Anyone who has scrolled through Hofit Golan’s Instagram account will have discovered a treasure trove of highly impressive photos and videos. Luxury hotels, world-class restaurants, and designer clothes feature regularly. Her publicized globetrotting appears to epitomize a life of luxury. Yet, according to Hofit, true luxury comes from something other than incredible holidays and couture looks.

In this article, Beau Monde catches up with Hofit about events, fashion, and travel. What’s more, it delves into her multi-faceted answer to what it means to live ‘a life of luxury’. The response may not be what you expect.

WHO IS HOFIT GOLAN?

Hofit Golan has by turns been described as a fashion entrepreneur, travel and lifestyle influencer, public speaker, TV host, and actress. Yet, to put one specific label on her would be to erase many other elements of her multifaceted personality. ‘If anything, the world is teaching people that they can be fluid,’ she says. Thus, she does not wish for a job title or a particular interest to define her. ‘I want to have my fingers in as many pies as possible,’ she reiterates, ‘and squeeze every ounce (out) of life.’

Hofit identifies as an ‘independent, empowered, entrepreneurial spirit.’ Indeed, this description encapsulates many elements of the public personality.  She has won three Forbes Awards for Influencer of the Year. Yet, she does not base her definition of success on this sort of recognition. Nor does she base it on monetary or material capital. ‘Success means I can live freely,’ she says. ‘My health is my wealth and freedom is my luxury.’

A Red Carpet Regular

As someone who frequently attends red carpet events and brushes shoulders with celebrity, it is safe to say that Hofit’s lifestyle would fit most people’s definitions of ‘luxury’. As a child, she imagined a life of traveling, meeting interesting people, and attending elegant events. Now, she is a regular at prestigious gatherings all over the world and galas filled with fascinating characters.

Among her favourite events to attend are the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals, with Cannes taking the top spot. When asked why the South of France festival ranks as her number one, she answers that it’s the perfect ‘combination of everything she enjoys’. More specifically, she loves the fashion, the glamour, and the constant action that makes everything feel like an adrenaline rush.

Another large part of Cannes’ appeal is that it provides Hofit a chance to meet ‘creative minds’ and interact with fans. ‘It’s [always] interesting to meet people that have accomplished things,’ she says. And the prestigious film festival is clearly an ideal place to do that. She compares Cannes to a high school reunion, in which she is able to reconnect with friends from all over the world in the creative industries. To put it simply, she says, Cannes ‘feels like home’.

A Timeless Fashion Icon

Everyone who attends red carpet events as frequently as Hofit develops a sort of signature look. Hers is ‘Old Hollywood Glam.’ She is not one to give in to trends or be fooled by the latest marketing schemes in fashion. She looks for ‘classic luxury’ in her clothing, buying timeless pieces that will never go out of style. To her, fashion should be both complimentary and practical. She prefers clothes that are ‘beautiful, wearable, comfortable and affordable’ to the fad of the day.

The brand that ticks all of the boxes for Hofit is Elisabetta Franchi. The Italian fashion label produces pieces that, according to Hofit, don’t go out of season. Unlike other big-name fashion houses whose clothes are more like abstract art-pieces, Elisabetta Franchi’s creations are both sophisticated and sensible. Pragmatic design doesn’t have to mean that style is sacrificed. The brand is elegant and beautiful without having to shout about it.

Even better, Hofit identifies with the Italian designer’s ‘ethos and values’. As a long-standing animal advocate, Franchi refuses to use any sort of animal fur, skins, or feathers in her products. Plus, since 2012, the fashion house has been in collaboration with the Italian animal welfare association. Franchi’s values and high-quality products have also found fans in well-known names such as Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson, and Emily Blunt, to name a few.

A Connoisseur of Culture

As anyone who’s seen her Instagram stories knows, travel is a big part of Hofit’s lifestyle as a public personality. Name a destination and it’s likely Hofit has visited, from tropical paradise to snowy wonderland. In the past, she has traveled for grand events such as the opening of the Atlantis in Dubai and the Luisa Via Roma for UNICEF Gala in Capri. Most recently, Hofit was in Miami for Art Basel, when South Beach bursts with art and life.

‘Art Basel is a marathon of parties and events,’ she says, recalling her time there. Every big fashion house is putting on events, from Dolce and Gabbana to Balmain, but making them unique with an ‘art twist.’ While Hofit enjoyed the myriad of activities on offer, from fashion-themed to crypto-focused, her favourite part of attending Art Basel was the Zero-G experience. With Zero-G researching for companies like NASA, they are able to provide a zero-gravity experience that only 18,000 people have known. Hofit is now one of them. ‘It’s as close to space as you can get,’ she says, raving about her time being weightless.

The food scene in Miami is also unbeatable, according to Hofit. While at Art Basel, she dined at a multitude of hot-spot restaurants. One such place was Mila, the Rooftop Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge that combines Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine in an innovative twist. She also ate at Avra, where fine Greek delights and the freshest seafood are served in a setting that will transport you to a seaside taverna in the Med.  Miami’s excellent culinary offerings are familiar to Hofit, who is mainly based in the Southern Floridian city in the winters. ‘I chase the sun,’ she explains. She tends to spend summers in Europe, while in the colder months, she often escapes frigid weather by fleeing to Mexico or the Caribbean.

The ability to travel is another important element of Hofit’s philosophy regarding luxury. ‘The ultimate luxury is to be able to go where you want,’ she says. This is why a 9-5 job would never work for her. She cannot stomach the idea of being forced to ‘be at a table’ for hours on end, not moving and not seeing the world. Here again, freedom is in Hofit’s opinion, the main element of a life of luxury. In order to truly live luxuriously, she advises, one must avoid anything that doesn’t allow you to ‘live out the dreams you have when you close your eyes.’

The Bigger Issues

Despite all the glitz and glamour of Hofit’s lifestyle, she urges us to remember that there is always more going on beneath the surface. Or, in many cases, beneath the Instagram feed. ‘We get dazzled and distracted by things,’ she says, ‘who’s on TV, what’s on social media.’ Yet, she reminds us, what you see on social media is highly curated. While it may appear that everyone else’s ‘life is perfect 24/7, it’s not.’

As someone with over 3 million Instagram followers, she tries to use her social media presence to advocate for tolerance and peace, always. These things, she says, simply ‘make the most sense.’ She uses social media mainly for her work, where opulent press events and glamorous trips dominate. Yet, with so many negative things dominating social media and the world today, she believes that people ‘need to use the[ir] platform[s] to spread positive messages.’

Overall, Hofit’s answer as to how to live a life of luxury is manifold. ‘You’ve got to look into yourself,’ she advises. ‘Ask yourself what is it that you want to achieve in this life.’ While she finds it admirable to take inspiration from others, following your own path is ultimately most important. ‘At the end of the day, the only voice that matters is the one inside your head,’ she reiterates.

Thus, Hofit’s definition of a luxurious life is ultimately one in which you have the freedom to do what you want. Living a life of luxury ‘doesn’t mean go live like me,’ she says in closing. It means ‘go live like the best version of yourself that you can imagine.’