Mediterraneo Resort Wear - The Magazine

Issue No. 1 June 2010

FEATURING ILLUSTRATED ESSAYS ON: • FORGOTTEN CHIC • FABULOUS INDIA • A FASHIONABLE WOMAN • THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AS WELL AS PHOTOS OF Issue No. 1 June 2010

WHAT IS MEDITERRANEO RESORT WEAR - THE MAGAZINE? We are pleased to introduce the first issue of Mediterraneo Resort Wear – The Magazine. With this 3-times a year publication, we want to express our views on fashion, styling, fashion history, travel destinations, things we love, and other subjects that catch our eye.

Starting a fashion collection as we have, has sharpened our perspectives on fashion, of course, but also on other creative endeavors. Through The Magazine, we hope to share some thoughts with you and to invite dialogue.

In this issue, we wanted to feature some things that are important to us: Our love of India; a tribute to our beautiful homeland of the Dominican Republic; an homage to the Latin screen goddesses of the 1940s, and an opinion on what we consider to be a “fashionable woman.”

Finally, we showcase photos of our first collection of silk tops. We wish you joy.

The Editors

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Fabulous India

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India is a lovely country. This I knew even before I visited. Everyone who had visited India had told me that it was a "special" place; that you saw things you had never seen before, that India gets in your blood. Of course, everyone talks about the poverty - but to someone who is from a Third World country - and who has travelled extensively - this is no deterrent. I knew I'd love it, and I did.

Why? Because the colors are marvelous. Because the people are beautiful and graceful and warm. Because the food is great. Because the cities are a crazy patch-work of people, animals, and vehicles. The traffic is wild: My heart is in my mouth all the time I'm in a taxi or a friend's car: vehicles come within very few inches of pedestrians - and the pedestrians don't even flinch! Inside the car, I am screaming, but the Calcuttans are cool and calm. Is it simply that they accept their fate (whatever it may be), I wonder? Or just that they are so used to the volume of trucks, taxis, three-wheelers, carts and private vehicles that they're immune from fear?

From the minute you alight at the airport, you know you're not in "Kansas any more." Wow! If you're going to get culture-shock, you'll get a dose of it right away. The people at the airport are a kaleidoscope of ethnicities and exotic apparel. Mountain people who look like they are descended from Genghis Khan; fair northern Indians; dark southern Indians; tall, proud looking turbanwearing men in robes (where from?). Ladies in a dizzying array of saris. Babies.

Old people. Soldiers. Outside, dilapidated taxis waiting for fares. When you board one of these taxis, you will swear that it can't possibly make it to the hotel - but miraculously it does.

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Walking around Kolkata or Mumbai is an experience...Westerners are frankly and boldly stared at....even those who, like my cousin and I, look almost like we could be Indian: We are Latin and dark...but our clothes, attitude and language give us away. You have to be self-assured and not mind being looked at. It takes practice.

What feels wonderful about walking around these cities, though, is that you feel safe.

Those looks are curious, but never aggressive or intimidating. Because we speak Spanish when we are alone, we are sometimes shyly asked "is the language you are speaking "Mexican?" Indians are not accustomed to hearing the Spanish language on their streets the way Americans are...it is definitely a "foreign" language.

In restaurants, everyone turns to look when we are seated...Women, men, children. In the market place, where we are buying fabrics, jewelry, and spices - we are cheated. This happens everywhere in the world to all tourists. If you are savvy, you bargain, which we did....but certainly not enough. When we tell our friends later about our purchases, they are aghast at the prices we paid and chide us for not asking them to send someone with us....We vow to be much, much tougher when next we bargain...but we're really not good at it. Bargaining is a talent, but you can learn to be a better shopper.

I had always known that when I visited India I would find so many lovely things to buy that I would certainly run out of money before I ran out of the desire to shop....and of course, this was so. The fabrics! The embroideries! The table linens and curtains! The bedspreads and pillow covers! The jewelry...The bronze figures of deities...I wanted them all...

What to say about the food: I've enjoyed Indian food for many years and I've eaten it in New York, in London, in Paris and in Miami...but I must say that the food in both Kolkata and Mumbai was very good...We ate traditional Indian food (vegetarian and not) and Chinese food, for variety....We have only good things to say.

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I got to experience Indian medicine. My blood pressure spiked for some mysterious reason, and I had to see a doctor on two occasions. The bill for a consultation with an English-speaking, American-trained physician: the equivalent of US$5....and a gentleman whom I'd encountered at a drugstore to ask if they knew a doctor, simply stopped what he was doing and walked me and my cousin to the doctor's office so we wouldn't get lost...Where else could that happen?

We visited super-luxury hotels and had meals there - just to see how the other half lives. Wow! The food's superb. The service great. The decor lovely. Although room prices are exorbitant (as they are in any luxury hotel worldwide), you can have a great meal for a lot less than it would cost in a similar setting back home. So, we can recommend dining at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai (site of those horrific terrorist attacks in 2008) and the Oberoi Grand in Kolkata.

