With
the couture of Valentino as our inspiration, let’s take a trip down the Nile
and visit the ancient courts of the Pharaoh.
Hot
desert winds, the coolness of marble structures, a soft breeze coming from the
river…it’s easy to imagine Cleopatra walking the paths of her kingdom wearing
flowing tunics and jewel encrusted accessories fit for a Queen.
"Cleopatra on the Terraces of Philae" by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1896
What would our journey into ancient Egypt be without a little love story? To help secure her
position and access to the throne,
or perhaps for love alone, Cleopatra pursued and gained the affection of
Julius Caesar.
Walking through the door or simply meeting him in public was not
going to work for Cleopatra. She decided to make quite the entrance by having
herself delivered to him and unrolled from a carpet. What man could resist that
amount effort and ingenuity?
Cleopatra
must have kept her seducing skills sharp during her time with Caesar because
after his assassination she was able to charm Mark Antony. He may have thought
he was only meeting her to build alliances between their countries, but little
did he know she was going win his heart.
"Cleopatra and Antony" by Lawrence Alma-Tadema
Their
epic love story was memorialized by Shakespeare with words like, "Eternity was in our lips and eyes…" There's was a love that may have bound them in ways that Earth could not contain. As
Mark Antony faced devastation on the battle field and committed suicide,
Cleopatra is said to have followed suit by using an asp to end her life.
However, given the fact she was entrenched the schemes of politics across
multiple borders, it’s also believed she may have been murdered.
"The Death of Cleopatra" by Guido Cagnacci, 1658
Whatever
the circumstances, her death did not diminish the hold she maintains over our
imaginations centuries later.
Runway Photos: Vogue.com
