Window shopping #4
A Lufthansa collab worth flying for, my controversial travel bag take, and a U.S. hotel straight out of a fever dream
This is Window Shopping, a weekly mini-letter from Window Seat—your stylish scroll through what’s new, noteworthy, and next in the world of travel. Each issue blends timely headlines, personal favorites, and design-forward hotels to keep your wanderlust well-fed.
Sho Shibuya for Lufthansa is an airline collab that is beautiful in both meaning and execution. Sho, a contemporary artist known for his deeply expressive gradient artwork, worked with the airline to create a gradient that mirrors the view from an airplane window. 🥲 But it get better—the gradient came to life on premium loungewear garments produced by TEKLA, available for customers in Lufthansa’s Allegris First Class cabin.
Delta is expanding their partnership with Shake Shack. Speaking of beautiful airline collabs… I’m excited to hear that Shake Shack will be served on more Delta flights! Previously only available on First Class flights out of Boston, they'll now be served on those out of Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia and Seattle.
I recently had a staycation—review coming next week!—and I’m flying to family this weekend, so packing has been top of mind. Listen, I’ll never be a product minimalist, okay? But I’m also happy to report that, once an unapologetic maximalist, I’ve managed to majorly downsize my lineup. Now, I can fit all of my makeup in Calpak’s Clear Train Case and all of my toiletries in a slim travel bag from Amazon. (If that still seems excessive to you, you don’t want to know what it was like before, trust me.)
I also got a new everyday bag a couple months ago that I haven’t yet flown with. The catch is that it’s a top-handle bag. I know a lot of you are gonna think I’m NUTS for even considering traveling with a bag that doesn’t have a shoulder strap, but I’ve been commuting with it from Brooklyn to Times Square four times a week without any issue, so I feel like I’ve properly vetted it. I’m excited to fly with it because—I’m going to say something controversial here—I think it’s incredibly chic to pare back what you carry to the point that you don’t have to lug a ton of shit over your shoulder. I’m always going for chic. Sue me!
Estelle Manor—Oxfordshire, England
Are you ready to die and go to hotel heaven? When you are, you’ll find yourself at Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, which shot to the top of my must-visit list after I discovered it. It’s a 60-acre private estate deep in the English countryside that boasts four restaurants, a workout complex with fitness classes, and a Roman-style communal bath. This is definitely one for the bucket list.
The Baby Grand—San Diego, California
Would you believe me if I told you this hotel is opening in San Diego? Set to open late this year, the renderings feel like a bit of a fever dream. It’s giving Versace opulence meets 80s art deco glam, no? Plans for the hotel include an omakase-style restaurant along with an “interactive sculpture” in the lobby that reveals the entrance to an undersea-themed oyster bar. I’m very curious as to what the vibe will be once it’s open—I have family in the area, so I’m putting this on my radar to check out the next time I’m in town.
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Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.
I’m a recent top handle bag concert as well, having come to hate how a shoulder bag gives you the illusion of being “hands free” when in reality you basically have to hold most shoulder bags on anyway! Always sipping off and readjusting, NOT CHIC 🤣
come to california and lets go to the baby grand!