Arabian Prince

I never like to do the obvious, so when I was contemplating a theme for South American model Marcos, I immediately discounted doing a “Futbol”-themed shoot; Sports is not my thing. I wanted something that would showcase his exotic looks (and impressive physique) and also my signature vintage style.

It dawned on me to take a trip to the Middle East and re-create an Arabian Nights theme. After some research, I had a better understanding of Arabic & Middle-Eastern styles of garments and how I can reproduce them on a budget. I lucked out and found some great harem pants on sale at the local Goodwill. Paired with layers of costume jewelry and a gold vest I already had, the outfit was complete – except for the headgear.

I own an actual Fez (a souvenir from my friend’s trip to Egypt) and a muslim knit cap, but they still didn’t look right to me. Well, as you can tell from the 2nd photo, the solution was staring me right in the face, so I went with it. Yes, I used the same window curtain that I used for the Matador shoot. It was the perfect color & texture, so how could I refuse? Wrapped around his head and accented with a gold brooch I got from Japan, the look was complete!

You heard it here first, people, the stylist who refuses to use the same outfit twice did it this time. The lesson here is one of re-invention: view an object as something else, re-purpose it, and it will ensure you stay under budget and will flex your creative muscles.