By day, Selby Drummond is Vogue’s überchic accessories director. But on the weekend, she’s all about winding down. The longtime East Ender shares her local haunts.
What first brought you out East?
I grew up coming out East with my mom and sister. We would rent a house in a different area each summer, sometimes with other families, and I feel very lucky that I get to enjoy a lot of the same places and traditions that I did as a kid—beach days, breakfast at the Poxabogue, bike rides, lobster rolls. The only place we never stayed was Montauk, which I love exploring now.
What do you love most about the area?
The light—the sunsets and sunrises. Even the storms out here are beautiful.
What are your favorite ways to spend time here?
I decided to start surfing last summer after spending the year before sitting on the beach watching my boyfriend [Steven Dubb]. Now I am completely obsessed. I’m not even any good, but I talk about it as though I’m Anne Marie from Blue Crush. It’s highly annoying to all my friends. I learned with my friend Austin Avery Eckardt, who runs the best surf camp at Ditch—Austin’s Surf Camp. He helped me get over the initial struggle and embarrassment, but it was totally worth it. It kind of makes the whole day magical, and having that time in the water has completely changed my summers.
What do you typically wear on the weekends?
A lot of bathing suits. I basically just wake up in the morning and put one on. I love Marysia Swim, Morgan Lane, Mikoh, Zimmermann…and then I love finding new resortwear brands like Dôen and La Ligne for cover-ups and dresses. Also, Levi’s cutoffs.
And your surfing look?
My favorite wetsuits are Matuse. They’re about as comfortable as a wetsuit can get and last forever. They have bikinis too that are perfectly rigged to not come off in the water. I’m very excited because I just worked on designing a board with Matt Parker, who runs Album Surf—it will be matte black and white marble. It’s a little advanced for me, but hopefully it will motivate me to keep improving!
What other areas do you venture to?
We stop by almost every weekend at Steven’s pop-up hotel The Latch, which is on the historical Village Latch property in Southampton. They’ve redone a bunch of the rooms and updated it to run as a cooler bed and breakfast that is accessible and affordable. They’ve planned a lot of great programming—every weekend Steven brings in different friends to do activities. This summer they’ll do a juice and fitness day with TroupeFit, and a barbecue with Sam Talbot from Pretty Southern on their incredible lawn.
What’s your favorite spot in Montauk?
The lighthouse, and climbing down around the cliffs there to find less crowded surf spots.
What will the Hamptons look like in 20 years?
The Hamptons have changed so much since I was a kid, and I am sure they will continue to change. I hope that as much as possible of the land and nature can be preserved because it truly is one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve ever been, but I don’t believe too much in holding onto the past and trying to force things to stay the way they were when you first encountered them.
PLUS! Selby’s East End Essentials
Dinner Destination
“The beach bar at Crow’s Nest—whatever they’re serving is perfect, and I have a crush on Celine Valensi, who runs the show over there. On Friday night, after a long drive out, I love the fried oysters and honey roasted chicken at East Hampton Grill. And I still like to go to Surf Lodge every once in a while to eat outside and remember that youth is fleeting.”
Dessert fix
“Coconut ice cream from Ralph’s Italian Ices or a mint Oreo milkshake from John’s Drive-In.”
Cocktail of choice
“Sugar-free Redbull. No alcohol necessary. It’s not cute, but I need it to stay awake past 10 p.m.”
Sunscreen
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me this! I’ve recently become obsessed with finding the best sunscreens because I have very fair and sensitive skin, but I refuse to let that stop me from living my life. I wear Image Skincare all day and then pile on a crazy hybrid of Shiseido Sports BB cream, Shade sunscreen, and tinted zinc before I go out in the water. I basically have a cake on my face, but it’s easy enough to remove with a little makeup remover—a tip I can’t believe I only just learned!”
Decor resource
“Charlie Whitmore’s nursery. They sell the most insanely realistic silk flowers that I buy and take back to my office in the city. At least once a week someone comes in and tries to sniff them.”
Favorite house
“Ours! And Gessica and Danny DiMauro’s house in Montauk.”
Ride
“I’ve recently earned the privilege of driving Steven’s pickup truck to and from the city. It’s nice because everyone seems to get out of your way when you’re coming up behind them on the highway, which is good for someone at my driving skill level.”
Cheese Source
“Cavaniola’s Gourmet cheese shop in Amagansett Square, but if I’m being honest, I really go there for the chocolate cake pops.”
Culture fix
“Boo-Hooray gallery pop-up in Montauk.”
Shopping Destinations
“Botanica Bazaar, Melet Mercantile, Pilgrim Surf.”
Garden envy
“My boyfriend just built us a beautiful vegetable garden in our backyard, so I am preparing to be the subject of much envy myself, in fact!”
Exercise
“I sincerely hope that the hours I spend surfing and ‘helping’ with the gardening and housework are enough because that’s what I tell myself. But if I’m really desperate for a class, I try to do something outside, like Bari at Surf Lodge or a TroupeFit yoga session on the lawn.”
Summer read
“My dear friends just launched Orson, [orsonandco.com] an app that has an incredible selection of classics that they have basically turned into e-books on steroids—embedded music, video, and historical context and ephemera. I can’t wait to read their version of Among the Hoods by Harriet Sergeant.”
