Birds and their plumage
Penguins aren’t known for their flying prowess, and how often have we seen them caricatured as tuxedoed denizens of the bird kingdom. So if it’s sartorial splendor we associate the bird with, it’s no coincidence that an iconic sportswear apparel line, Original Penguin by Munsingwear, had chosen this “cool” bird to be its emblem. “Hatched” in 1955, the brand first made its blip on the public radar with its golf shirts; and truth be told, given the cyclical nature of fashion, it was only a matter of time before Original Penguin would join the ranks of such brands as Fred Perry and Ben Sherman, and be at the forefront of uber-hip retro fashion on the casual front.
A dyed-in-the-wool American brand, Penguin has now gone beyond the must-have golf shirt of the 1960s (I remember how my father would have several of these shirts in the mid-’60s, whenever he’d take us to play golf), and has expanded to be a complete casual fashion line, with even women and kids collections. The golf shirt, and how it symbolized the American suburban sports look, is still a cornerstone of today’s Penguin; but the plaid shirts, gingham windbreakers, sports jackets, madras shorts, light cardigans, hats, footwear and watches all help complete the look of today’s Penguin-man. It’s retro clothing with modern detail — a look that hip brands like Vampire Weekend espouse. Veronica tops and Diana polos are among the staples of the women’s collection. Originally a Minneapolis-based USA clothing concern, the company was acquired by Perry Ellis International 14 years ago, and there’s been no looking back — except for design reasons! Well aware of its legacy and heritage, it’s nice to see how the ‘60s look can be so contemporary, fresh and modern.
Here in the Philippines, Original Penguin is distributed by Anthem Shoppes, and conversing with owner Cheryl Lao Lee, I was surprised to discover that there are already six free-standing Penguin shops — at Rockwell Power Plant, SM Mall of Asia and Megamall, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Ayala’s Boni High Street and MarQuee Mall in Pampanga — with two new stores in the works before the year is out. Cheryl also runs the Anthem boutiques, where we find TokiDoki and Paul Frank apparel and Melissa shoes. So if it’s cool, branded, casual clothing one is looking for, Cheryl’s growing retail “kingdom” is one hot spot!
Poisoned and purloined lives
Whether writing about England in the 1950s, remembering a tragic life left in Korea, or sticking to the American court rooms we’re so familiar with, there’s nothing like a crime committed, unravelling a mystery, and the detecting that leads to solving the mystery. These three novels all excel in that genre, giving us very human, and fully-fleshed characters.
The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley (available at National Bookstore): Precocious 11-year-old Flavia de Luce is back, still adept at sleuthing, chemistry and poisons. It’s 1950 in Bishop Lacey, a village in the English countryside, and once again, with Flavia as our guide, we’re peeling back the layers that lie over seemingly gentle rural towns to discover the intrigues, mysteries and rot that lie underneath. The traveling puppet show of notorious womanizer Rupert Porson arrives at Bishop Lacey, and when Rupert is killed by electrocution, Flavia sees more than an unfortunate accident. The advent of television, growing cannabis, the by now familiar merciless bullying Flavia gets from her older sisters, they all add to a riveting tale of detection.
The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee (available at National Bookstore): Shifting between 1950 and 1986, this is the life of June Han. In 1950, she’s one of the numberless victims of the war between North and South Korea; while in 1986, she begins an odyssey searching for Nicolas, her son who has gone missing in Europe. Hector, an American GI, plays a pivotal roles in the lives of June and Sylvie, the “damaged” wife of a missionary at the orphanage where the young June ends up. Sylvie’s own experiences in Manchuria during World War II, is its own harrowing story of what lives undergo during wartime. A lot of foreshadowing and strong, grisly scenes played out in detail make this an unflinching story of redemption, identity, family and passions.
Innocent by Scott Turow (available at National Bookstore): It’s 21 years on, and this is a sequel to the acclaimed Presumed Innocent that put Scott Turow firmly on the map of Crime Fiction. Rusty Sabich is now a judge, getting close to 60 years of age. Son Nat is a lawyer, wife Barbara is as fragile and unhinged as ever, and at his ripe, old age, Rusty enters into an affair with his clerk, Anna. When Barbara dies from “natural causes,” old nemesis and PA Tommy Molto finds pat terns and motives to bring charges against Sabich. Rusty, Tommy, Nat, and even Anna, all take turns narrating the story and it’s an engrossing tale of crime, motive and revenge. The centerpiece, as in Turow’s legal thrillers, is the courtroom drama that ensues. Skillfully plotted, Turow delivers in this one.