What can one say about the poverty? It is everywhere. It can be shocking, particularly when one sees very small children on the streets. People sleep outside in some neighborhoods, close together, on the sidewalks. Dogs and sometimes goats are often nearby. Organized bands of beggars are adept at using babies to get money out of tourists. They are relentless. You must learn to give what you have planned to give and no more. If you feel guilty about every beggar you see, your visit will not be pleasant.

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All this said, it is an education for many Americans (in particular) to visit other countries.

Being a world traveler makes you that much more appreciative of what you have; makes you more compassionate; makes you realize you waste too much, buy too much, consume too much.

India is much more than I can ever explain, and I am certain that although I plan many more trips there, I will never capture "India." There is too much. It is larger than life. But each trip will enrich my life and broaden my perspective. I can only encourage you to experience it for yourself....

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What is a fashionable woman? Well, we know her when we see her. It's difficult to describe "fashionable" or "chic." It's a certain something that some women have.

Knowing how to put accessories together. Always wearing the right shoes and carrying the right bag - and I don't mean the "It bag," just the right bag.

This woman - whether 20 or 80 - dresses to please herself. That her style pleases others is a bonus. She likes easy fashion - nothing fussy. She sometimes piles on the bracelets, rings and necklaces because that's the look she is going for. On other days, she might simply wear earrings. She might be a "less is more" kind of woman, or the type that thinks that it's never too much.

She stands out in a crowd. Among a sea of women, her fashion sense speaks to her good taste and discriminating choices. She doesn't follow the trends - unless they suit her. She buys accessories when she travels. They're great souvenirs, and women in her circle are not likely to have the same ones.

She might have short hair or long hair; straight, curly or in-between; worn in its natural state or styled with many products...but it is appropriate to her age, and the occasion.

Some women have worn the same style for years - because regardless of fashion, it suits them.

And a word about age: Fashion is ageless. Some girls of 15 show a precocious sense of style. Some women of 50 should know better...But in general, we get better as we age because we know ourselves better, have more confidence, and come into our own style.

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Mediterraneo’s Premier Collection

One Tunic, Various Colors, Different Moods

We obviously love necklaces!

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Over pants, over a swimsuit, on the town, at brunch or at the club‌ silk is always right

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FORGOTTEN CHIC: LATIN SCREEN GODDESSES OF YESTERYEAR I’ve always been fascinated by the film stars of the 1930s and 40s: The stunningly made-up faces of the actresses; the hyper-masculinity of the male stars; the very different way of speaking; the fashions…to me nothing today can compare. Perhaps it has to do with my love of history. When I see a movie made in 1934 or ’36, all I can think of is “my mother was 4 years old, then….” If I had a time machine, I know just when and where I’d go to!

Many of those actors are still remembered – and always will be: Bette Davis; Ingrid Bergman; Joan Crawford; Humphrey Bogart; Clark Gable; Cary Grant – to name a stellar few. Others have already been forgotten and are rarely spoken of: Veronica Lake; Jean Arthur; Greer Garson; Dana Andrews; Ray Milland…

Because of my heritage, it is interesting to me to catch a glimpse of a Latin actress in one of these old movies. In this article, I’ll highlight several such Latin screen goddesses. You may know some of these names – or not – but I hope their charm and seductiveness inspire you to seek your own style and to be faithful to your own version of chic.

María Félix Many Latins have heard this name…Like all the women featured in this article, she was dark and stunningly beautiful.

She was born in Mexico to a father who was a Yaqui Indian and a mother descended from Spaniards. The combination of the two gave Maria high cheekbones, striking eyes and lovely hair.

Mexican cinema heyday

In the 1940s, María became the screen actress par excellence of Mexican cinema, having starred in various films that featured her as a femme fatale. She refused to go to Hollywood to be featured in the stereotypical Latin servant girls role and said that she would only go when the “big door” was open to her. That was not to be, as she lost a role that would probably have made her a star in the US, that of “Pearl Chavez,” in the 1945 film “Duel in the Sun.” Instead, she filmed continuously in Spain, France and Italy with the leading directors and actors of the day.

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During her lifetime, María was painted by many artists and inspired more than one songwriter. As a fashionable woman, she was dressed by Christian Dior, Givenchy, Yves St. Laurent, Chanel, Balenciaga and Hermès.

María was a collector of fabulous jewels and commissioned important jewelry from jewelry houses such as Cartier. Since her death in 2002, several of the pieces from her collection have been on display as part of The Art of Cartier Collection, which has travelled to various museums around the world.

In the 1960s, wearing some of her extensive collection

Maria’s famous crocodiles

Maria’s snake necklace

Dolores del Rio Another Mexican actress became the first Latin American movie star to have international appeal.

Dolores was born in Mexico to aristocratic parents and married a wealthy man 18 years her senior (Jaime Martinez del Rio) when she was 16.

Starting in 1925, del Rio became a silent movie actress; from 1930 onward she was in talkies.

