If Fitzgerald wrote The Devil Wears Prada
The bald-headed Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada says to Andrea Sachs, "You think this is just a magazine? This is a shining beacon of hope for, oh I don't know; let's say a young boy growing up with six brothers pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going to sewing class and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight."
An Innocent Fashion by R. J. Hernandez is a foray into such a Nigel's journey.
Born to a gritty, working class Hispanic family, Elian San Jamar strives to ascend to the echelons of the fashion world in pursuit of beauty. Beauty, according to him, is the strongest and most important aspect of life. A burning desire to belong in the world that creates such beauty leads to his transformation to Ethan St. James – a flamboyant fashionista in turquoise suits and printed shirts.
Ethan makes his way from (fully funded) wild student days at Yale to landing a coveted internship at his dream magazine – Regine – a place crawling with a dozen "Miranda Priestlys". Along the way, he befriends flashy socialites Madeline Duprey (a 21st century twist on Daisy Buchanan) and the gorgeous, flighty and decadent Dorian Belgraves (a true namesake to Oscar Wilde's notorious hero). The events that follow give us an insight into the disenchanting and truly messed up world of New York's elite, jolting Ethan awake to the shamelessly phoney and unjust realities of the haute couture realm.
The attention to details of the fashion world in the book had its charm, of course, but what really grips you is how deeply the story scrutinises the twisted psyches of its characters. The glittery language and Ethan's glorification of a world that chews and spits him out gives the story a strong taste of F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing. The brazen handling of deceit, drugs, alcohol and physical experimentation, meanwhile, gives it an Oscar Wilde flavour.
Full of flashy fiascos and dark humour, An Innocent Fashion was one of the sharpest and most fascinating books I've read in a while. The fact that it's based on the author's own life made it more intriguing still.
Sarah Anjum Bari is a ravisher of caffeine and prose, with a heart that lives in Parisian cafes. Reality checks to be sent in at s.anjumbari@gmail.com