The Edit: Volume 5
In Residence w/ Aza Ziegler, Creatively Nostalgic Hotels, a Bucket List Hotel in South Africa, Long Lost Hotel Cousins of The Greyfield Inn, Loves of the Week
In Residence with Aza Ziegler
This story starts in the summer of 2005, at The Depot in our hometown of Mill Valley, California. “Are your jeans *Siwy?” I heard someone ask me. It was Aza, and we were about to be 8th graders. But really, I already knew who she was because Aza Ziegler has always been the Cool Girl. The one with great taste, great style, a special spirit, and a big heart – a true tastemaker. Fast best friends, I always knew she would make a big name for herself. And she has, with her incredible luxury knitwear line Calle Del Mar.
CDM is a brand that’s a favorite among both stylists and the most stylish set. I’ve been a day one, number one fan. All my favorite outfits on my trips include a Calle del Mar piece or two, too! Pamela Anderson wore it on her iconic makeup-free People magazine cover, and Emma Chamberlain wore it for her viral Architectural Digest home tour. So proud!
This week, she was so generous to take the time during NYFW to talk to me about hotels, travel, and her world of inspiration. It’s so good. I’m so grateful. She is the ultimate good person with good taste who I’m incredibly grateful to have as a longtime friend. Enjoy!! She delivered, big time.
*We actually can’t remember if the jeans were Siwy or Hudson, for fullest transparency.
This isn't going to be alllll about hotels, but it feels obligatory to start with them. Do you have a favorite hotel that you've ever stayed at?
Hotel Pellicano OR Mezzatore are high up there but for something different, I also really loved Hotel San Cristóbal in Mexico, a lot !! And dare I admit Manka’s?!
You may dare! I’ve definitely mentioned it as one of my most-awaited openings on here before :) Also, it makes me so happy that you loved Pellicano and Ischia as much as I hoped you would. Yay.
And then I must know what's on your hotel bucket list? If you have a mental list, that is.
Since following you on Tik Tok this list has grown massively but I’m in my “not too far from home, really chill out” vacation era – so most immediately, Cuximala !!
I can’t wait for you to go and watch from afar - I know the perfect room in the main villa for you and from LA there’s a direct flight to Manzanillo. Also, I fully endorse this era.
With Calle Del Mar, I know your inspiration often comes from California and Italy, but is there anywhere in the world that you would love to visit for a design inspiration trip?
Oh absolutely!! The core inspiration for Calle Del Mar comes from my Italian heritage and and archive of vintage hand knits and hand crochet I was so lucky to inherited from my southern Italian grandmother who did it all! We develop our yarn outside Florence and much of the craft is apart of Italian culture.
California inspires the brand because I am a California girl to the core, in turn our girl is easy, effortless and not over done.
For me heritage, history, ease and effortlessness is also the recipe for a perfect vacation, trip, or adventure! The collection leans very resort — our customer loves to pack our pieces, whether it’s Aspen or Capri! Especially Aspen with the launch of our cashmere line! So I would say there is endless inspiration for me in travel, art, adventure, new landscapes and seascapes.
We’re currently working on a collection inspired by the flora and fauna of Hawaii. Previously, places like Denmark and Switzerland have weighed in on our cashmere development — we love a simplistic French girl moment.
I love how you describe your brand and how varied your inspirations are. Interestingly, I’ve always thought it would be a great addition to a French woman’s wardrobe so I love that you mentioned that.
I know you and Jordan were just in Kauai, which I know you love. I did too, when I went with you and your family! I'm sure the people would love to know if you have any super special recommendations - special beaches, restaurants, stores, etc? I know I would love to know.
Kauai to me has always been like a second home. I spent every winter there growing up and it had been a while since I had returned. Jordan and I were in need of a real “phones off” vacation and we both knew this would be the spot for it. In fact, the motto of Hanalei bay is “slow down”.
What I love about Kauai is how untouched it is, in comparison to the rest of Hawaii. It’s a bit crunchy, the island is centered around its wild beauty filled with rolling green mountains, rainbows and horses. It’s nature-centric culture feels familiar to me being a Northern California girl.
We spent time in both Hanalei Bay & Waineha, swimming in the fresh water rivers that meet the salty sea (MAGIC!), hiking to waterfalls, hitting the local yoga studio and eating endless mangos.
Hanalei is the best town and best beach. Musts are:
Na Pali coast park (many waterfalls!)
Dolphin Fish market for lunch sushi
Cafe Tumeric food truck for Indian food
Akamai Juice company
Black Coral Yoga
Fonda’s Daughter for vintage
Ok I must return to Kauai! It’s definitely my favorite Hawaiian island. Thank you the most for this amazing list.
You've lived in NYC and live in LA now, and you're from Northern California of course. If you had a friend asking what hotel to stay at in each area, what would be your top rec (or recs)?
Great question. There are so many classic and incredible hotels in NYC but I imagine a friend visiting would be interested in being central to a lot of cool spots. Recently when I come for work, my hotel has been Nine Orchard and I’ve been loving it!! The Swan Room is gorgeous, the room service is fantastic, the closets are big and the rooms are cozy. I like to think of it as the New Bowery. And I love that I can walk outside and hit Desert Vintage or grab a Cervos & Dimes! In LA - I’d honestly have to say the Santa Monica Proper. The spa is incredible, and if you’re going to come to LA you might as well enjoy the full experience and be on the West Side. I am an East Side LA girl, but would recommend booking a house if you plan to stay on that side of town.
