Vogue and Casa Barata

Yesterday as part of “work” for 212 Society, Maya and I went shopping briefly at casa barata with Vogue writer Mark ---. Maya and I were the guides. The team of five (+ photographer + assistant, section supervisor + assistant) is here for three days. The article is about model Jacquetta Wheeler, who is Treasurer of the 212 Society (http://www.212society.org/) of which I am also a board member. The article is to raise awareness for a grand fundraiser we will be hosting in November to help Darna (http://www.darnamaroc.org/) build a center for girls. They currently have a center for women and boys. The article, however, to fit into Vogue’s type of article, will be on Jacquetta, Darna, and Shopping. Of course, whatever works.

Shopping in Tangier is difficult, especially for clothes. Casa Barata is great though, for the adventurous shopper, and the relics of the past you can find there are amazing. Last time we came upon a pile of bathing suits from the 50s-70s. The hard, irrationally shaped plastic cups would have been unbearable though. There were even wool versions, entirely impractical for around here, but maybe they came from Iceland? All the clothes come from Spain to Tetouan, and are sold by the kilo, then brought to Tangier. I explained to Mark that since there are absolutely no mirrors at Casa Barata, and anyway, we are the only people who actually try things on over our clothes, we take digital pictures of each other in everything we try on to see if it looks good. Sometimes we take multiple pictures because we have faith in a garment, but the photograph is unflattering. Sometimes the photograph reveals a hidden character inside the dress, like for instance one where I become Aunt Sam(antha) recruiting woman, telling you to come to the factories, your country needs your help. Something very proletariat about it, though the fabric was half silk. A pre-pubescent shaped dress with a tiny strawberry print sends Maya back to the midwest, where she’ll always be at heart, but I said: it’s not necessary to wear it on the outside.