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Oak Edit
What’s in Kadi Lee’s Bag?
August 20, 2025
Do you have any travel plans this summer?
I’m really fortunate this summer to be able to take an extended holiday to the island where I was born, Jamaica. It’s become a tradition of mine for the last few years and I usually center the trip around my birthday. This year, I’ve somehow managed to convince five dear friends to join me. I always stay in the most charming beach hut at my home away from home, GoldenEye in Oracabessa Bay.
What’s your approach to self-care while traveling?
Because so much of my time as a founder is dedicated to growing my brand, Highbrow Hippie, I take self-care very seriously while traveling. I’m also on my feet at least five days a week for twelve hour stretches, so besides the Christmas holidays, this is the time for me to get the maximum amount of recharging and rest. It starts with the journey itself. My friend Alessandra put me onto the most incredible compression socks from Haven that have made all the difference for the unavoidable red-eye flight and connections I need to get to Jamaica. I do all the things—a makeup-free face on the flight, covered in Oak Essentials Firming Plant Peptide Serum. Every hour or so I also use my TheraFace Depuffing Wand and do five minutes on the heated setting, then five minutes on the cool setting. I used to be self-conscious about doing all that on the flight, but the older I get, the less I care.
Are you more of a packing minimalist or maximalist?
I’m a packing maximalist, for sure. I love my holiday wardrobe, so I bring it ALL. I need everything! I recently watched Tracy Ellis Ross’s new travel show, and she said the same thing, which makes me feel so seen!
As a founder, what’s one lesson you always come back to?
Admit when you need help, and let your village help you. You simply cannot do it alone. Also, I live by the mantra, “perfection is the enemy of good”. You have to just start and refine as you go. Otherwise, you’ll be left behind and waste too much time, which is your most valuable asset.
Is summer a time for you to slow down—or do it all?
Personally, this summer is nonstop, even while on holiday, as we gear up to launch three new products in the next two months. It’s all happening—calls with our PR team, planning sessions with our project managers, and biweekly check-ins with our manufacturers. I try to take moments for myself when I can, like a nonnegotiable hour of tennis every morning, and deep tissue massages every few days to help my body recover from the stress it usually endures while taking clients at the atelier.
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