Nicole Heim is an creative director and consultant who helps create, launch and build brands. With 20 years of experience in fashion, she leads creative teams in marketing, product design and sustainability, and has helmed creative leadership roles for womenswear brands and start-ups, such as Mara Hoffman, Away and Argent. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Fast Company, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Elle, and more.

Originally from California, Nicole studied Visual Communications at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, and Concept & Textiles at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. After a brief stint at Marie Claire, she began her career at Victoria’s Secret. Then, in 2013, she took a sabbatical through Africa in the hope of finding a meaningful way to merge business and design. As a result, she founded her sustainable womenswear brand, Cienne, in 2014.

In 2016, Nicole was named one of “Five Designers Breathing New Life Into Sustainable Fashion” by W Magazine and one of “9 People Revolutionizing Their Industries” by Brooklyn Magazine. Cienne was also a semi-finalist in the 2018-2019 International Woolmark Prize and the recipient of the runner-up award in the 2018 CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative. As you might guess from all of the above, Nicole’s life involves a good amount of travel!

Part of our Insiders series, this is your window into the worlds of the coolest people in Safara’s network. These are the contacts we’d hit up for travel inspiration, whether it’s a hotel recommendation, a new track for our in-transit playlist, the best mini-products to pack, or just to daydream about where we’d open a boutique island hotel (this changes with each Insider guide we read – we’re easily and happily influenced).

Read on for travel inspiration from Nicole Heim.

Name three of your favorite hotels?

Lazy E-nuf Ranch, Montana, US. An exclusive, no frills, family-run ranch on 8,000 acres of protected land in Montana.

Faru Faru Lodge, Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania. If you’re able to splurge, the Singita lodges/reserves in Tanzania (and across Africa) have incredible locations, amazing design, and are big proponents of conservation and community efforts.

Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico. Originally a private home, this place is cozy and has the best music and design details.

Where are your favorite “offices” while traveling? 

The hotel lobby.

Where would you go for a digital detox or just generally to get off the grid?

Anywhere in Africa or the mountains of Idaho.

What three songs are on your travel playlist?

Baltimore, by Nina Simone. Get Up Offa That Thing, by James Brown. And Passionfruit, by Drake.

What do you always bring with you in your carry-on?

Jao hand sanitizer, spare set of contacts, and a scarf.

Have you or would you travel alone?

Yes! Traveling alone is a completely different experience than traveling with others – it forces you to get further outside of your comfort zone, and as a result you often encounter new people and unique experiences.

If you’re going to a new place, and your friends have not been there, where do you look to for advice?

T Magazine or The New York Times or Instagram.

Anxiety and burnout are side effects of modern living. How do you combat them?

My favorite thing about travel is it gives you perspective; it reminds you of just how small you are, in the most positive way possible. This helps me to remember what truly matters, and subsequently to let go of anxiety or truly understand the root of the anxiety, so that I can better move forward without it. I also have a morning ritual which includes meditation and a gratitude practice. 

Do you have any tips or tricks for beating the dreaded jet lag?

I don’t have any special tricks, but lots of water and exercise always helps my body get back on track.

Travel can be about the little luxuries, like an amazing cup of coffee. Where was the best one you’ve had?

Ethiopia has the best coffee. It’s everywhere, and espressos are often no more than $1 from a roadside stand.

What’s most important to you in a hotel experience?

Comfortable, unique, locals hang out there, architecturally intriguing, doesn’t break the bank, close to things, has a pool, minibar.

Beach, city or mountains?

Mountains.

Alone or with someone else? 

Alone.

Is in-flight wifi a good idea?

Never!

Favorite travel app?

Hopper.

Window or aisle?

Aisle.

Read more from our Insiders series, here.