From the world’s runways to Central Park, Laura Brown—Australian-born writer and former Editor-in-Chief of InStyle—has always brought wit, warmth, and originality to the worlds of fashion and culture. After more than a decade at Harper’s Bazaar, she went on to redefine storytelling at InStyle, making style approachable.
She is also the co-author with Kristina O’Neill of All the Cool Girls Get Fired, exploring the highs and lows of fashion and media. Though long based in New York, Laura finds balance in nature—whether wandering through Central Park, revisiting Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, or exploring the mountains of Colorado.
What’s your favorite thing to do in nature?
Walk. It could be in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, the outback, New York’s Central Park (which I am very fortunate to live near) or the mountains of Colorado (from where I am typing this). You have to get that air into you. I love an amble around somewhere I’ve never been before, checking out all the creatures and flowers. When I was younger, I wasn’t that interested in nature: I just wanted to get to NYC. Now it’s the tonic that balances everything out.
How does spending time in nature influence your mental health?
Oh, it’s the best possible thing for your mental health! I know that if I’m feeling tense or squirrelly after a few hours stuck at my desk or on zooms, the best thing I can do is bolt out of the house and into Central Park. And if that’s 3pm on a Tuesday, all the better. If you need to get outside, go!
How do you bring nature into your home?
Our apartment is home to an ever-growing plant population, and I make a monthly order of orchids to dot around. On top of that, I grab flowers from the local deli a couple times a week. If I don’t have living things in the house, it feels airless.
What is my favorite natural scent, and why?
Can I cheat and have two? I love the scent of a freshly scrunched eucalyptus leaf in the Aussie outback. I also always want to throw myself into walls of jasmine when I walk past them. Sadly, we don’t have a lot of fragrant flowers in NYC, so I really get my hit when I’m home in Australia. Also, frangipani and gardenia. Sorry, that’s four!
Is there a sound in nature that everyone should hear at least once in their lifetime?
The chaotic screech of a cockatoo. It lets me know I’m home.
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