May 2015: The Derby
Welcome to May. And welcome, also, to one of my favorite weeks of the year. A week which combines opportunities to celebrate two completely distinct cultural phenomenons that are each spectacular in their own right: The Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo.
Do you think that was what the corporate branding specialists were thinking when they opened all those combined-retail-drive-through spaces for KFC and Taco Bell together??
Anyway, these two semi-made-up holidays off-set one another so nicely. I'm just so glad they fall in the same week, and sometimes even on the same day.
Think about it. one holiday celebrates the copious consumption of mint, the other, the copious consumption of cilantro. Win. Win.
Silver Julep cups? Always a win. Giant margarita chalices? (what do yo call those, really?) WIN.
We don fascinators, then we don sombreros. Again, Winning all around in the headwear department.
Cheers to May starting with a bang! And this May starts even more victoriously than usual, jumping straight in with Derby Eve on May 1.
Happy Derby Eve Everyone!
Can you believe I've spent nearly ten years sketching calendar girls and this is the first year I've devoted May to celebrating this wonderful occasion for hat wearing?! I mean, come on! It's a no brainer. May = mint juleps, big hats, horse races. Duh. How did it take me this long to sketch this and give the people what they want? I'll file that under me-making-life-difficult-for-myself.
And now, for some backstory behind this sketch and a bit of reality line blurring...
This is a snap of Martha and Isabelle at last year's Derby. Martha and Isabelle are friends of Daphne's. They live in Kentucky so Daphne sees them precisely one time a year: Derby Day.
And in fact, she wasn't even present last year for the races (which explains why Martha and Isabelle aren't holding mint juleps in this picture. If Daphne had been there, she would have demanded mint juleps all day long)
I loved this image because It's so classically Martha and Isabelle. If you knew them, you'd see why.
Martha is the risk taker when it comes to fashion. Has she ever worn 1.5 inch long blue false eyelashes paired with a white alpaca fur parka to a casual Tuesday night dinner with friends? Yes. Of course.
So, for Martha's standards, this micro-mini feathered dress with the floral appliqué embellishments around the neckline was really actually a safe choice. You should see what she's picked for this year's festivities. Word on the street is that it's a fully sheer two piece outfit composed of both a crop top and culottes.
Isabelle, on the other hand, lives in a world governed by tradition. This pale pink vintage Dior drop-waisted dress belonged to her mother before her. And the fascinator was a favorite of her grandmother's.
The girls are particularly looking forward to the Derby this year. They've invited their old friend Daphne to join them and she's promised that this year she WILL attend. There's no telling what that wild card will be wearing...