who hasn’t played marco polo in the pool at the rec center, backyard or at the country club? precisely, nobody. everybody knows the name but the history and the story behind the man are often misinterpreted. marco polo came from an italian merchant family and was very well off. his youth was spent in venice with his aunt and uncle and at about the age of seventeen he began his great adventures with his father and uncle to the east. carrying letters between europe and kublai khan the group became allies of mr. khan and it is often speculated they grew to hold government positions in the east. there were many duties assumed and adventures overseas but the greatest accomplishment of marco polo and his father and uncle were linking east and west. of course, travelling between the two could take years. as such, marco would have to dress for travel (much like i did this past weekend) and layer up. also, none such collection was more fitting for spring 2010 as galliano’s menswear lineup.
1: marcoooo!!: scarf and jacket by john galliano, shirt by rag and bone, shorts and shoes by michael bastian
2: poooooloooo!!: scarf and coat by john galliano, shirt by rag and bone, pants by patrick ervell, shoes by clarks
3: you’re out!: scarf and coat by john galliano, tank top by missoni, pants and bag by bottega veneta, shoes by lanvin
everybody knows madeline. she’s the world’s favorite and possibly only favorite, french girl. attending school in paris, madeline was the smallest in her class yet didn’t let that stop her (few french do…napoleon i’m looking in your direction) from being a leader. she had great adventures while roaming the streets and you can imagine she grew up to be quite the character. as such, in the tradition of eloise and anastasia, i outfitted madeline for her elder years. also, you can bet she would be friends with the likes of eloise and anastasia and would’ve probably been presented at the crillon ball and all that jazz. oh madeline, you’re so crazy.
1: i’m a french girl, so this is what i wear, natch: dress by chanel, shoes and socks by dior
2: i will always have a yellow hat and blue outerwear: cape by chloe, beret by sonia rykiel, shoes by yves saint laurent, dress by marni
3: i have a date with pepito: dress by elie saab, shoes by lanvin, jacket by isabel marant
in the spirit of thanksgiving, i give you pocahontas. thanksgiving is all about the joining of two cultures, native american and native american invaders (oh, snap…whatever). pocahontas had little to do with the actual holiday itself but she is a solid reminder of it’s meanings. there are horrible tales of native american assimilation gone wrong and one could argue that the task was never truly completed. pocahontas was one who fought for a co-existence of the native americans and the new americans. travelling to england to visit the queen and explore the world beyond the shores, she was a pioneer. however, contrary to disney’s portrayal, she did not bring her intelligent animal friends along…everybody knows raccoons are not seafaring creatures. in any event, fashion often accomplishes what pocahontas sought to: succesfully merge 2 cultures. we saw this in fall 2008 (among other seasons) with the japanese influence showcased by rodarte and particularly in rachel roy’s collection that fused native american and pioneer culture. of course we see this often, but i thought fall 08 was a fantastic example. today, pocahontas would have the same burdens as any other politician but lets hope she’d dress herself more like mobama than hilary.
1: pocahontas was after all, a princess: dress, gloves and necklace by rachel roy, tights and shoes by ralph lauren
2: but still, she was wilderness friendly: cardigan by ralph lauren, dress by tory burch, tights and shoes by marc by marc jacobs
3: diplomatic travels: coat, belt and brooch by rachel roy, dress by tory burch, tights and shoes by boy by band of outsiders
happy thanksgiving, y’all.
