In Her New Journey Collection, Tracee Ellis Ross Overpacks Unapologetically

We could also be dwelling in an period of carry-on-only journey because the cultural norm, however Tracee Ellis Ross has by no means been one to comply with a development. The actress, Pattern Beauty founder, and host of the brand new collection Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross overpacks with gusto. You might say it’s in her DNA. “I mean, come on. We all know who my mom is. What do you think? She was only doing a carry-on? Get out of here!” the daughter of Diana Ross says over Zoom throughout a latest interview (sporting her signature pink lips, in fact).

In Solo Traveling, which premieres on The Roku Channel July 25, the star gives a deeper look into her jet-setting life-style. Each episode opens with a sprawl of clothes: wide-brimmed hats, racks of skirts and printed jackets, rows of completely folded tops, whereas Ross reveals off her meticulous packing course of for every journey. (“There are way more outfits than I’ll be able to wear here,” she says in a single scene, ruminating over what to depart behind. And anybody accustomed to Ross’s trend recreation is aware of she makes no bones about pushing the boundaries of fashion.)

Across three 30-minute-long episodes, the actress traverses the red-walled medina of Marrakesh, a wet Cancún, and sunny Marbella, Spain. Of course, between the lavish resorts and inns, there’s a wholesome dose of glam. But the present additionally comes with a way of vulnerability in her confessional-style musings on being “a single Black woman,” she says. “Not having long relationships, not having children, has allowed me to explore things of my own humanity,” Ross tells viewers in one other scene, clad in a terrycloth gown, making ready for a solo evening out. “It has deposited me here, at 52, in an experience filled with joy, loneliness, grief, delight—all of it.”

These sorts of reflective moments, usually filmed on her iPhone, set Solo Traveling aside from prescriptive journey reveals. Viewers, beware: when you’re trying to find a collection the place the lead climbs Mount Everest and samples fermented mystery meats for kicks, it’s not right here.

“When I was on Black-ish, [creator] Kenya Barris used to say, ‘Would a human do that?’” Ross provides. “In comedy, things are sometimes embellished for the sake of a laugh, in a way that you lose sight of the grounding humanness. But travel offers a heightened life experience. The joyous things might be more acute, and so might the hard things.”

The gorgeous areas featured within the collection are eye sweet, little doubt. But the draw is the peek into the inside lifetime of a self-possessed girl who loves a superb meal, a superb purchase, and speaking endlessly with strangers. When it involves journey requirements, Ross emphasizes that being human is on the fore—hold your self open to new experiences, folks, and locations. And when unsure, attain for the compression socks. Below, Ross shares her journey requirements.

The Basics:

“I love compression socks: thigh-high, toes out!” she says. “I buy them on Amazon. I also still wear KN95 masks; I don’t go into airports and airplane bathrooms without one. And hand sanitizer and wipes—I was a wiper-downer before COVID, and I maintained that. I use Sono Wipes to clean off bedside tables, bathrooms, my airplane seat, all of it.”

Clean Air:

“I wear a personal air purifier called an AirTamer around my neck, particularly in the airport and in shared cars where you don’t know who’s been in it before you.”

Some Comfort:

“I never forget to pack a Save My Face pillow—it’s the same pillow that I sleep with at home. I have two, one is for the house, and one is for travel. I buy their pillowcase, and then there’s a company that makes organic pillow stuffing, and you can buy bags of it. So I make my pillows to the exact density that I like.”

First Aid:

“I always bring an extensive medical kit on my travels. It has everything from Neosporin to alcohol pads and anti-nausea medication. The truth is, I’ve never had to go into that medical kit until my trip [to Spain], where I got food poisoning. I had charcoal, I had Peptol Bismol, I had all of that stuff. I even had electrolytes.”

This interview has been condensed and edited for readability.