During the late 20s, she personified the female symbol of Art Deco.

Early 30s glamour pose

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At this time, she married Cedric Gibbons, an art director and production designer at MGM. Their home became a meeting place for society and Hollywood personalities. Although her career declined in the late 30s, she had an important romance with Orson Welles, which precipitated her divorce from Gibbons.

Dolores as the personification of Art Deco

Starting the early 1940s, she was asked to work with Mexican directors in her native country, and she became, at 37, the most famous actress of Mexican cinema. She became a muse to painters such as Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco.

The Mexican Society of Film Critics awards its Diosa de Plata prize (known as the “Dolores del Rio�) to the best actress of the year.

Stylish Dolores

Maria Montez Perhaps the most forgotten of these goddesses is Maria Montez, a Dominican-born beauty who married an American banker and moved to New York in 1939. She worked as a model while hoping to become a stage actress. Her first movie was a B western.

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Soon, Maria was starring in adventures at Universal Pictures. She was featured in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Arabian Nights, and Gypsy Wildcat, among others. During World War II, Maria married French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and went to live with him in France at the conclusion of the war.

She appeared in several French films and published two books.

The requisite glamour shot

Tragically, Maria died at the age of 39. Her beauty, grace and charm survive in the seldom-seen movies she made.

Maria as an “éxotique”

Rita Hayworth Undoubtedly a mega-star, Rita Hayworth’s name is one you probably know and if you’re lucky, you’ve seen at least one of her films. Although Americanborn, Rita’s father was a Spanish flamenco dancer and her earliest years were spent taking dancing lessons and working as her father’s partner in the dance team of “The Dancing Cansinos.”

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The former Margarita Cansino was recruited and landed in Hollywood, where the first years were not stellar. At Columbia Pictures, she was transformed from what was initially thought as “too Latin” a look into a redheaded American femme fatale. From 1941 onward, she starred in increasingly more successful films and posed for the famous pin-up that appeared in Life Magazine.

Rita’s most famous film is Gilda (1946), with Glenn Ford, in which she plays the ultimate enchantress.

Over-the-top glamour

In 1940, Rita started a manicure trend and was featured as the cover girl in Nails magazine. Later, her lips were voted best in the world, and she won a modeling contract with Max Factor. In 1949, when Rita married Prince Aly Khan, she wore Dior’s “New Look” exclusively and this helped to convince women that the new longer length was fashionable.

Rita in her famous WWII pin up pose

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The Dominican Republic : Beautiful…Complex…Latin !

It’s impossible to capture the nature, beauty and essence of a country in a single article.

That said, I want to tell you about the things we love about the country where we were born…Perhaps you’re thinking that if you’ve seen one beach, you’ve seen them all….But I beg to differ. White sands, palm trees that grow close to the water, warm, clear waters, many sunny days: all these we (along with all the other Caribbean islands) are blessed with.

We never tire of those beaches and once you’ve visited, you won’t tire of them either.

Along with a hot climate and beautiful waters, we have smiling people. They are particularly fond of foreigners. You know why this is: tourism brings in much-needed revenue. But there’s a bigger truth, which is that clichéd as it may seem, island people have the spirit of music in them and take things easier….The old one about the “mañana” mentality is true.

We have history, too…although unlike many other Latin American countries, we don’t revel in it so much….Our having been a Spanish colony is way in the past and we don’t see it as particularly important in the general scheme of things. It’s simply a reality that Columbus landed on an island he called “Hispaniola,” that his son Diego served as Governor of the island, and that the Taino natives of the island were wiped out. We are a product of that longago colonialism which gave us our language, culture and some foods

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Juan Luis Guerra and his Grammys

We are however, much more than that and generally we celebrate our mish-mosh heritage with foods that have roots in Mezo America, Africa and even the Middle East and with music that is everpresent and joyous. And -why not - with some small surviving spirit of those long-gone native peoples who fought an unwinnable battle.

Here’s what you already know about the Dominican Republic: Columbus, Juan Luis Guerra, Oscar de la Renta, cigars and merengue. I urge you to go and experience to food, the sun, the crazyquilt that is Santo Domingo (the capital city), and the music.

Designer Oscar de la Renta and one of his dresses

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WHO CREATED MEDITERRANEO? Mediterraneo was created by two cousins from Santo Domingo. We have travelled extensively, and shopped along the way, and we've acquired a taste for fashion that is sophisticated and chic without being fussy.

Although we have different tastes, we agreed that there existed a need that was not being met: Easy-to-wear, natural fiber tops that women of varying ages and figures could slip on to achieve an instant wow! effect.

Mediterraneo's designs fill that need - beautifully - with vibrant, custom-created fabrics. Our collection is small, as we use silks that are one-of-a-kind. In coming seasons, we will feature linens, cottons, and other fibers to showcase our ideas of what modern women want to wear. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy designing them for you.

Iris Andujar Iris Andujar Managing Director, Latin America

Angela Draper Angela Draper Managing Director, USA

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www.mediterraneoresortwear.com

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