Sebastian Jean Defines the Contemporary Traveler
Travel is innate to us all. Dating all the way back to the beginning of history, the spirit of wanderlust has powered our desire to seek out the unknown and forge trailblazing narratives. As the forebear of modern travel, Samsonite champions the new-age nomads as they carry on the generational pursuit of global exploration. With precious cargo in tow, the inimitable travel brand and Highsnobiety tag along on a trip with an ascending creative mind to take a peek into the life of the contemporary traveler.
Contrary to popular belief, the life of a fashion director isn’t all runways and designer ensembles. I know, I know, shocking, right? Instead, I see each moment in my career as a flicker of inspiration, a memento I’m storing that contributes to the broader message I’m trying to express through my work. Now that I’m on the go more than ever, I’ve become hyper-perceptive to the world around me, thoughtfully integrating all the different elements I’ve gathered into other facets of myself and my workflow.
While on the surface, all the people, places, smells, sounds, and auras I’m referencing in my creative practice may not seem related, after years of refinement, I’m able to pick out even the most minute details that help tie everything together in a way that feels sincere and intentional. I think that’s the beauty of the work that I do, discovering these little threads of correlation and following them as far they’ll take me. Sometimes, I can clearly see the destination I'm heading to; other times, as cliché as it sounds, I just leave myself open to what’s possible, letting my intuition guide me.
That’s why I love traveling. It’s an opportunity to explore the unknown, or at least the unfamiliar. Everywhere I find myself nowadays, I always make an effort to genuinely connect with the people I’m working with. Really, it’s all part of my pursuit to become a new-aged James Bond, hopping from place to place, equipped with the proper skill set, wardrobe, and Samsonite omnidirectional suitcase to tackle anything ahead of me. The New Yorker in me craves that.
Having the chance to interact with such a broad spectrum of minds that all maintain varying ideologies forces me to reassess where my strengths and weaknesses lie. I always return home from my experiences abroad feeling evolved and focused—or at least a bit more street-wise when it comes to navigating new spaces.
I started traveling consistently for work back in 2017, which was a massive step up from where I began my career. I often still think about the days when I was frantically running around the city handling pick-ups and returns, turning down nights out with friends, and, candidly, taking on a lot of work pro bono. And yet, I can never remember a time when I wanted to do anything differently. For me, the passion to master my craft has always been my driving force; That’s why I’m constantly pushing myself to bring something fresh to this fast-paced, ever-evolving industry while still effectively communicating my story.
My most recent trip to the Hamptons reinforced exactly what I enjoy about my wayfaring lifestyle. A change in scenery is always nice, especially since I spend most of my time managing New York’s delirium. You don’t notice how chaotic the city is until you’re in a place where the default soundscape isn’t an incessant cacophony. Maneuvering the winding and narrow roads of the Long Island peninsula, I sat in contemplative silence, dreaming up the various menswear looks I wanted to put together for my shoot the following day.
Being out East gave me the time and, more apparently, the space to really dig deep into the task at hand. I even had a moment to reflect on my surroundings and this transient life I’ve built for myself. Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in the next style trend, the next issue, the next shoot that I have to set aside time to get back to the basics. It’s my meditation practice, grounding myself in purpose and blocking out the millions of things pulling me in a million different directions. So when I’m able to channel that while I’m at work or on the move, it’s just another reminder of my north star. Finding myself in the Hamptons, hearing the waves cascading down onto the shore, watching the sea birds levitate across the horizon, and feeling my feet shrouded in the warm sand. These are all moments I’m taking note of. And who knows when and how they’ll manifest later on?
While there are so many advantageous aspects to traveling that I appreciate, it can still be challenging at times. Not only am I away from the people that I love and the comforts of familiarity, but I always have to find a good spot to park my car so I don’t return to a dashboard full of tickets. And I don’t even want to get into the jetlag that looms over me every time I touch down back in the city—I need at least a solid day and a half of no contact to get my circadian rhythm back on track. I can’t complain too much at the end of the day, though. I chose this, and it’s a privilege that some of my biggest grievances concern the length of the TSA line and tedious flight delays. I prefer to romanticize these kinds of things; they bring me back to a different time in my life when this was the dream—and now I’m living it.
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