I Heart Couture

Pablo Escobar certainly isn’t name that is synonymous with fashion, but the rumors are true, the Colombian drug lord who was murdered nearly two decades ago, is one of the hottest selling T-shirt designs in Mexico today. It seems that Pablo Escobar’s son is taking the fashion markets by storm by selling T-shirts with his father on the front. Sebastian Marroquin’s designer T-shirts are thought to be popular because of the high concentration of drug activity.

The shirts are actually emblazoned with images of the his father, a Medellin cartel boss, and a man who was responsible for pumping the world full of cocaine, and stirring up some of the worse drug violence the world has ever seen. Escobar was shot in 1993 and died from his wounds. The T-shirt designs feature pictures of Escobar’s student ID card, his driver’s license as well as an array of other images that made the man famous. The T-shirts themselves retail for between $65 and $95, which definitely wouldn’t be considered chump change in a country where over 50% of the population lives in abject poverty.

The shirts are being met with a great deal of criticism from fashion critics. In an interview with Reuters, Sebastian said, “We’re not trying to make an apology for drug trafficking, to glamorize it in the way that the media does.” But the critics aren’t convinced, and neither are those who are in the fashion scene. Sebastian claims that the shirts are an effort to make people who buy them ‘reflect’ about the implications of drug trafficking. He says he wants people to reflect and think about what their life would look like if they decided to take up the same work that his father did.

The shirts originally went on sale last year in Mexico, and are selling out all over the country. Mexico isn’t the only company capitalizing on Escobar’s image, Sebastian also has stores in Guatemala, Austria and the United States. Critics say that Sebastian is glorifying the crime life, and that he is capitalizing off of the murderous life of his father, the world’s most famous drug lord. Sebastian has shot back by saying that it is the media who has benefited from his memory, especially Hollywood who has made millions off the drug lord’s crimes.

Either way, the subject matter is controversial, and I don’t think that we have to be concerned about seeing Sebastian’s work walking down a Paris runway anytime soon.

As I near the middle of July, I’m starting to have a bit of a panic attack! I’m leaving for Europe in less than three weeks, and I haven’t even started packing yet. Yes, I pack three weeks before a trip, is that strange? Maybe for some of you that sounds strange, but for me, it’s perfectly normal. I have a Type A personality, and if I had the money, I would employ an executive assistant for me to  take over the packing duties. I have a million and one things that I need to take care of before I leave, including trying to maintain a ridiculous work schedule, so I’m desperately trying to find the time to sit down, go through my packing lists and find out what I need. In light of all of the chaos, because I’m not so new to this traveling game, I do have a boat load of tips for you when it comes to knowing what bags are the best for what kind of trip! There are some places in the world that you’re probably not going to want to take your three thousand dollar Birkin, and it’s important to know when and where a bag of that calibre is appropriate.

I’m a huge fan of efficient traveling. I don’t like to be fussy, and sure as heck don’t like to be fussed over. I don’t travel in my expensive clothes, because they get wrecked, but I have been known to carry and expensive bag (or two) because when you’ve got a six flight itinerary, a cheap bag just isn’t going to cut it. And when I say expensive, I don’t mean a Louis Vuitton, I just mean I like to carry a really good quality travel bag, that is well constructed and not made in China (no offense China, but you don’t produce the best quality stuff, especially when it comes to travel gear!).

If I’m going somewhere with a beach, there are a couple of different options that I like to go with. I love totes. No, that isn’t a strong enough word, I adore them! And when you’re traveling, it’s all about having things that have multiple purposes. A sturdy canvas or woven tote is an ideal carry-on piece of luggage. Think about how much crap you can stuff in it! Then, when the traveling is done and you finally get to unpack your bags, your tote doubles as a beach bag!

Now, luggage. This is not an easy task, finding the perfect luggage. It’s sort of like trying to find the illusive perfect husband, they don’t really exist, but you can probably find something that’s pretty darn close! Admittedly, I have spent hours upon hours in luggage shops trying to find the perfect set of suitcases. And again, while I lust after high end bags, I refuse to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on luggage. Have you seen what your luggage looks like when it arrives off of a flight? It’s heinous! I always stick with something in the mid range for pricing, and always a color that isn’t going to draw attention. Black may seem like the obvious, but everyone else’s suit case is black, so you’ll never find it!

When you’re traveling, it’s less about the labels, and more about having something that’s going to last you throughout your travels. If you’re bringing out your very best couture, then you need to be prepared for it to get scuffed, and possibly ruined. Be smart about your choices, and you’ll be the richer for it in the end!

Hello there and welcome to I Heart Couture, a blog that I have personally decided to dedicate to one of the most important tools a woman can possibly wield. No, I’m not talking about a designer LBD that makes the boys melt (though, that is one hell of a tool), and no it’s not your favourite pair of Christian Louboutin’s (okay, so I couldn’t afford Louboutin’s if I saved a year’s salary, and neither could you, so let’s throw in Jimmy Choo’s instead), and it certainly isn’t that absurdly expensive hairstyle that is tumbling off your head. I’m talking about that treasured little abyss that lies perched on your arm every day, I’m talking about ‘the’ hand bag.

Okay, so maybe the introduction was a bit dramatic, but I thought it was rather fitting considering the amount of money that some women are willing to blow on a fancy satchel that they wear over their arm. I get heart palpitations just thinking about how much my way-to-wealthy girlfriend spent on her butterscotch coloured Bvlargi bag. She was prancing around with a handbag that was single handedly worth more than more car. What the heck? So I was fascinated by this, and being the nosey anthropology student that I am (no, now is not the time to ask what you can do with an anthropology degree, that convo is for another day!). I was really fascinated with reasoning behind the reverence of the handbag. I wanted to know why women were so obsessed!

Have you ever thought about where handbags originated from? I mean, as far back as my history took me, I could remember women of all social classes carrying some sort of satchel. The first time the word ‘purse is ever mentioned is actually quite late. But though originates in the 14th century, Egyptologists know that that Egyptians were walking around with small satchels attached at their waists. The little satchels were actually attached to something that resembled a girdle, and they were worn by both men or women. Like other pieces of adornment in the historical record, these satchels were often worn as symbols of status. The more elaborate the decoration on the purse, the more wealth the person who wore the purse had.

But it really wasn’t until the 16th century that handbags developed into more than just fancy accessories and they became useful tools. They were used to carry around important things around and were often made with sturdy, long-lasting materials like leather. They became more decorative in the 17th century, and not only did the manufactured materials changed, but satchels were being designed with more style in mind. They actually, for the first time, became something fashionable that was still to be worn by both sexes. Intricate detailing like embroidery was often found on these fashionable bags.

Let’s fast-forward now to the twenty-first century, where handbags are both a utility as well as a fashion statement. It would seem that the whole notion of status has not been lost along the way. A woman walking down the street with a three thousand dollar handbag is often lusted after by the girl that has the two hundred dollar handbag. And like shoes, women also tend to collect handbags, some of whose collections are a bit more opulent than others. Mine for example, pretty ordinary, but I definitely have an appreciation for the works of art that are created each year by a myriad of designers.

This blog is dedicated to all purses great and small, so let’s chat about the unattainably expensive and the wonderfully affordable, they all serve the same purpose, just to a discriminating group of women.