HERE COMES A MONTH OF ROMANCE

By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS

Love for Everyone

Just around the corner, February is the international month of love, when all true inamoratos let lose their inner passions to pay tribute to the concept of romance by celebrating the anniversary of the death of the 3rd century Roman priest Valentinus, otherwise known as Saint Valentine.

And while the 270 A.D. beheading of Valentine may not in itself have been a shining example of courtly love, the man’s famous martyrdom in defense of marriage and quixotic passion is embodied in the sentimental gestures of gift-giving and proclamations of affection on Feb. 14.

So in keeping with the now universal celebration of platonic and amorous devotion, nearly 500 million Mexicans each year exchange cards, lavish each other with flowers and share candle-lit dinners in honor of the day.

And there is no more romantic a gift of love than jewelry, a symbol of eternal commitment crafted in exquisite gold or silver and adorned with precious stones and gems.

In keeping with the spirit of Valentinus’ selfless sacrifice (he was condemned to death for performing secret weddings against the express orders of Emperor Claudius II, who believed that such carnal unions were a distraction for his armies), the Spanish design house Tous has, for the second straight year, launched a special St. Valentine collection of heart-shaped pendants, arrowed earrings and kissing gemstone bracelets.

Appropriately titled “Love for Everyone You Love,” the assemblage, which is part of a larger collection dedicated to love and devotion due to be released later in February, captures an entire range of human sentiments, from the love between a mother and daughter, to that of a boy and his grandmother, between a sister and brother, or a girl and her closest confidant, and even the beautiful introspection of self-love.

It is a homage to emotional expression of the driving forces of adulation and lust, friendship and rapture.

These unique pieces, produced in both vermeil silver and 18-karat gold with multihued sapphires, spinel crystals, blood-red rubies and cultured pearls, are now available at Tous stores across Mexico.

Spruce Up Your Beau

Since February is also a month for stepping out and spending time with your eternal sweetheart or latest heartthrob, why not get him into the mood for romance by sprucing him up with some new duds.

Dior’s new men’s collection for winter by artistic director Kim Jones is a sensibility of couture, that mirrors the world of art and personal expression, borrowing from the masculine styles of the past and giving them a contemporary elegance that looks to the future.

Mixing Dior haute couture style with soft muted colors, the collection has a distinctively Parisian chic, with animal patterns and intarsia furs.

Exquisitely tailored with a utilitarian bent, the garments include asymmetric coats with panels that wrap across buttons, disrupting the precision of their shape. Other jackets have panels of fabric that button inside, draping to the floor.

Fabricated with cashmere, silk and other natural fabrics combined with technologically advanced materials to create a high-gloss sheen, the collection revolves around a color palette of pale blue, mauve bisque and a symphony of pearlized grays, midnight blues and blacks.

And, by the way, Dior’s new cruise collection for women, Diorodeo, is inspired in the style of Mexican female charreada riders.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s artistic director for women’s collections, has interpreted the elements of tradition and freedom with ample, extravagant skirts worn with fitted jackets to accentuate the narrowness of the waist, emphasized with high belts.

The collection is punctuated with French tulle skirts in powerful reds and superimposed powdery shades.

Wide-brimmed straw hats, created by Stephen Jones, are worn with white dresses, embroidered according to traditional dressmaking methods, with lace inlays given graphic impact through the use of black.

The look is completed with an iconic Dior saddlebag, a man’s shirt and a black string tie.