Yolanda Edwards likes to shop the old-fashioned way: not with her smartphone but her passport. As a travel and lifestyle editor, and the former creative director of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, Edwards has spent decades combing the world for exquisite destinations full of stunning views—and unique treasures. Think: handmade espadrilles, delicate silk scarves, beautiful bed linens and polished leather goods that instantly transport you to another time and place. “Travel has been my obsession my whole life,” Edwards says. “I’ve gotten the best advice from people who travel a lot and have planned trips just from seeing a photo of a place and falling in love with it.”
Yolanda Edwards’s new collection of elegant Italian slippers, made in collaboration with Scarosso.
Yolo Journal
Edwards’s passion inspired her to launch Yolo Journal, a travel magazine focusing on personal travel experiences. The publication, released in print three times a year, features breathtaking photography along with stories and “recommendations from people with great taste, who were willing to share their finds from around the world,” she says. There’s also Yolo Intel, a Substack newsletter, focusing on longer-format storytelling from her trips and those taken by globetrotter contributors because, as she says, “I can’t get everywhere in the world to write about it!”
“Travel has been my obsession my whole life,” says Yolanda Edwards, who recently curated a … [+] collection of travel photography with Sonic Editions, featuring some of her favorite destinations and places.
Yolanda Edwards
While zipping to locales near and far, Edwards has honed her work and fashion uniform, leaning toward classics that pack well and can be mixed and matched to create endless looks. Granted, shopping along cobblestone streets and in bustling markets is always preferable, but Edwards has also collected favorites online that can be accessed from anywhere. Here, she reveals what’s on the top of her must-have list.
For Striking Travel Photography: Sonic Editions
Edwards recently teamed up with Sonic Editions to curate a collection of travel-inspired images. Shots come from past issues of her Yolo Journal magazine as well as images she “fell in love with while editing, of favorite places and things around the world that inspire and delight,” she says.
Her Go-To Fashion Uniform: Vintage Levi’s
“I love to wear vintage 501 jeans that are a bit cropped,” says Edwards. “On top, weather-depending, it’s a sweater or a button down—my favorites are from Alex Eagle.” An average workday for Edwards usually involves “a lot of writing for my newsletter Yolo Intel, some photo editing for the magazine and our Instagram, trying to get through my inbox, and some in-person meetings which I try to schedule around afternoon coffee or early evening cocktail hour.”
Shoes She Loves: Slipper Flats That Combine Comfort And Style
“My shoes are always flats,” says Edwards, who is frequently on the go. “It’s either a John Lobb penny loafer or Venetian slipper.” She just launched a collab with Italian shoemaker Scarosso, putting her own colorful spin on the brand’s classic Friulane slipper. The flats, she says, are lightweight, pack easily and pair well with many options in her wardrobe, from dresses to jeans.
The Bag She Obsesses Over: A Crossbody By Mark Cross
“I always have a cross-body, and I’ve been using one from Mark Cross constantly for the last year,” says Edwards. “It goes with everything—and doesn’t look out of place with jeans and Rod Lavers but can even work in a black-tie setting.”
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Her Finishing Fashion Touch: A Silk Scarf
Edwards prefers classic accessories with a pop of color. “I always wear a watch—my husband is a watch guy so I have plenty to choose from—and a couple of gold bracelets on the other wrist,” she says. “I also love the very patterned scarves from Drakes that jazz up my pretty classic navy, grey and black uniform!”
Always In Her Handbag: Smythson Journals
“For meetings, I have my Smythson notebook,” says Edwards, who recently launched a newsletter, Yolo Intel, that’s quickly taken off. “I write about places I’ve just come back from, a recipe I’ve discovered on the road, a shoe I love and I do these very extensive city black books. While Yolo Journal is very photo-driven, she says, the newsletter is “where we can do deep dives on a destination.”
Her Relaxing Ritual: At-Home Gua’Sha Massage
To unwind and de-stress at the end of the day, Edwards says, “ I love to wash my face, apply an oil, and then use a gua-sha tool to massage my face and neck. There’s nothing better—except maybe a gin martini.”
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