Coming to America is one of my favorite movies of all time. Aside from how way off the movie depicts African royalty and customs, I marveled at the beautifully designed costumes donned by the characters in the movie. Prince Akeem, played by Eddie Murphy wore fur coats, ornate gold jewelry and made to order suits. One of the most unforgettable costumes from the movie was the lion stole both Akeem and King Jaffe Joffer wore proudly on their shoulders. We all know that most of the inhabitants of Africa do not walk around in loin clothes or play with lions and zebras in their backyards nor do they walk around with real lion carcasses on their shoulders as ornaments.
A few items currently available for Fall 2010 reminded me of the rich gold, royal burgundy colors, intricate beading and knitting work worn in by Africans on special occasions. Cashmere sweaters come a dime a dozen in the fall. Distinguishing itself from the pack is the DKNY Cashmere and Silk-Blend Intarsia Sweater. With a beautifully knitted leopard caressing the shoulders, the sweater is a modern remake of Prince Akeem’s lion stole.
Decadent gold nugget rings and cuffs also played a big part in bringing to life the richness and abundance of wealth in Coming to America. This fall, Martin Margiela, Yves Saint Laurent and lower end designers and boutiques like Robyn Rhodes, Topshop and Forever 21 have made their own renditions of organic looking gold jewelry. Low Lux’s collaboration with model Erin Wasson on beautiful gold jewelry are simply chic. We love the Boulder Ring, retailing for $65, from the collection.
Alexander McQueen’s last collection was full of drama. He paid homage to the Dark Ages with rich textures, gold features, intricate knitting techniques and beautiful feather head pieces. The sophistication, elegance and romanticism of his collection was simply breathtaking. We love his intarsia dress with its intricate gold knitting on a black canvas. Long sleeves add to the drama of the dress, which resonates the ideas on our silver screen inspired look board. The dress is fit for a modern day African queen. If Queen Aoleon were to come to America today to meet with President Obama and the First Lady, we would think she would opt for a dress with such opulence.
