Colman Domingo on the Elegance of All-Black Luggage

Colman Domingo is always on the move. The Emmy-winning actor kicked off our call by warning me that the famed bells of Reykjavik may ring in the background during our chat—having arrived in Iceland after a quick turnaround from Santa Fe, jet-setting from one location to another to film the third season of his Netflix hit The Four Seasons, along with co-stars Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, and Erika Henningsen.“I move pretty quickly,” the 56-year-old Philadelphia native told Condé Nast Traveler. As a result, there's one aspect of travel he's totally mastered: “I'm very proud of my packing style—I’ve got it down to a science.”Case in point: He only had a few hours at home between those trips, having arrived back in Malibu from New Mexico at 10:30 p.m. before a morning flight to Iceland. But that was plenty of time for the pro. “We got in, did laundry, packed, and were in bed by 11:45 p.m.,” he said.It all stems from the precision he learned during his early jobs at J. Crew and Banana Republic. “Everything is very organized and well-folded—I love packing like I’m still working there,” he said. “I’m pretty detailed about my packing.”One thing that helped in this particular case: packing all-black wardrobe, including an Ami turtleneck and Double RL jeans. “I can mix and match, so it’s like I have more outfits than I do,” he said. Another recent travel hack: “I’ve become more into compression packing—and I also wear compression socks that my husband got me. Anything compression is good for me!”Ami ParisAmi De Coeur turtle neck sweaterRalph LaurenVintage 5-pocket black selvedge jeanSo it’s appropriate that the expert packer has teamed up with luggage brand Away on its new Series 3, an entire refresh of its core line, which debuted September 29. Among its new features are StopLock brakes for the wheels, hands-free hooks on the handle, smoother gliding wheels, a hidden Bluetooth tracker pocket, and an adjustable height trolley handle.Domingo has already been traveling with the Away’s The Bigger Carry-On Flex 3, loving that “the wheels are so smooth that it moves through the airport very quickly.” He's also a fan of the three-level handle heights since it “lands and holds very quickly, so you just click and you’re there.” He pairs the hardside rollaboard with a soft bag on top of it, either the newly introduced Signature Weekender or the Triple-Zip Duffle. “I prefer a shoulder bag,” he said. “I have a personal thing against backpacks—I feel like it says you're a tourist. A shoulder or cross-body makes you feel like, ‘I'm actually a citizen here. I don't stand out so much.’”AwaySignature triple zip duffleAwayThe Bigger carry-on flex 3After all, he’s all about blending in and letting the destinations themselves guide him on his adventures, especially when it comes to food. “People always want to give you tips of where to eat and I don’t listen to that,” he said. “Whether I’m in Japan or Italy, I will walk by a restaurant, look inside, and get a feel of the people and how they’re enjoying themselves. It’s a feeling and it hasn’t failed me.”Whether he’s continuing to hop between continents for his latest projects or planning a getaway with his husband Raúl, Domingo is all about that spirit of organic travel. “I like the idea of throwing myself into wherever I am because you get to discover the place and the people,” he said. “That makes you feel more human and truly understand the world more.”AwayThe tripWhat trip are you unpacking for us?I feel like it could be interesting to talk about my trip to Easter Island in December 2022, especially because it's so hard to get here and I planned it in a week! My schedule is so uncertain. It was around December 18—I was wrapping a film, and we hadn’t made holiday plans. My husband always has a lot of bucket list trips for us, and he said, “How about we go to Easter Island?” I love to research, so I found a good eco hotel, Nayara Hangaroa, and flights—then within six days, we were flying from LA to Atlanta to Santiago, Chile, and then five hours deep into the Pacific.What did you do once you got there?So I don’t research everything because I want it to become a discovery. I just knew the Maoi were there. So we got to the hotel, unpacked, and started wandering. People were very friendly immediately. We walked out of our hotel a few steps and were invited to a barbecue! It’s such a small island, so they know when you’re a visitor. They’re curious why you’d come so far, and they want to show you their island.What was the best souvenir of the trip?I have a miniature Moai that one of the residents—actually one of the waiters from the