The Fine Difference Between Merch And Souvenirs

Hello my Internet Friends,

I am writing this to you from a very peaceful place in Switzerland where I will spend the next two weeks, combined with some day trips to Zuerich, Vals and St. Moritz to see some art and go back to our favorite restaurants for example Kronenhalle in Zuerich and the famous thermal baths in Vals. I am doing this to a) have a great holiday hehe but b) so I can write a travel guide for Switzerland - well, at least for the places that are roadtrip-proximity of Laax which is where I am now. I will publish the guide in the end of August, beginning of September, I really love being here and think the mountains in the summer are just something else.

My favorite place on earth - Laax, Switzerland

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The Fine Difference Between Merch And Souvenirs

Ashtrays from the legendary Fontainebleau from the 1950s

I would love to share with you my collection of collectible souvenirs, beautiful memories in shape of an object from places you have travelled to, objects which are time-stamped or vintage, especially hotel objects which possess the spark of a certain era, the magic and glamour of past times, when traveling to certain hotels was the biggest highlight rather than a default mode of travel for most people.

The objects that to me become great souvenirs can also be random, with self-added meaning. My husband and I for example try to bring a snow globe from every place we travel to and gift it to the other. These snow globes are mostly quite cheap (average price is 8,99 Euro), they are not particularly pretty but gain lots of meaning because we gift them to each other.

I sent this picture of the snowglobe-wrapping-process to my husband because I was proud to find the least ugly snow globe among the tourist shops in Monopoli, Puglia

Anyways, I have a big collection of beautiful objects that reflect the above description in my download folder and my screenshots. The souvenirs which I love are those created by passionate and creative people who have created special places and allow those who know about them to take a memory home.

This idea is not new obviously, and a lot of people are trying to jump onto a collectors economy (and they call it merch), but the fine difference is: Souvenirs are not merch. If you do care to join the discussion on merch from some weeks ago: Here is a pov from GQ and here from Ana Andjelic, I agree and disagree with several points on both sides and anyways, souvenirs are not the same as merch.

Merch as per my definition is about creating quick hype and generating a lot of quick revenue with random products for any given random brand, with a logo slashed onto them. As an example, I think the Beverly Hills Hotel creates merch and not souvenirs, and I wouldn’t want to own any of it.

Souvenirs as per my definition as those beautiful things that have an origin that is not sales-or hype driven. The objects are neither available at Net-A-Porter or Mytheresa, nor anywhere else. You cannot buy them in hundreds of colorways, and they are limited in numbers. You can maybe only buy them at the place or on vintage platforms like eBay or Catawiki. Or maybe you can’t buy it, you have to earn it by knowing someone or be at the right time at the right place. The below cup is owned by the shoe maker Korbinian Ludwig Heß - he has a whole series of those!

When we recently spent a night in the famous hotel 7132 Hotel in Vals, they had on display one luggage from the sculptor Alberto Giacometti, which they had acquired on auction at Christie’s in 2012. I loved all the stickers on the luggage, it showed where he had been, they became memories and eventually a piece of art.

The most beautiful souvenirs are from the restaurant Fonda Del Sol, which was opened in 1961 and whose creative director Alexander Girard carefully designed every single detail from matches to soaps to sugar packs

A great collectible - ashtray from the legendary Eden Roc in Antibes

A limited edition book published by Belmond that chronicles the bond and collaborative relationship between Venice's iconic Hotel Cipriani and renowned photographer Greg Williams as well as a tennis ball which would make a great souvenir

I love the Il Hotel Pellicano, which has been called “a true love child of the 1960s” and is now managed by the incredible Marie-Louise Scio. Il Pellicano was founded in 1965 by American socialites Patricia and Michael Graham. Iconic photographers Slim Aarons, John Swope and Juergen Teller captured the the coastline and boats, and of course continued to photograph portraits of the region and Pellicano’s famous visitors, who they had developed close bonds with which you can find in the first book on Il Pellicano. The second book, published recipes from Pellicano by Antonio Guida, and imagery from Juergen Teller, and appeared in 2013. You can buy it in concept stores, but ideally you get it from Pellicano directly for the memory.

Imagery from both books

Speaking of books, there is a book that portrayed all the remaining tenants who had apartments in the legendary Chelsea Hotel in New York - really want to get this one. It’s called Hotel Chelsea - The Last Bohemian Heaven, with photographies by Colin Miller and words by Ray Moc.

