And Where Be Monsters?

Say what you will about the Munich design house Mondi, which had its heyday in the late 80s-early 90s; they boldly went where few designers had gone before (or would ever go again) in the exuberance of their printed fabrics. Case in point today's entry, which explores the little-known fashion subgenre of cartographic chic.

While Mondi's blazers frequently sported a big old crest on the breast pocket, commodore-style, the top-and-bottom ensembles and trousers often used the sea charts themselves as starting point. And how apropos to wear harborside in Portofino, Puerto Banus, Cap d'Antibes, and other chic ports of call . . .

"Where have you been on the yacht this summer darling?"
"Well we've stopped here and here and here . . . "

(If, by the by, you happen to be in London and want to see an exhibition on glorious printed maps, stop by the British Library's Magnificent Maps, on through September. Matching dress is not compulsory).