1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you from and what do you do?
I was born and raised in London and now live in New York City with my 17-year-old daughter, Bluesy, and my boyfriend of nine and a half years, Happy. Before that, I spent 15 years in Los Angeles. I’m the founder and creative director of DeMeric (demericstudio.com), a travel lifestyle brand rooted in storytelling, exploration, and memory. The name DeMeric comes from my mum’s side of the family – and in many ways, the brand carries their spirit: curious, a little rebellious, always restless.
We make beautiful Italian leather overnight bags with custom jacquard lining, and silk clothing. There’s a sense of nostalgia woven through everything we do. We want our pieces to evolve with you and feel personal – almost like you stumbled on them in a tucked-away boutique on an island that’s hard to get to.
The brand is really just how I live and travel: with feeling and irreverence. Our first campaign features my 95-year-old grandmother and her twin sister – our family matriarchs, icons, and rebels.
2. What is your most unforgettable escape?
Asilah, a small coastal town about 40 minutes down the coast from Tangier.
3. What was the purpose of your travel?
We travel there to see our great friends Michael and Cecile. Since we all live in different cities around the world, Asilah has become our meeting point. Happy and Michael have been friends for about 30 years.
4. With how many people did you travel?
Usually it’s a small group – close friends we’ve known forever, scattered across cities like Rome and Budapest. There’s a rhythm between us at this point. It always feels easy, familiar, and fun.
5. Where did you stay?
Michael and Cecile have a beautiful home in the Medina of Asilah, which they’ve had for about 20 years. It’s a real gem – relaxed and full of charm. (There are plenty of other riads and Airbnbs around too. Once, when their place was full, we stayed at Riad Oasis d’Asilah.)
6. What did you like most about the trip?
All of it. We fall into a rhythm – wake up, then Cecile and I go to breakfast in the Medina in our kaftans (we only wear kaftans when we’re in Asilah). We get very excited about finding a good one in a great color. Then we all drive about 30 minutes to a huge, almost empty beach, spend the day there, have lunch, and return home for drinks on the roof – watching the sunset over the sea and the Medina, listening to the call to prayer. Then we eat a home cooked tagine together for dinner, play backgammon and listen to music
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7. Can you share an unforgettable memory from the journey?
Although Asilah is our base, Tangier is only a 40-minute drive away, so we often spend the day there or go in for dinner. I’ve been fascinated by Tangier since I was a kid – my dad was the music supervisor on The Sheltering Sky, which was set there, so I grew up hearing stories and seeing posters around his office. When I finally went, it felt oddly familiar, like I’d already been. What made it even more surreal is that our friend Michael – who we stay with – once worked with my dad on another film. And he’s been close to Happy for decades. That strange overlap of past and present, and seeing Tangier through Michael and Cecile’s eyes, made the whole experience feel like some kind of beautiful coincidence.
8. Your most surprising find during the trip?
Tangier feels like the real Morocco to me – rugged but chic. There’s so much to take in between Asilah and Tangier. I didn’t expect the city to feel so layered – familiar and foreign at the same time. The one thing that’s never surprising? How full my suitcase gets. Between the antique shops, textiles, and unexpected pieces I stumble across, there’s always something I want to bring home.
9. Favorite restaurants or food discovered?
The beach we drive to every day is known as “Hermès Beach” (the Hermès family has acquired land and properties there). Just a few steps up from the sand is Restaurant Mounir – open-air, with just a few tables under a straw roof. I always order the fresh grilled sardines and fries. I love the smell of sardines. It’s simple, beautiful, and perfect. Another favorite is L’Ocean, just outside Tangier. It’s elegant but relaxed, set right on the beach, and only open for lunch – definitely worth planning your day around. The seafood is incredible – simple, fresh, and perfectly prepared, with French, Spanish, and Moroccan influences. It’s ideal for a long, boozy lunch… if you drink. 😉 El Morocco Club, tucked into the Kasbah of Tangier, has an old-world, cinematic vibe. You can still smoke inside the bar downstairs, and it truly feels like you’ve been transported back in time. Upstairs, the restaurant serves beautifully prepared dishes – the fish tartare is especially good. It’s cool without trying too hard. Villa Mabrouka is a refined, 12-room boutique hotel just outside Tangier, formerly Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s 1940s holiday home. Restored by British designer Jasper Conran, it features lush gardens, two pools, a hammam, and a rooftop cocktail bar – all with a quiet, English-country vibe. It’s lovely for lunch and a swim.
