more important to us as we grow older, so I’d like to spend time with close friends and family, do the work that I’m supposed to do, and focus on life.

This is a Shentonista project for Paul Smith and Club 21. 

Join in the conversation: hashtag #TravelWithPS on any travel-related Instagram post and stand to win one of three exclusive Paul Smith notebooks. Whether it’s your travel essentials, your daily commute, or a shot from a trip, let your sense of adventure guide you. The contest runs from 1st – 15th March 2016.

During this same time, pop by the Paul Smith Mandarin Gallery and Hilton stores to shop the new Spring/Summer 2016 collection, and mention #TravelWithPS to receive an exclusive 10% off selected items* from 1st – 15th March 2016. 

*Terms & Conditions apply. 

Paul Smith Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Rd #01-08
Singapore 238897

Paul Smith Hilton Hotel
581 Orchard Road #02-24/25
Singapore 238883