hotel—gave to me. I have that in my office because it just shows the generosity of the people. I don't tend to buy a lot of souvenirs. I like things that someone gifted me something or I found, so it's beautiful that I have that.What he packedWhat clothes did you pack for this particular trip?I knew it was going to be warm there at that time of year, so I packed a few pairs of shorts—a dress pair, some casual ones, and maybe one to two pairs of swim trunks. One is usually a Speedo, and the other one is a short length, like four inches. It all depends on how comfortable I want to be. I have some swimwear from Jacquemus because they do anything boating and swimwear beautifully. Then, I always pack a lot of T-shirts. I did dress a bit more colorful because I was like, ‘It's the South Pacific.’ My shopping is all over the map. I have T-shirts I bought in bulk from Costco that cost little to nothing, and then I’ll have a $500 T-shirt because of the fabric and texture. I also always have a standard J. Crew sweatshirt because I love the material.JacquemusThe Puntini swim shortsJ.Crew83 fleece full-zip hooded sweatshirtWhat about accessories?I always pack different neckerchiefs. That will change up my outfit. I feel like it's a little trick that if I'm wearing this T-shirt again, I can make it different with a neckerchief. I often pick them up from hotel lobbies—cool hipster hotels have great neckerchiefs. I bought a bunch in Austin—it seems to be the home of the neckerchiefs! Then I usually pack three to four baseball caps and maybe a bucket hat. I’m a fan of merch hats from motels or hotels. If there's a cool one, guaranteed, I'll buy it. Like today, I'm wearing a yellow corduroy hat that I got at Sundance. I love interesting logos—people take time to make sure it represents their business. That's true of my sense of travel—I love being in the world and then taking it with me.What’s the most unusual thing you pack for every trip?I always carry some fine jewelry because you just never know if you want to feel good going out at night. I have some beautiful pieces from Boucheron—I usually have a bracelet and these two necklaces that look like they’re connected—they’re circular, and one is white gold, and the other is yellow gold. I also always carry my father's ring—it’s vintage from like 1942, and I always have it with me.What tech do you always bring with you?My Leica Q3 camera, which is around my neck right now. It's a great investment, so you can take some beautiful digital photos. I always take my iPad and AirPods. And then I always have chargers and backup chargers.What’s your go-to snack when you’re traveling?Gummy bears! The standard bears from Haribo, or if I’m in London, Percy Pig—any of them. They have caterpillar ones now too. I’ll stop by M&S to load up.What's your luggage color preference?I think black is just elegant and classy. Maybe because I'm so well-known, I almost want to bring a little less attention to myself. But also, I think there's something about bringing elegant black luggage to a hotel, like they take your bags more seriously. I feel like they're not going to mess with them. I don't know if they'd take a hot pink bag as seriously—that's just my own bias!Packing cubes—yes or no?I like to lay things out where I can see them, but there are some things I put in packing cubes, like fragrances. Lately, my favorite is a Valentino one called Born in Roma. Vendetta is another one I’ve been wearing. I also use them for my ties—I have a Valentino one and a vintage Ralph Lauren that’s a tartan pattern—and my belt, like a Tom Ford one.ValentinoBorn In Roma purple melancholia eau de toiletteValentinoVendetta for menDo you tend to unpack in a hotel or live out of your suitcase?Immediately unpack. I travel so much, so I think it makes me feel settled. I don't want to feel like I'm traveling. So the moment I get in, the bellman brings my bags up, and I unpack. I do not let anyone else do it for me. It's a bit of a ritual that makes you feel at home.Is there something you bring with you as a piece of home when you're on the road?I'm a bit of a softy. For some long-haul trips, I take a couple of photographs, usually a picture of my parents and my stepfather. It's an old-school print from at least the 1980s that's never been in a frame. I’ll set it on the nightstand next to me. My parents didn't do a lot of traveling, but I can for them, so I want them to be with me.On this trip, did you overpack, underpack, or get it just right?I got it just right. I only carry carry-on—I never check luggage. I can go away for a month with carry-on. People are always amazed. But whatever doesn't fit in there doesn't go—that is my travel tip for people.