Travel Essentials What to Pack and What to Take Home from a Thrilling Mountain Escape in Verbier
There’s nothing like a European escape to the Alps to flee the hustle and bustle of New York City. That’s why Julie and Jason Alkire, the partners behind Haus Alkire, set off on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to W Verbier in Switzerland for a breath of fresh air. For their W Inspiration Trip, the CFDA {Fashion Incubator} designers packed up for a weekend escape of mountain adventures and fine dining.
We asked the duo to spill their bag of travel essentials and to share a few of the souvenirs that took home that hold their favorite Verbier memories.
Packing Essentials
Always have activity fuel and snacks like protein bars. Avoid airline food. Vitamin E is good for travel skin. Boots that are trusty, rugged, and well broken in. Chapstick like an ol’ fashion lip balm for me, and a great under lipstick base for her.
We wanted to visit Verbier because we enjoy the outdoors and often reference nature in our collections. We wanted to find an atypical location that had the culture and environment that would be inspirational. Our ancestry runs through regions of the Alps, so we felt there was a personal connection as well.
Souvenirs
Verbier was breathtaking. The vast visual expanse is almost overwhelming—and the air is fresh and thin. We loved the wine and food. We had not experienced Swiss wine. But, it completely makes sense, as the environment is ideal throughout the Valais and mountainsides. Pair that with the best cheese and chocolate—you will be stunned, too. We needed to take some home.