Fur & Fashion

“The Mexican succumbs very easily to sentimental effusions, and therefore he shuns them”.
– Octavio Paz

Brrrr! The weather is getting colder by the day and the Guru is happy, as this is the best time of the year to use and enjoy a warm, soft fur coat. Yet, she can’t help but feeling the blues of those chilled and hot days on beautiful Mexican beaches and shiny days in Mexico City celebrating the Day of the Dead. So, to cure these blues, she has decided to share a few images of her travels while she tries to describe this journey the best she can. Hold on tight ladies and gentlemen; this country doesn’t deny its combative background and still, makes you feel welcome, joyful and hungry for life. Ready?

Mexican Caribbean: Bare feet and salty hair

After such a long flight (11 hrs to be precise) this woman couldn’t even think about traveling any longer. But she arranged to visit the beautiful Mexican Caribbean not in a common way (you know the Guru doesn’t have an ordinary taste). She would have to take a bit longer to grab a ferry and reach the island of Cozumel, well known for its beautiful coral reefs and easy-going (yet luxurious) resorts. Once settled, she realised how much the long travel was worth it! Sipping cocktails on the beach after long diving sessions, eating fresh seafood in paradisiac beaches and feeling at home with people that know where the true beauty of life lies. They know well that happiness comes from good food, beautiful places and happy times.

Mexicans are colourful, bright and happy people. They are deeply sentimental, lovers of their roots and proud of their land. Known for their explosive personality, no nonsense approach to life and exquisite attention to detail (particularly in any creative activity) they are the kind of people the Fur Guru likes.
Here my dear reader, fill your eyes with beauty, with images that will remind you the true reason to be in this planet and why we should be out there: exploring and enjoying it. See you soon! Next stop: Mexico City.

Mexico City: Where the dead have a heart

A week of lounging on the beautiful beaches of Mexico and discovering imposing Mayan temples was certainly invigorating. The Guru was recharged and looking forward to one of the most singular and mystical experiences in life: the Day of the Dead in Mexico City. This is a three-day celebration when Mexicans dress up to praise and remember the dead. They carefully prepare beautiful altars at their homes and in graveyards, filling them with marigolds (better known in Mexico as Cempazuchitl), favourite drinks, food and treats for the deceased.
They dress up and celebrate those who left them in a spectacular manner. And they know the incense, candles, food, drinks and treats that have been so lovingly prepared (just for them), will guide them back home. Cemeteries are also packed with music, altars and people. The Christian and pagan past get mixed in a colourful party that lasts for days and nights.

No one could even notice that quite a deadly earthquake struck this city the past September killing people by the thousands. The Guru learned there’s a reason why Mexicans are called “people of light”; they deserve it. These people have strength, courage, and a passion. Nothing throughout the history of this city (and this whole country) has scared its people or dimmed their light: colonizers, earthquakes, death or war. They are a good example of how we should approach life and death: as a celebration and with the deepest of gratitude. They don’t forget their true roots and believe this is precisely what provides them with such a feisty, brave and proud approach to the world. They are not scared or shy and they don’t dwell too long on things and people that aren’t worth it. They just keep going.

The Guru took her flight back home late in the evening. A last look to an endless, beautiful net of twinkling lights reminded her of the magnitude of this beautiful monster: Mexico City. One of the biggest cities in the world, the traveller might think it should be approached with caution. The Fur Guru discovered that’s not the case. This city deserves to be met, walked and enjoyed “Mexican style”: without fear. The Guru got ready to start her journey back home. She closed her eyes but still, she could listen to her heartbeat, pounding the learnt beat from this dormant giant.

P.S. The Guru will be visiting Paris next week! So keep your eyes wide open, as she will be bringing the best fur pieces from the most popular exhibitions in the fashion world: Christian Dior, Couturier Du Reve and Yves Saint Laurent’s brand new museum. The Fur Guru is back to work and she means business.

The Fur Guru xx