INTERVIEW WITH KONSTANTIN PUTYLENKO

Marketing Projects & Brand Management TSUM Kyiv

Ex Editor-in-Chief Marie Claire UA

What is your favourite city and why?

Several years ago, while filling out an application form for a British visa, I had to specify absolutely all the trips abroad I’d had. It turned out that I had visited Paris more than 30 times. Yes, most of them were business trips, but I love flying there on vacation as well. I’ve stayed in the most modest hotels near Gare du Nord and in Montmartre, and in the iconic Ritz, Peninsula, Le Bristol, but everywhere I felt just as good as in my home city. Paris is always very tasty, heart-warming, there’s perfect urban planning and infrastructure there. But the main thing is that literally everything is saturated with fashion and art. I think I could give tours around this city. If one of my friends is going to Paris, I make ideal routes for them and give recommendations not only about museums, restaurants, but I also share places that are further away from regular travel itineraries.

In what country would you like to live for a long time and why exactly there?

I’ve had this kind of experience: in my youth, I lived in the USA for six months and for about two years in the UK. I think this greatly influenced me, or rather, my worldview, my attitude to life. Nowadays, I rarely have thoughts of staying in any country or of moving; rather, sometimes I have bouts of nostalgia. Besides my beloved France, I want to return to Copenhagen and Los Angeles in the near future, the cities which are completely different in spirit but which are so close to me.

What do you usually bring from your trips?

I love good food, and I always bring local specialties as souvenirs: from France and Italy I bring cheese and wine, from Greece and Cyprus – olive oil, from Asia – fruits and spices. Not for myself, but for my mother and my close friends. And the most pleasant part is meeting with friends and discussing the impressions from the trip in a pleasant company. If I’ve managed to attend a unique exhibition, I try to bring a book, I collect art photo books.

What three items are always in your backpack?

A power bank, perfume and a water bottle. Sunglasses almost always.

What main features of a backpack are important to you?

If possible, I travel only with hand luggage. This significantly simplifies everything. Ideally, with a backpack that has many compartments and which can be expanded if necessary. This is very convenient if you leave the hotel in the morning and return late at night with valuable trophies. The backpack should be lightweight but durable and comfortable. Sometimes I put my backpack in a suitcase and use it as extra luggage on the way back.

How can real fashionists pack everything they need? What’s the secret?

I stand for comfort in travel, so I have my own rules. The main thing is to have the least luggage. Twenty years ago, I made a perfect vacation list that is very easy to use (for example, just multiply your underwear and shirts by the number of travel days). This helps me pack in 15 minutes without taking anything extra. Second, fold items in tight rolls, so they don’t wrinkle and they will take up the least amount of space. Third, think through colour combinations at home.