10. What are the must-tries in this destination?
Villa Josephine – just walking through the door, you feel frozen in another era. It’s an old French villa perched on the mountain above Tangier, and it has this quiet, cinematic grandeur. I wouldn’t say the food is the best, but the ambiance transports you. Sunset and martinis at the bar are perfect, and the rooms are gorgeous if you stay the night. Tangier’s Medina is unlike any other – it blends Moroccan character with European colonial architecture. Once you pass through the gates, it’s alive with color, sound, and texture. It has this quiet, old-world energy you don’t find everywhere. The Kasbah, just beyond the Medina and set on a cliff above the ocean, is quiet and ancient, filled with riads and restaurants worth exploring. Hotel Nord-Pinus Tangier is one of those unforgettable spots. It’s a small riad in the Kasbah with a rooftop bar that overlooks the straits to Spain – ideal for an early evening drink.
11. Any hidden gems you could whisper to us?
I feel like I already have – Asilah, to me, is the epitome of a hidden gem. It’s about 30 minutes from Tangier, and it feels like a postcard: a tiny whitewashed medina by the sea, filled with artists, cats, and the occasional perfect doorway. There’s such a sense of peace there. It’s one of the few places where I feel completely calm – and genuinely happy.
12. Would you go back, and why?
10000%. It’s one of the few places that actually slows me down – peaceful, grounding, and always exactly what I need. It transports me to a completely different world, and it stays with me long after I’ve left.
13. Could you list a few favorite finds you came back with?
• Kaftans from Azul (Asilah): High-end pieces you won’t see in every souk. Azul is the woman who makes them – her boutique is tiny, and she only lets in one customer at a time.
• Soap from Madini Parfumeur (Tangier): I like the “hot pink” rose-scented bar. It’s great for hand-washing and leaves the whole bathroom smelling beautiful. I pack my case with as many as possible and always bring extras for gifts.
• A vintage pillow cover: A little treasure for the upstate New York home I’m manifesting.
• Brocade silk pants: Super cool – black and gold, white and gold – from a little shop tucked into a side street in Tangier.
• A Moroccan lamp: The kind you can find all over the Medina – but somehow, this one felt just right.
14. Any tips useful to know before going there?
You’ll need a car to get to all the places I mentioned. I’d split your time between Asilah and Tangier – do a few days in the Medina and on the beach, then spend a couple of nights in Tangier to really take it all in. Villa Josephine is a great place to stay. And if the customs line at the airport is long, slip an attendant a few dollars – they’ll usually take you straight to the front.
15. Next stop you’d like to visit?
Kenya. It’s been calling me for a while. There’s a pull I can’t really explain – it just feels like it’s time.
16. What does traveling and escape mean to you?
Travel, for me, is about breaking rhythm and slipping into a different frequency. It’s not about luxury or escape in the cliché sense – it’s about getting lost on purpose. Letting a place, a smell, or a sky pull you somewhere unexpected – it shakes things loose and resets the way I see. The best trips don’t always have a plan – they just have a feeling.
17. What’s your summer travel soundtrack?
I make playlists wherever I go – there’s something about matching music to a place that locks in the memory. There’s always a mix of French songs and old classics – Manu Chao, Buena Vista Social Club, that kind of thing. But reggae is my favorite, especially in the morning. It instantly puts me in a good mood.
18. Your latest read?
I just finished The Friday Afternoon Club by my friend and neighbor Griffin Dunne. Highly recommend.
Follow along at @de_meric or visit demericstudio.com
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