The June Specials

A recap of the month’s purchases, inspirations, and general musings

I spent the first half of this week in Saugatuck, Michigan, a place I had never heard of until I got invited on my very first press trip to Michigan’s “art coast”. Chicago-based interiors firm Soucie Horner purchased The Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck a few years ago, then completely restored and revamped it into this antiques-filled paradise for anyone who loves gardens full of hydrangeas, pressed sheets, and waking up to the smell of French toast. I expected to have a nice time—these looked like people who cared about the details!—but I left feeling inspired, rested, and ready to move my entire life to Michigan.

I alway say to my clients that “design is hospitality”—there’s no value in design that simply exists to be pretty. We’ve all been to hotels that look great from afar but quickly reveal shitty service, mediocre food, or absurdly placed plugs in the rooms upon closer look. Once you start to see the scuffed walls, the sad continental breakfast, and the dirty pool deck, the cute room keys and the free matchbooks lose their luster.

Design—interiors, graphic, whatever—is the same way. Good design anticipates what you might need, considers the experience as a whole, and doesn’t skimp out on the details. I see “fast design” like I do fast fashion or fast food: cheap, wasteful, and superficial. Sometimes it’s fun, but it’s rarely truly worth it. Every time I zoom in on a bit of type to find misaligned anchor points or stand in a space where the music is fighting against the atmosphere, my blood starts to boil—here you have an opportunity to turn a vacation, a brand, or a room into something that makes someone feel seen, and instead, corners are cut. (It takes everything in me not to call out the designers who have built entire careers off of this approach, but I’m nice.)

Anyway, this is what was running through my head on the plane ride home. Because The Wickwood is run by people who understand design—not just aesthetics, but truly functional, thoughtful design—it’s a considered experience from check-in to check-out. It allowed me to spend time with old friends (Carly Kuhn!), internet friends (Abena Anim-Somuah!), and new friends Bella Darden!) without any distractions, and I left feeling like I got a masterclass in world-building—corny jargon, but that’s what it is—in the process. I miss it (and those friends, and the cold foam lattes, and the mattress in my room) already.

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

• Continuing with my manifestation of the Summer of the Provincial Picnic (AKA dressing like a Victorian ghost and eating every meal outside), I ordered a couple of If Only If nightgowns-that-are-also-dresses to round out my collection. The Clover Long is a lightweight, floaty number with an adjustable neckline and puffy sleeves that I’ll be wearing all summer over slip dresses and swimsuits. The real winner, though, is The Vita Long in black. It’s opaque, so what you wear underneath it is entirely your business, and it’s a little easier to style in a non-pajama-y way (if that’s a hesitation of yours). I love them both.

• What I don’t love are swimsuits—I just never feel good in one, and after decades of disappointment, I’ve come to accept that there aren’t many that won’t gap or squeeze in some unflattering, morale-shattering way. But I stumbled on Else Lingerie’s swimsuit line a few weeks ago and, after DMing the brand to talk sizing, ended up with the Essential One Piece in black (a size 3), which has a built-in underwire, adjustable straps, and a bra-like clasp in the back to keep things in place. I can’t say enough good things about it—it feels like it was designed by people who actually understand human bodies (because it was). As soon as the crimson color is back in stock, I’m buying a second.

• I bought this silk flower brooch off Etsy the other week and have been pinning it to my bags, my t-shirts, and my dresses almost every day. It comes in a few colors, like a very cute wasabi green I might have to add to the mix at some point.

• Becky Malinsky influenced my next acquisition: an embroidered eyelet tank from Reformation that looks vintage, but isn’t. It’s a great top, easy to wear, and is a significant aesthetic upgrade from my usual white tee.

• To celebrate the occasion of turning in my manuscript last month, J.Hannah sweetly gifted me the tassel charm that’s been on my wish list for literal years. I like the idea of marking big career moments or personal wins with special pieces of jewelry I’ll keep forever, and I feel really touched that this charm will always remind me of the day I pressed “send” on something I worked on so hard. (By the way, I get a lot of requests in the À La Carte chat for custom jewelers, so you may be interested to know that, in addition to their Ceremony collection, J.Hannah is now offering bespoke design services.)

• Because it’s imperative that my tabletop matches my actual top, these lace placemats from Rennk are now fixtures of my linens collection. The artichokes! Adorable.

WHAT’S ON MY WISH LIST

• After stumbling on this round-up of images from French Style by Suzanne Slesin and Stafford Cliff (1982), I’ve decided I need a copy of my own. I’ve seen that image of the duck bed a million times on Pinterest and never knew where it came from, and from what I can tell, the rest of the book’s pages are filled with inspiration just as exciting. Grab a copy here ($7), here ($10), or here ($13).

