Hendrik Giesler became an overnight sensation during the 2014 World Cup. During the finals, Germany vs. Argentina, the camera crossed to a young man in the stadium with a German flag on his cheeks and the sexy young man caught the attention of all Germany. Everyone wanted to find the mystery guy, and the hunt began. Soon the global power of the internet found him. Unaware what was happening online, Hendrik woke and was surprised to find 45,000 new followers on Instagram (by end of day it had grown to 53,000) and had media contacting him relentlessly. Someone mistakenly thought Hendrik was the mystery #Germanboy and told the world.
“My photo was in all of the media; TV, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumbler. It was so overwhelming as I grew up in a village of 500 people. All of a sudden the world knew who I was and where I lived,” shared Hendrik.
Hendrik was nineteen, living a humble life in a small German town. A young guy, who at the time was volunteering to help people living with disabilities. “I worried I needed to change my name because it was just too much attention too quickly.”
However this crazy media blitz became the birth of his career as a digital influencer. Three years later, when he was in Melbourne, Australia, he decided to build off the buzz and share his travel and fashion experiences on Instagram. His globetrotting lifestyle helped him to become very popular on Instagram with over 158,000 engaged followers.
The young influencer has travelled to over 26 countries so far, which includes Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Morocco, Cape Town, Marrakesh, USA, France, Spain, Bali, Thailand, Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Croatia, Montenegro, England, Norway, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Columbia. His fans turn to him for travel, fashion, and beauty advice daily. Take a look at Hendrik’s guide to traveling in style!
How to pack the essentials and travel in style
We all want to travel in style so packing the fashion essentials is vital when exploring the world as you not only want to have the right outfits for the weather, you also want the right outfits to match various occasions.
You should keep in mind that you need space in your suitcase for shopping. You can’t travel to an exotic location without buying at least one local item! I have found some incredible items to add to my wardrobe from traveling so you want to leave enough space for shopping.
Packing the fashion essentials
Since I’m traveling a lot for work, I always have to think about my outfits and what to pack, as I need the right mix of work clothes vs. casual clothes. In the past, I have made mistakes of over-packing. When I traveled to Thailand, I stuffed my suitcase with all of the T-shirts and shorts I owned; yet in the end, most were left unworn in my suitcase as I only wore my favorite pieces and didn’t have space for anything else. So I quickly learned: LESS is MORE. I realized that it’s better to bring a FEW of your favorite essential pieces like a pair of blue jeans, black shorts and a couple of basic white shirts along with a good pair of sneakers. The goal here is these few items will complement all sorts of outfits and styles.
When packing, a bit of outfit planning can make life easier: a pair of sunglasses and your favorite accessories like watches can jazz up every outfit. When deciding what to bring along with me on vacation, I have used my past Instagram posts as inspiration. Since taking photos is a large part of my travels, I look at previous posts to help me pack, and I make sure I bring a few picture perfect pieces so I know I have the clothes when it comes time for my signature posts.
For example, before I went to Marrakech, I made sure that I saved all of my favorite photos on Instagram, so I packed the right outfits for the perfect Insta pic. Since social media is such a big thing for us millennials, I wanted to make sure that my outfit is on point. Marrakech is known for its desert brown and orange colors, so I planned my outfits accordingly.
One small thing I always pack and it has saved my life…SUNSCREEN! Make sure you pack sunscreen. You don’t want to get burned. From my experience traveling to so many unique locations, it is hard to estimate the strength of the sun. The sun is sexy, but it does crazy damage to your skin. It can literally ruin your vacation if you are not prepared. I say this because I’ve had a hard time finding sunscreen for my skin type when I travel. Plan ahead and come prepared. It is small item but I am 24 years old, and I want to stay looking 24 years old 😉
Also, when buying your sunscreen before you leave, look into purchasing travel sizes for your everyday toiletries so you can leave them there after your holiday. Bam, more room in your luggage when you fly home for shopping.
Can you do laundry?!
If yes, it is a live saver. You can pack a lot less, but you can re-use the essentials you bring. No one knows whom you are when you travel; so re-wearing your favorite pieces are acceptable as no one notices. That said, you want them clean. My advice is to NEVER use the hotel laundry service. They charge insane prices to wash your clothes. INSANE. Just ask for the closest laundromat. Trust me, it will take one hour, but it saves you so much in the long run.
I love to travel and have traveled to over 26 countries so far this is my fashion travel advice. It is all about the preparation before leaving that ensures you travel in style and enjoy your vacation.
Over the next couple of months, he will be traveling to Morocco, Tanzania, and Egypt and give daily updates on his travel, food and fashion experiences. To see what adventures he gets up to make sure you follow him on Instagram!
