TRAVELLING SLOWLY
With Maria de la Orden
Maria de la Orden is a Spanish fashion designer, style authority and longtime POSSE muse who knows how to travel. Based between Paris and Madrid, she’s often on the move. Here, Maria shares her approach to travelling slowly, and why local grocery stores are an unexpected source of inspiration.
What is something you always seek out when exploring a new town?
I always look for the local market, antique shops and small independent stores. I love places that feel very rooted in the town and give you a sense of how people actually live there. I’m also always looking for a good local restaurant - somewhere simple, authentic and full of character.
How does your approach to dressing shift when you’re away?
I think I dress in a more relaxed and instinctive way when I travel. I pack pieces that are easy to mix. I also love adapting a little to the place I’m in. What I wear in Brittany is completely different from what I would wear in Capri or Marrakech. The colours, the weather and the atmosphere always influence me.
Some of your most beautiful moments capture everyday life with family. How has travelling with children changed the way you experience a destination?
Travelling with children makes you slow down, which I really love. Before, I would want to see everything, whereas now we spend more time simply living in a place : going to the beach, having long lunches, finding an ice cream, walking around a village. You notice completely different things through their eyes. Of course, it requires much more organisation, but I think the memories you create together are incredibly special.
What draws you to a place when choosing where to stay?
I’m much more attracted to places with personality than to perfect hotels. I love smaller hotels, beautiful houses and places that feel connected to their surroundings. The architecture and interiors are important to me, but so is the atmosphere. I want somewhere that feels warm and lived-in, with a real sense of place. I love when you can feel the history of a house or the personality of the person who created it.
Your world feels filled with colour, texture and nostalgia. Where do you find inspiration when travelling?
Everywhere! I’m constantly taking pictures when I travel. It can be the colour combination of a façade, an old tablecloth in a restaurant, tiles, a garden, a vintage shop, the way someone is dressed or even the packaging in a local grocery store. I especially love things that feel slightly imperfect or nostalgic. Often, the smallest details stay with me and later find their way into my work without me even realising it.
How do you prefer to begin and end a day while travelling?
Very simply. I love waking up early, having a coffee and breakfast somewhere beautiful, ideally outside, and taking time to decide what we’re going to do that day. And I love ending the day with a long dinner with family or friends. For me, travelling is really about those moments around a table : good food, a beautiful setting, and no rush to be anywhere else.