Elanthian Vogue/Phoenatos 5126
Title: Elanthian Vogue: V (Phoenatos 5126)
Author: The Looking Glass
Editor: Rohese Bayvel
Editor's Thoughts
There is something wonderfully liberating about summer dressing. By Phoenatos, our wardrobes have reached their lightest point of the year, encouraging us to travel a little further, linger a little longer, and embrace garments that work as effortlessly as the outings we hope to enjoy. After the excitement of the festivities on the Flotilla and the debut of our mascot duck, V escapes to the sun-drenched shores of the Isle of Ornath to explore a style that proves simplicity need never come at the expense of elegance; a style that can be found in small, silk-swathed shop called Kraet Intentions.
Whether your plans for a summer getaway involve a detour to the Duskruin Arena or heading to the terraces of Ta'Nalfein, this issue celebrates clothing designed to adapt. With the timeless versatility of the Kraet Styles chiton, we discover that one thoughtfully chosen garment can become the foundation of an entire summer wardrobe.
Long-time readers may recall that the aforementioned boutique first made its appearance in Bloodriven Village. With the Arena once again opening its gates this month, it seems a fitting reminder that trends often enjoy an unexpected second life. What first appealed to arena participants has since found an altogether different audience amongst those seeking refinement rather than renown.
It is an unlikely journey from the dust of Bloodriven Village to the tranquil shores of Ornath but one that perfectly illustrates how exceptional design transcends circumstance. Indeed, one can almost imagine a victorious gladiator setting aside their armor after a successful Duskruin run and exchanging xazkruvrixis for chiffon before boarding the next ship south.
The Summer of Chitons
By Phoenatos, thoughts naturally turn toward escape. The noble family villas of Ta'Illistim empty as scholars retreat from the heat, merchants linger longer in coastal ports, and many adventurers find themselves drawn southward to the fragrant gardens and crystal running waters of the Isle of Ornath. Summer holidays demand a wardrobe unlike any other: garments that travel well, remain comfortable beneath an unrelenting sun, yet possess enough versatility to carry the wearer from a leisurely afternoon by the sea to an elegant evening beneath the stars.
There is perhaps no better destination for such a wardrobe than Kraet Intentions.
Situated upon Ornath, the boutique celebrates one of the oldest garments in Elanthian fashion: the chiton. Far removed from the heavily structured tailoring of the Dhe'nar or the layered romance of Illistim couture, the chiton demonstrates a quieter philosophy - that true elegance often begins with a single piece of cloth.
According to Kraet tradition, the chiton is less a garment than a method of dressing. Rather than relying upon intricate tailoring, the garment is created from a single length of beautifully woven fabric, secured with brooches, pins or decorative fastenings before being belted to create shape. The result is remarkably adaptable. By altering the position of a clasp, changing the belt, or allowing one shoulder to remain uncovered, the same garment can present an entirely different silhouette.
Readers may recognise echoes of the Koaratos feature on the drapeable garments of Ebb and Flow. Both celebrate versatility over excess, encouraging the wearer to interact with their clothing rather than simply put it on. Where Ebb and Flow offers garments that change through creative draping, Kraet Intentions embraces a far older tradition; one in which the wearer becomes part of the design process.
The merchandise found throughout Kraet Intentions illustrate just how varied the humble chiton can become. A jade starburst-pinned tea green chiffon chiton torso-wrapped in braided gilt silk rope worn in the Gladiator style evokes lazy afternoons on the clifftops of the Agora Promenade overlooking the ocean, its gentle folds catching every sea-born breeze. For evening entertaining, a nacre fibulae-pinned vellum ivory batiste chiton topped in a calligraphy-patterned overlay in the Observer style is something altogether more refined, particularly when paired with delicate sandals and understated jewellery. Those favouring richer colours might select a brooch-pinned burgundy-plum silk chiton topped in an overlapping rose-patterned overlay, creating a dramatic silhouette that remains wonderfully cool despite the warmth of late summer.
Even linens, simple by comparison, possess enormous charm when belted with braided cords or adorned with carved coral fastenings. Each begins with precisely the same principle. Each becomes entirely different. The greatest luxury of the chiton may not be its beauty, but its practicality. When travelling, one need pack only a small selection of garments, relying instead upon different clasps, belts, jewellery and methods of draping to create fresh ensembles throughout the journey.
You see Miss Lissaya Vaillancourt Loenthra the Witch of the Shining City. She appears to be an Elf. She is average height and has a slender build. She appears to be in the bloom of youth. She has dark-lashed, wide larkspur blue eyes and exceedingly fair skin. She has mid back-length, languidly waved vanilla blonde hair caught in a series of braided loops beneath a leaflet-wired electrum circlet, the ends subtly concealed beneath the coils. Dainty but sharp fae-like features dominate her face. She has honey-laced champagne gloss brushed onto her subtly rounded fingernails. She has a trio of twisted silver rings in her left eyebrow, an inked pair of black witch moths tracing her collarbones, an intricate blackwork tattoo blossoming down her left arm, and a tattooed ring of stylized greyscale flames on her finger. She is wearing a pair of repousse electrum earrings detailed with vine-entwined clusters of plump grapes, a side-slashed grape shot silk chiton draped from an asymmetrical coil of leafy tendrils, a quintet of electrum bangles, a narrow silver filigree signet, and a pair of golden olive latticed suede wedge-heeled sandals.
You see Bathcwyn Missoni Sabretache Faendryl the Member of the Order of the Swan. She appears to be a Dark Elf. She is diminutive in height and has a fragile, slender frame. She appears to have come of age. She has long-lashed chimerical viridian eyes and richly toned, olive brown skin. She has long, glossy black hair gathered loosely over the right shoulder by an iridescent comb murex fanning fragile tines. The ponytail's length falls in twisted, salt-textured waves. She has a pinched face, a sharp and severe nose and a prominent collarbone marked by a tiny mole. Her pointed chin and delicate bone structure contribute to the waifish appearance of her visage. She has a faint dusting of iridescent pigment highlighting her exposed skin, the ambient light revealing flecks of pearl. She has a wild desert rose tattoo on her foot, some inked whorls of mist on her arm, an eight-tined star tattooed in lapis ink on the top of her right hand, a diminutive swan depicted in pearlescent ink on her wrist, and an oval blood red eye tattoo on her neck. She is wearing a sole glassthread vine spiralling its glimmery strands up the neck, a sideless taessaet chiton suffused in prismatic nacre down a single floaty sleeve with a longline corselette gilded in jellyfins on champagne suede underneath, a lor signet ring, and a set of ten gold toe-rings chain linked to birch anklets.
With summer dressing being a recurring conversation amongst the fashionable of Elanthia and readers of V lately, Kraet Intentions offers the simplest solution to the question of "what should I wear?" The chiton embodies everything a summer wardrobe should aspire to be and we, at V, approve.