The Dawn of an Empire

This is an ensemble group. Modern fashion sketches for historical figures that can be used for any project on screen and stage that are placed in contemporary times.

Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Octavian and Livia.

Before the battle ofActium and the actual fall of the remaining Egyptian power, to the last breaths of the Republic.

An old order disappearing alongside the echoes of splendours past, giving birth to a new, pragmatic, prosperous one… So… where to move them? When was there a time that an old order disappeared and new young people took charge, an age of prosperity, of growth, of pragmatism and even cynicism, and at the same time, with special emphasis in traditional values?

I saw them in… 1950s. A social change that though revolutionary, promoted, as Octavian and Livia did, a walk back to traditions…at least in appearance.

Royalty and sensuality. Passion and ambition.

Cleopatra VII.- MPower, allure, mystery, intelligence, ambition and passion.

Black and white, sun glasses and gloves to symbolize her mysterious personality… Who is she, really? Besides an elegant woman,  we cannot see her gaze.

We cannot see the hands that  rule Egypt, hands that offer power and love.

Only the trim in her cape, embroidered with golden hieroglyphs, reveal her role as Isis - mother, queen, goddess.  And the peacock-blue iridescent silk of her purse with a papyrus clip. The uraeus woven in her hat: a symbol of immortality and of her country.

A woman ready to seduce and fight for Egypt. 

And love. 

Strength and command.

Julius Caesar.- still the commanding office. The master of control. Used to power, to order, to command.

Not blind to beauty - gold accessories and silk tie reveal that. 

And, definitely, not blind to holding the reins-and the future - of Rome in his hands. 

He steps confidently onto any stage, over any obstacle, if he believes his path is THE path. His oxblood leather boots speak that truth - bold, intentional, unmistakable.

A colour that signals where he stands and where he’s going.

Self-assured. Elegant. A force of nature with a deep sense of structure and discipline. 

Magnetism and fierceness.

Mark Antony.- the rebel. The sensual, impulsive fighter, loyal to a fault but too impatient and hot-tempered to calculate the results of his actions. Attractive and charming, wild, with an animal magnetism that makes (female) heads turn - all this is shown by his jeans, his jacket, his t-shirt. The total opposite to the white majesty of Cleopatra and of the discipline and self-command of Julius Caesar.

He carries the knowledge he could never reach the heights his commander achieved.  

A tragic figure too. 

Like all those who die for love.

Young ambition

Octavian.- the golden boy of Rome. Before Augustus, before the Empire, before the legend and the god he became.

A young, ambitious, clear-minded, determined man- with an iron will and discipline to match his grand-uncle’s. Rich, somehow spoiled, yet charming, intelligent, and ruthless when needed.

He is another enigma; his grey suit and ivory sweater reveal nothing - only what he wants you to see: where he studies, where he comes from. The sunglasses and the artfully tousled hair? A trick to cast him as youthful, approachable.

But look closer: the dark burgundy socks, the silk hankie in his pocket, the polished watch. 

Same ambition - only better concealed.

Unseen intelligence.

Livia.- a lovely young lady. Charming. Quiet. Unassuming. The perfect match for the golden boy. 

But don’t be fooled. However unaffected, down-to-earth, and sweet she may look, she has brains too.

The green of her skirt, the espadrilles, the way she styles her hair  - all speak of calm, warmth, approachability. A modest elegance.

But look at her hairband - same dark burgundy as his socks. Her watch: she knows the value of timing.

Her books: she is not a mere ornament,

She is Livia. The real, true partner of the future first emperor. 

An empress in the making.