Monthly Medley: June

June marks the beginning of a real summer, so most of my reads this month were summer-inspired, and pretty much fun and easy to read. You'll also find some interviews and other interesting stories I read, but I sincerely recommend to browse some of my summer inspiration this month!

– The story behind the global business of superstar designer Tom Ford (and there's also a part 2)

And perhaps, this, more than anything, is the secret to the business of being Tom Ford: an indefatigable work ethic combined with an innate desire to build things.

– We should all keep an eye on Hugo Matha

– The best beach reads for this summer!

– Dress code for dummies

– Who What Wear's 30 day Summer outfit challenge

– I might do Gala Darling's Radical Self Love Instagram Challenge during July, describe as:

the opportunity to explore your relationship to yourself and others, as well as becoming instantly connected to a bevy of radical self love babes.

– Garance Doré and writes down her Pot Time Stories

And after that, I finally understood once and for all: marijuana makes me hungry and puts me to sleep, so basically it makes me fat and boring. SO MAYBE IT WAS TIME TO STOP WITH THE NONSENSE. 

I quit. I found my personality. I became “the girl who doesn’t smoke” (my personality has other sides to it, but that’s a topic for another day) and I wasn’t afraid to say so. So much better. So much funnier. Cooler. Better parties.

–Domaine shows us how to arrange flowers like a pro

– A scary reason why some men love handguns more than women:

For years the NRA defended laws that kept guns in the hands of known domestic abusers. Which makes it all the more chilling to recall the No. 1 reason on my college landlord’s list of reasons why guns are better than women: “You can buy a silencer for a handgun.” The sickening truth is you can buy a silencer for a woman. It’s a called a handgun.

– This website is my new go-to hairstyle inspiration tutorials database

– Rachel Hills on de-stigmatising bulimia:

Eating disorders aren’t usually one thing or the other: sympathetic or self-indulgent, socially mediated or singular. They are all of those things at the same time. And in some ways, the stigmatizing and romanticizing of eating disorders are two sides of the same coin. Both stop the people who suffer from them from seeking treatment, and set them up as misunderstood mavericks who are fighting against an uncompassionate world. Truly destigmatizing bulimia means moving beyond these worn-out stories, and looking the disease straight in the eye — ugliness and all.

– Summer dreaming inspired by Doutzen Kroes

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Throwback Thursday: Travel!

Some of the best memories I have from growing up happened while travelling. Luckily enough, my parents not only chose to give me a world-class education, which taught me to get out of the box––sometimes probably too much, too often– and find the magic in different cultures and societies that coexist in our world.

One of the trips I remember the most––probably for its simplicity and its close distance to home, yet its adventure and beauty––was when we went to Isla Margarita, in Venezuela, when I was around 8. I'm pretty sure that when I was that young, I didn't realise how important travelling was to me, or how it would shape the way I view the world today. But I did love seeing the world from a different perspective, and in a place completely different to the city I've called home for the past two decades... Especially when there were horses and birds around!

Love,

What Football Means To Me –A Note On Nationalism

Illustration: Donald "Drawbertson" for CR Fashion Book

When studying the history of fashion, nationalism is definitely a key issue, as it helped build unify diverse peoples into one single State. Caterina de Medici exported her typical Italian style, resulting in the first steps to achieving the worldwide phenomenon now known as Made in Italy. Elizabeth I translated the English wealth into her beautiful clothes, showing her power through fine jewellery and materials in her dresses. The Spaniards –and later on the Dutch– showed their strong religious beliefs in the austerity of their garments, without willing to leave behind luxury, which was achieved through the use of materials. And Versailles, the magical paradise of the French courts, showed the power of the nobles and their fashionable lifestyles. 

Fashion and nationalist styles have definitely helped build a common culture in many countries, which might have helped these nations subsist through the years. But nationalism need not be exclusively a fashion phenomenon, and not even the political monster that took humanity into several wars in the past. Nationalism, I believe, can also be achieved through sports, and what better than football, now that we're in the middle of the FIFA World Cup?

Today was Colombia's first match in the championship. Many believe this game showed how Colombians can stand together and hold hands when talking about football and being united for just one match. People talk about second opportunities and peace, all in the context of football.

Of course, I do believe in all these things. And more than anything else, I believe in a better future for my beloved country. But why can't we show this same group work and tolerance to each other in our daily lives? Why can't we hold hands when trying to end the internal conflict, or when trying to help the poor –who actually comprise a huge percentage of the country's population? Why can't we give second chances to those who were part of the country's conflict? Why can't we fight more intensely to actually achieve peace?

Before going to sleep last night, I was thinking about Colombia's performance in this World Cup. I was thinking about Colombia winning today's game––and maybe even winning the Cup! But what I really liked about the idea was not partying or having red, blue and yellow painted on my face. It was the idea of taking our first step into the social reconstruction of the country. I think Colombians need to see that we have something in common, something that unites us all, regardless of social or ethnic background, cultural beliefs, and education. And if football can bring this to us, I really hope we can win the World Cup!

We might not have––yet?––a common fashion to export––although I have seen espadrilles, bags and other accessories that are part of traditional Colombian outfits out in runways lately––but I believe we can become a peace reconstruction example. We have a bright future ahead, and hopefully football can be the beginning of Colombia's path to achieve greatness!

Love,