An Inside Look at This Designer’s Secret Italian Island Escape

Here on the East Coast we may be relishing the final days of sandal season, but for Paris Mitchell Temple—one half of the Auckland-based label Paris Georgia, which staged their first-ever runway show last week—winter is just drawing to a close. Which is why after a family trip to Venice, the designer wasn’t ready to return to the cooler climes just yet.

“We were following the sunshine!” says Mitchell Temple, who snuck away to the quiet island of Ponza with her husband at the recommendation of some Italian friends. “You feel like you’re going back in time,” she muses of the local’s getaway—a hop, skip, and a jump away from Rome—that’s remained relatively immune to the hordes of tourists that descend on its flashier neighbors. “You hear the church bells echo across the cliffs. It’s just gorgeous.”

Armed with little more than #oldcéline slides (“they come with me everywhere!”), Matteau bikinis, and easygoing sarongs, the couple spent five days diving off of rocks into the Tyrrhenian Sea, hiking craggy cliffs, and shopping at the local alimentari for al fresco picnics. Top of their list? The beachside restaurant La Marina—brimming with shell decor and diners still dripping from their last dip—where they quickly became regulars.

Of course, the time came for Mitchell Temple to say goodbye to the dreamy locale—but not for long. From the look of Paris Georgia’s newest collection, there are plenty of la dolce vita-ready pieces—a liquid gold skirt set; sun-shielding statement hats—to warrant a return.

Below, a look at Paris Mitchell Temple’s escape to Ponza, Italy.