Lucy Laucht has always been fascinated with “telling the story.” The UK-born writer and photographer moved to New York in 2010, in the early days of social media, and realized she loved using the platform as a way to inspire and create identity. She then went on to develop digital strategy for big-name brands including J.Crew, Versace, and Tod’s, but it’s her most recent project, the blog These Foreign Lands, that has allowed her to focus on her passion: the art of escaping. “A family friend, who turned 102 last year, told me, ‘Live your life with the intention of making as many happy memories as you can, because at the end of the day, memories are all you really own.’ That’s really stuck with me.” —Jennifer Henderson
Her style story: “My mum is a stylish lady and she definitely inspired me from a young age. Once, I rifled through her collection of Liberty-print silk scarves and then proceeded to cut and fashion them into various ensembles to wear out on a Friday night—which I now regret deeply. Sorry, Mum!”
Her work ethic: “You gotta want it. I moved to New York with two suitcases and a pitiful amount of savings, which I drained in cocktail bars within two weeks of arriving. It took six months to find a paid job because I had no U.S. experience, so I started at the bottom of the ladder. There I was, with all the college kids, and it was humbling but I worked damn hard. I was the first person at the office each morning and the last one out at night. It paid off. Now when I hire, I’m looking for someone who is as hungry as I was then.”
Her success secret: “Visualizing what you want and becoming obsessive about achieving it. And working as hard as you can for as long as it takes to make it happen.”
Her look: “I would rather spend money on a few classic, quality pieces each season. And given the fact I live out of two suitcases, less is definitely more. For fall and winter, my go-to outfit is a super-soft DEMYLEE gray cashmere sweater and jeans. I live in denim.”
Her must-haves: “My cameras (Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a Fujifilm X100T), red wine, J.Crew cashmere socks scarves, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, my Away suitcases (aka my home), a pair of gold earrings that cost $2 at a Mexico City street market, Desmond & Dempsey silk pajamas, my Mansur Gavriel ‘Lady’ bag, and a gold St. Christopher necklace given to me by my sister. Also, M Train, by Patti Smith and The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton.”
Her blog: “There’s something about being in motion that I love and I feel the need to document and record. It’s my way of making sense of what I see, so starting These Foreign Lands seemed like a natural next step. I’m interested in discovering the offbeat and the road less traveled.”
Her modus operandi: “La Guaguita (‘little bus’ in Cuban Spanish). My husband and I decided to quit our successful jobs, pack up our apartment, and move into a 1985 Volkswagen Westfalia camper. Over the past six months, we’ve traveled to the tip of Newfoundland, dipped into New Mexico, and hauled north through the Rocky Mountains. We had our first major breakdown last month, high up in the Canadian Rockies. We were stranded for three days waiting for a tow, but the upshot was that we ground to a halt outside a four-star lodge complete with a roaring fire and an excellent wine list.”
Her must-sees: “I fall in love with everywhere we go and I get terrible nostalgia for places we leave behind. One of my favorites was the Zapata Ranch, in Colorado, where we slept out on the range in the shadow of the Sangre De Christo Mountains as a huge storm rolled in. I’m also obsessed with the Grand Teton National Park. I could totally live in Jackson.”
Her dream: “I’d love to open a guesthouse with an emphasis on design, local food, and community. I’m definitely inspired by places such as Fogo Island, in Newfoundland, and Satellite Island, in Tasmania—where clever design creates a sense of place and a destination.”
Her influences: “Strong women who pursue their passion. We stayed at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House, in Taos, New Mexico, in the room Georgia O’Keeffe occupied when in town. You could just feel the ghosts and the energy within those walls.”
Her beauty: “I’ve always been paranoid about the laughter lines around my eyes till someone said to me they are a sign of a life well lived—and they were right.”
Her time of day: “Mornings in the van are my favorite—I’m generally up for sunrise to catch the best light and my husband and I will take turns making coffee.”
Her social circle: “For inspiration, I love the Doen and Collective Quarterly blogs. On Instagram, I adore , , , and and for pure wanderlust.”
Her motto: “Stay curious.”
Her future: “Become a better photographer, own chickens, keep doing what I love.”