What does a hotel manager wear on the go? T+L checks in with Soho House New York’s Pierre Antoine Dourneau.
“My luggage was once lost and I had to attend a meeting in a Delta Air Lines T-shirt,” says Pierre Antoine Dourneau, general manager of Soho House New York. Not exactly appropriate business attire for a man who is also working on the British hotel group’s expansion in the U.S., with the recent opening of Soho House West Hollywood and, this fall, Soho Beach House Miami. These days, with his frequent trips between the coasts and also to his hometown of Nice, France, Dourneau takes no chances. “I travel smart and always carry on,” he says. His in-flight wardrobe? Dourneau is sure to bring a cashmere hoodie—his “travel luxury”—like this one by Armand Diradourian ($489). “It’s warm, comfortable, and surprisingly durable.” Underneath, he wears a cotton collared dress shirt by AllSaints ($110). “I can get off the plane and go straight to my meetings.” Dourneau favors AllSaints jeans ($135) as well because “they’re easy to travel in and they look good.” On his feet: Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars ($45). “Mine are so well worn that I don’t even have to undo the laces,” says Dourneau. “I just slip them off at airport security.”
Bag: “My rolling Mandarina Duck carry-on ($320) is fashionable and functional. The two front pockets are perfect for my netbook and my dress shoes by John Varvatos (from $398), which go with jeans or a suit.”
Computer: “I like the compact size of the Sony Vaio W Series mini laptop ($450). Flights are ideal for catching up on e-mail, food blogs, English football, and the French news. ”
Book: “I’ve lived in Manhattan for just over one year. I recently bought Edward Rutherfurd’s New York ($30) to learn more about the city’s history.”