Imagery from the book

We always take note blocks from hotels. So much more fun to write your shopping list on a note block from Chateau Marmont compared to a boring piece of paper, and so much more iconic. This one has a note in Monroe's hand from the Continental Hilton in Mexico with a phone number for Wally Cox and the Bel Air Sands.

A beautiful matchbox design, from Joseph Leonard NY via @matchbookdiaries

Loved this via @sourcewhere

The Sourcewhere shoot inspired me to research more vintage airplane amenity kits - welcome to my rabbit hole:

Pan Am Amenity Kits for first class travellers

There are even Vintage Airlines card decks. Via Etsy.

Hermés soap travel kits - not sure of their origin. Via Etsy.

These are souvenirs in the widest sense by the artist Martin Kippenberger: His most intimate works were his "Hotel Drawings." He created hundreds on hotel stationery, using common implements to sketch and doodle his ideas. These drawings, reflecting his travels and various projects, reveal a quiet, reflective side and a skill and control not evident in his larger, more public works.

I bought this keyring from Chateau Marmont - it was far too expensive compared to what it is. But I use it everyday at least 4x so it’s a fine cost-per-wear bill and I love the Chateau. Every time I get it out I get reminded of a really great LA trip

Room keyring at the Castell Zuoz by the artist Olaf Breuning which you can buy in their shop

Keyrings are great.

So are ashtrays.

Another ashtray in Milan seen on @simotto. Would look great at home - but only if it comes from that one place, it’s not the same if you paint one just like that at home. That would be different.

This hotel already call their items available online souvenirs - from the boutique hotel Mount Vernon in Baltimore. They have GREAT souvenirs, I got more for you below

Love a good hotel bathing robe as a souvenir but it has to be one that is not really on sale, but maybe you convince the owners to sell you one or it’s only on sale if you ask.

this is a bathrobe on sale, but it’s from Ash World which I discovered recently and it’s very good (despite the fact it’s not hidden which I would have preferred)

Actually the bathing robes of Le Sirenuse in Positano are pretty good too. Theoretically also this one doesn’t fit my souvenir definition because the owners 100% want to make money with their souvenirs, but I will let this one pass

A work by the artist Jonathan Monk who is drawing onto restaurant receipts and raffling them to his Instagram audience which is pretty genius. It’s like his souvenir from a restaurant which he turns into a collectible

I liked what I saw from Biennale, maybe here it was a bit less from a passionate business owner to a loving audience, but the bag is really good because it's really huge

I love this beautiful video from System Magazine, showing sound director Michel Gaubert talking about Chanel show invites in form of thoughtful collectible objects: “Each season at Chanel I ask them for little trinkets, because it’s a memory of where we’re at.” I love that!

Maison Martin Margiela Show Invite Fashion Week Mens P/E 2006

Schiaparelli show invite from Spring Summer 2023

Louis Vuitton luggage from the film Darjeeling Limited by Wes Anderson

I know this one taps into collaborations and I am not going to go there but I really like this shirt from speedo x Comme des Garcons

Love the Helmut Lang time stamp t-shirts

MARFA JOURNAL has good t-shirts and is great generally

Don’t we all love our Da Adolfo t-shirt - via @camillecharriere. My husband and I have one which we cherish

Air Mail is a great newspaper and their tote bag is good too. Very worth to buy a subscription to their newsletter (I am subscribed and really enjoy myself there)

I also think this is a good way to get through rain

Maybe you don't know @horse_____horse - their Instagram account is done well. Not super clear how many founders and who they are, but they do creative direction and in their Instagram it's all about horses. Only for that I want their tote bag.

Besides snow globes I love buying t-shirts from places I go - we bought good ones from Hydra or Capri, which we usually buy at tourist shops, in the best case you find some vintage ones.

These t-shirts are great, the last ones are by @usefulartclub, love these

This is far too expensive, but it’s nice. This is also closer to merch than a souvenir, but I would let it pass

These cups are from Sqirl, one of my fav LA food places. I bought a bowl, but would now prefer to get this cup.

I feel like nobody makes beautiful soaps anymore, why though? Image via Philippe Halsman

I hope great places never stop to make these souvenirs <3

I am sure I diverted a bit here and there on the exact definition of souvenirs, but *I let my inspiration guide me *

Have a good day.

Your Close Internet Friend,

LKD