OLIVIA LOPEZ

Name: Olivia Lopez

Instagram: @oliviavlopez

City: New York and Los Angeles

Intro: Author of 'Lust for Los Angeles', Founder of Bon Weekender Studio and Host of 'Art of Travel' Podcast

What are the lessons you’ve learnt in lock-down: I love this quote by Margaret Mead, and I reflect on it often thinking about all the changes and efforts towards progress that has happened this year:“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Every action, even small ones, has a ripple effect. Commitment and community has the potential to save the world.

What do you miss most / what are you looking forward to: Moments of human

connection, the immaculate energy of a long dinner with friends, and forward momentum.

What have you learned about yourself this year: 2020 was a year of deep reflection - I realized I spent a decade "escaping" through work, and when everything had come to a halt I was left with a void. I was experiencing a state of personal and collective trauma. Going through a break-up, a career rift, and many, many other underpinnings. It became clear that I had a lot of "inner work" to do: both professionally and personally. The silver lining of stillness was finally finding the time to assess my intentions. I learned to find happiness in simple moments, and that despite the great challenges of this year, there are always silver linings.

Any projects you have been working on that you would like to talk about? I launched 'The Art of Travel' during the pandemic, initially to focus on conversations about the way we consume experiences, but as the series progressed it has expanded into a podcast about culture and travel that takes shape in different senses: scent, memories, and palette.

Thoughts for the new year: Looking forward to the new Biden administration and the vaccine!

What are you wearing and why were you drawn to it: I'm drawn to structural tailoring, and love the architectural and asymmetric elements of this dress.

Olivia wears: The asymmetric Shiloh Dress in black crepe with jewelled buttons.