For Northern California, Mankas — so excited for it to re-open. You can’t beat a West Marin weekend.
No you sure cannot!
If you had to describe your design aesthetic, the DNA of CDM you could say, how would you describe it? I want to curate a list of hotels that share the same spirit below.
OMG cute, I love that.
Nostalgic, colorful, playful, thoughtful. There is a meaningfulness to my design process, and a coziness and easiness to the pieces. The cardigan can make you feel sexy and easy, the patchwork pieces can make you feel loungy and cool, the cashmere can make you feel cozy and elevated.
Lastly, are there any places in the world that you feel an undeniable pull towards? Places you've been or want to go. I find the places that everyone "must go to" so interesting.
I’ve been lucky to have traveled a lot!! But I’ve always been called to the Italian Alps and Switzerland and well as Africa & Greece. I am very curious to see Nordic Europe too! But... Italy, California, Kauai and Colorado hold my heart forever!
Thank you SO much. I’m sure there are a lot of screenshots being taken! I beyond appreciate your time and it makes me so happy to have a full-circle friendship moment. This was so fun!
Calle del Mar-Inspired Hotels
The brief: nostalgically cozy, playfully easy, thoughtfully colorful – Calle Del Mar (& Aza’s taste) in hotel form.
The first that come to mind is naturally in Capri, La Minerva. Casa Privata on the Amalfi Coast too, when it’s not booked weekly and available as a hotel. Other Italian gems up the CDM alley: Villa La Madonna in Piemonte, Villa Biondelli in Franciacorta, Corte delle Maesta in Tuscia, and Villa Lena in Tuscany. Reschio most definitely too, but I feel like that’s obvious. Of course, there are countless more on The Curation of Hotels in Italy.
Sterrekopje Farm in South Africa is an easy, obvious match.
Strangely, this one hotel that immediately came to mind – I’ve long been obsessed but don’t know anyone who’s stayed. Le Nessay, in the town of Saint-Briac-sur-Mer on the coast of Brittany in France. On the very cool coast of Normandy, in the very cute town of Honfleur is another perfect one: La Maison de Lucie.
In the UK, Estelle Manor is the obvious choice, and Hotel Tresanton is more under-the-radar.
P.S. The UK 100 is going to be on this week’s paid edition. Aka my curation of the 100 most special hotels in the UK, besides London.
In-the-Middle-of-Nowhere & Otherworldly
Honestly, I’m pretty into the out-of-the-way. The journey is most definitely part of the fun, and I like the kind of adventure that ends in somewhere luxuriously special.
Kagga Kamma is somewhere I’m yearning to go, to be in the middle of nowhere. With a unique position in the Western Cape of South Africa, yet in the Cederberg Mountain Range - I kind of see it like if Amangiri had personality. Not nearly as expensive nor “luxurious,” yet I much rather go here. My one note: bad website, their Instagram is better.
Old-World, Honor Bar-Type Hotels
In The Edit: Volume 4, I shared long lost cousin hotels to The Colony Palm Beach. I.e. if you like that hotel, you’ll like these too. A request was placed for the same thing with hotels like the Greyfield Inn on Cumberland Island, Georgia. A former home-turned-hotel, with freedom to roam, and legacy and lore. There are so many hotels akin to this throughout the world, but top of mind are:
Alcuzcuz, outside Marbella is most definitely the long-lost Spanish cousin of The Greyfield. Full Spain hotel list here, for reference.
The Ocean View Club on Harbour Island in the Bahamas is known for their incredibly charming honor bar, and it’s very home-like.
Casa Maria Luigia outside Modena, Italy takes honor bar to new heights with a house refrigerator filled with owner Massimo Bottura’s desserts, as well as juices, all the types of water, and all the fixings for a cocktail. Lots of prosecco. And, no charge. There’s one in each room as well. I’m staying in May, of course I’ll report back here with all the details. Il Salviatino outside Florence feels like you own the place, and the place happens to be a historic mansion.
The Madrona in Healdsburg, California has an honor bar, and an intimate feel especially after-dark. Full California hotel list here.
Loves of the Week
For all things pop culture, the new and aptly-named Substack
has been my go-to for how to get inspired.I know you’re going to say no at first, but Lacoste is coming back and it’s always been cool in my book. I want this stacked crocodile striped button down.
Watch rings. I was served an ad on Instagram, and then another. It takes two to tango and to trend. I love when unexpected, nostalgia and elegant co-exist. This and this are the pieces in question.
I have no place justifying a $65 marbled mug with a squiggly handle, but maybe you do.
If you need to buy an extra-special housewarming gift, this Fornasetti sun clock is IT. I want it so badly and I need it not at all.
These Delarge sunglasses are in the running to win the role of the sunglasses of my upcoming summer.
Ok, URL and IRL friends alike, put in any requests or questions below!
Thank you for being here, happy Sunday, there are 99 days to Memorial Day (the unofficial start of summer).
xx Your Penpal,
Marissa
Thank you for the feature! The inspiration is very mutual 💖