Sophie Monet’s Guide to the Big Sur
The California native is exploring her home state and letting it inspire her.
Sophie styling her lookbook post-trip.
Now that Sophie Monet has moved back West after a stint in New York, she’s doing some latitudinal exploring. Awhile ago, the designer, who makes earthy chic wood-and-rock jewelry, and her boyfriend headed up to the Big Sur. The jagged cliffs and the dramatic drop-offs got her so excited that she decided to try to mimic the rocky beach setting for a lookbook, shot in Malibu. Here, she shares the five finds that have stuck with her.
Sophie doing her best tree gnome, stepping out of a huge redwood.
The (Daunting) Hike: “There’s this place called Jade Cove Beach—so, of course, I was like, ‘I can get jade and make my jewelry with it!’ I was thinking it was going to be this easy little rocky beach, but it is literally a rope going down to the water that you have to traverse as if you’re rock climbing. We met this guy down there who was teaching us what to look for. There was a lot of quartz, and it was cool to be able to see that you could still go to these places and find the natural formations. It makes me have a greater appreciation of the stones I use and what goes into finding them.”
A gorgeous, vivid field of poppies.
The Breakfast: “I think the best meal I had was at Big Sur Bakery. It was our last day, and no place was open for brunch anymore. We went to a gas station, and that’s where the bakery is. They have these delicious homemade chocolate croissants, and the coffee is some of the best ever.”
This is how tremendous the trip was.
The Back Road: “You usually take Highway One into Big Sur, but the day before we left, there had been a landslide. We had to take an alternate route from all the way inland that took another extra hour, but it actually turned out to be really cool because we came from the east, through the navy base and through the forest. All of the sudden, everything opened up and we were at the top of the mountain, and we could see down at the ocean. We felt like we were a mile up in the air, but we could touch the ocean.”
One of the long-exposure light drawings.
The Overnight Spot: “We stayed at this place called Fernwood—it’s a campground, but we stayed in a cabin. We made a campfire at night and did these light drawings—we got all crazy with the flashlight and camera. It became obsessive because we wanted to get our words just right.”
The mind-blowing falls.
The Sight to See: “McWay Falls is a waterfall that goes out to the ocean. There used to be a house on the cliff, and I can’t imagine living there and being able to look at that view every day. It’s just so remote and beautiful.”
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Tripping: Asia Ragland of Feliks + Adrik Is Right At Home in the Big Sur
If you haven’t planned a summer vacation yet, let our little “Tripping” series be your guide. Just please don’t blame us if you accomplish approximately nothing the rest of the day because Asia Ragland’s last great escape (below!) took you down a Big Sur rabbit hole.
Shut. Up.
“To celebrate my 30th, I rallied a group of dear friends to spend the weekend together in Big Sur, California. The theme was Lost Boys-meets-The Goonies. As there were 14 of us, I rented an enormous house, and it, the views, the private hiking trails, and the company were out of this world. Though it was tempting to spend every moment in our cliffside retreat, we ventured to Pfeiffer Beach—an enchanting stretch of land spotted with surreal rock formations and dusted with purple sand—and afterwards, we gathered at the Big Sur Taphouse, a cozy and charming bar located just south of the beach on the highway. Overall, I recommend renting a house or a cabin whether there are 14 of you or just two. Experiencing the luxury of privacy and ideal location is priceless.” —asia
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A Year In…City Guides
Where to go when you’re in SF, LA, TX, NYC…
All of the designers we’ve worked with so far live in the U.S. of A. We’re talking all over America—San Fran, Philly, Chicago, Austin, L.A., Portland, Minneapolis, and, duh, NYC. Here, these crazy-talented, hyper-tuned-in people share their favorite local haunts and spots they’ve unearthed on their travels:
+ Erica Weiner’s Maine Favorites
+ Louisa Parris Plays Favorites in London and San Francisco
+ Susan Domelsmith’s Ultimate Guide to Austin
+ Where to Find Mandy Coon in the East Village
+ Gigi Burris’s Five Can’t-Miss Spots in Paris
+ The Nikolai Rose Guys Do the Upper West Side
+ Sophie Monet Okulick’s Guide to Big Sur
+ Elizabeth Yarborough Takes Us on a Color Tour of SF (see pic up top!)
+ Jaclyn Mayer and Orly Genger Borough Hop
+ Meredith and Wendell German Do Florence
+ Caroline Ventura’s (Gut-Busting) Guide to Montreal
+ Elena Coleman Howell’s L.A. Mid-Century Tour
+ Sara Dudzinsky’s Six Portland Restaurant Picks
+ Matt Singer’s NYC Neighborhood Walking Tour
+ Clare Vivier’s Very Favorite Places in Silverlake
Get yourself 25% off any order over $40 with the code NEWYEARNEWGEAR until the clock strikes 2012!
comments, reblogs & likes
Sophie’s Guide to Big Sur
The California native is exploring her home state and letting it inspire her.
Sophie styling her lookbook post-trip.
Now that Sophie Monet has moved back West after a stint in New York, she’s doing some latitudinal exploring. Just recently, the designer, who makes earthy chic wood-and-rock jewelry, and her boyfriend headed up to the Big Sur. The jagged cliffs and the dramatic drop-offs got her so excited that she decided to try to mimic the rocky beach setting for her lookbook, shot in Malibu. Here, she shares the five finds that have stuck with her.
Sophie doing her best tree gnome, stepping out of a huge redwood.
The (Daunting) Hike: “There’s this place called Jade Cove Beach—so, of course, I was like, ‘I can get jade and make my jewelry with it!’ I was thinking it was going to be this easy little rocky beach, but it is literally a rope going down to the water that you have to traverse as if you’re rock climbing. We met this guy down there who was teaching us what to look for. There was a lot of quartz, and it was cool to be able to see that you could still go to these places and find the natural formations. It makes me have a greater appreciation of the stones I use and what goes into finding them.”
A gorgeous, vivid field of poppies.
The Breakfast: “I think the best meal I had was at Big Sur Bakery. It was our last day, and no place was open for brunch anymore. We went to a gas station, and that’s where the bakery is. They have these delicious homemade chocolate croissants, and the coffee is some of the best ever.”
This is how tremendous the trip was.
The Back Road: “You usually take Highway One into Big Sur, but the day before we left, there had been a landslide. We had to take an alternate route from all the way inland that took another extra hour, but it actually turned out to be really cool because we came from the east, through the navy base and through the forest. All of the sudden, everything opened up and we were at the top of the mountain, and we could see down at the ocean. We felt like we were a mile up in the air, but we could touch the ocean.”
One of the long-exposure light drawings.
The Overnight Spot: “We stayed at this place called Fernwood—it’s a campground, but we stayed in a cabin. We made a campfire at night and did these light drawings—we got all crazy with the flashlight and camera. It became obsessive because we wanted to get our words just right.”
The mind-blowing falls.
The Sight to See: “McWay Falls is a waterfall that goes out to the ocean. There used to be a house on the cliff, and I can’t imagine living there and being able to look at that view every day. It’s just so remote and beautiful.”
