Salomon Dubois Thiombiano typically goes by DuBois, his former stage name from when he was a DJ in West Africa.

On a recent weekend, the now NYC- and DC-based style guru decided to jet off to the relaxing Calabasas, California where is favorite thing to do is to “disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with nature,” including the highly-Instagrammable SoCal superbloom and its consequently abundant butterflies.

Here, DuBois details just how he prepared for this trip—and why he draws inspiration from ancient Samurai practices.

CAREER

It’s been a lot of blessings. When I first moved to the states six years ago, I was focused on mastering the language at first. Once that task was completed, it was pretty easy to communicate at different castings. As soon as I started to take on projects, one gig led me to the next.

PACKING STRATEGY

I am a visual person. Though I only pack my bags the night before, I already know what to bring on a trip. For this one, I knew that I needed light layers (linen, cotton) to survive the warm weather of California. Once I figure out what to bring, I make sure to iron the clothes before packing them. This ensures that as soon as I arrive to my destination, my clothes will be wrinkle free, thus allowing me to spend the minimum amount of time getting ready for what I have planned that day.

TRAVEL STYLE

It goes without saying that winter is my favorite season. Being able to layer up and to wear unique coats is truly the epitome of my manner of dressing. However, traveling during winter is quite complicated. The coats I wear weigh a ton, which creates the need to bring extra luggage for other clothes.

As we all know, the max weight allowed is 50 lbs. It gets easier during summer, as most of my clothes are lightweight. During that period, I wear a camp collar and grandad shirts—my favorites are from COS. Their designs are fairly unique and often asymmetrical. It’s a feast for the eye. I also wear unstructured and perforated blazers that allows for optimum air flow and linen trousers from Tagliatore, a brand known for its impeccable cuts and capabilities to work with fine fabrics.

SELF-CARE ON-THE-GO

I always travel with my Energizing hydrating gel from American Crew, it makes my skin glow. It works as a daily moisturizer for men. For this trip in particular I’m packing my Derma Roller. As Fashion Month is rapidly approaching, I have to make sure that my skin remains pimple free and radiates 24/7. Hence why I must maintain an effective beauty routine even when I’m away from home. I don’t really have many other travel essentials—as long as the plane is stocked with food and good wine, I am happy.

TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY

I love the process of movement. Getting to the airport, on the plane, looking out the window, flying through the clouds, small road trips, and new scenery. All of that has a great contribution to my mental health and stability. I always pray before any travels—I come from a very religious family. My mother named me Salomon for a reason. I’d love to visit Japan, it’s home to my favorite culture, morals and discipline—Samurai. I love Samurai because regardless of circumstances, they always remain calm. It is very rare to see a Samurai lose his cool or act emotionally. They always think honestly and truthfully.