• I love these little beaded bags from Barcelona-based brand Moliane, which come in three colorways each begging to be brought on vacation. Predictably, I’m eyeing the brown, but the yellow would be perfect for an escape to somewhere tropical.

• The next installment of Alex Mill’s collaboration with Margaux has just dropped, an easy-to-wear sandal in three poppy colors and fabrications, and they’re just as lovely as ever. I’m especially interested in the butter yellow, a color that, unfortunately, now reminds me of Amanda Batula. (I’ll get past it.)

WHAT I GOT INSPIRED BY

• David Hockney was and will always remain one of my biggest influences. I said this on Instagram already, but I sort of felt like I knew him somehow, and I feel lucky to be able to drive down Mulholland or past The Roosevelt and conjure works of his that will stay with me forever. In a mid-lockdown letter to Ruth Mackenzie in April 2020, Hockney wrote, “Idiots that we are, we have lost our link with nature even though we are part of it completely. All of this will end one day. What lessons will we learn? I’m 82, I’m going to die. We die because we are born. The only things that matter in life are food and love, in that order, and also our little dog Ruby. I truly believe this, and for me, the basis of art is love. I love life.” RIP DH. <3

• Two things I want to tell you about! For one, the Belmond Photographic Residency, an opportunity for up-and-coming photographers to take up residency at a Belmond property (all expenses paid!), get their work published in a book with RVB, and a financial award, among other perks. Applications close September 15.

  And second, The World of Interiors and Montblanc have announced an open call for 500-words-or-less writing submissions that respond to the theme of “Doors & Drawers”. Selected writers will be published in The World of Interiors January 2027 issue and will receive mentorship from the magazine’s editorial team. Submissions close August 31.

• I stayed at The Wickwood while I was in Saugatuck, but we also got to visit one of Soucie Horner’s other properties: Fairview, a historic estate that you should definitely rent next time you visit Michigan’s west coast. Within seconds of stepping foot into the house, I beelined it for this little passthrough bar area between the living room and the dining room that had the most insane wall covering—from far away it looked like leopard print, but up close it was a painterly texture that more closely resembled tortoiseshell. It was my favorite thing I saw all week.

• Admittedly, I’m hard to impress when it comes to packaging design, but the carton for KJH.brand’s new makeup brush soap caught my attention last week. I got excited and immediately hopped to their site to see what I was sure would be a similarly ‘60s-inspired design suite across all their products, but it turns out it’s just the one. I’ve been waiting for someone to go all-in on a more modern approach to vintage makeup packaging (like a fresh take on what Benefit’s been doing all along), but alas, the opportunity remains. (They don’t even have an image of the carton on the product page? I’m available for hire, FYI.)

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON OVER HERE

• I’ve been working on the details for the trip I’m leading to Italy—the guests’ intro packets and some fun little surprises along the way—and it’s starting to feel so real! This really is going to be a dream trip, I’m telling you. If you’re looking ahead to the summer and wishing you had something to look forward to, might I suggest snagging one of the last couple of spots? (Also, looking for some beauty, travel, and accessory brands to partner with—reach out to hello@alilabelle.co if you’re interested!)

• Substack launched a new feature on the platform: subscriber perks! If you visit À La Carte on desktop, you’ll see a new tab labeled “Perks”, and if you click on that tab, you’ll see that paid annual subscribers to À La Carte also receive total access to my Rec League, the place I share my book reviews, travel guides, and more exclusive content. This perk is only available to annual subscribers, so if you’re a monthly subscriber and you want to change your payment plan, follow these steps, then revisit the Perks tab to unlock your free Rec League membership.

WHAT I SAVED

• An ad from Marni—I liked the lipstick-y writing over the image.

• This beautiful shot by creative duo Nocera&Ferri.

• A perfect approach to an overstuffed couch by Cote de Folk.

• Bodega Castañeda in Grenada, Spain. Great typography.

• A very cool crocheted sock/shoe combo by Flor Studio (and Flor Studio’s mom!)

• A staircase at Villa Jacqueline and Villa Elza in Belgium.

• A woven tablecloth by Soft Serves for Lacoste.

• Chairs featuring Dedar Milano’s fabrics shot at Villa Carlotta in Lake Como.

• A vintage album of photos of New York, maybe?

Happy Father’s Day to the dads out there (I think one of the only dads reading this will be my own, but just in case). I’ll see you next week.

x

Ali

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