Thakoon For Africa

{Thakoon - Masai Plaid Scarf}

Fashion cares.  You've heard it before, but it's true.  The fashion community has a longstanding history of leveraging their considerable influence to benefit a myriad of charities.  From AIDS, to cancers, to taxidermy shops in Paris, designers love to rally for their causes and put their talents to work for the furtherance of others.  Anna Wintour protégé Thakoon Panichgul is the latest fashioner to throw his hat into the charitable ring, designing a special limited-edition Masai Plaid Scarf in an effort to help children's relief organizations in the Horn of Africa (particularly Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia & Djibouti) provide nutrition to local youths.  The fleece wool scarf's bright red + blue checkered pattern was inspired by the Masai's traditional vibrant garb, but also manages to simultaneously remind me of both Vivienne Westwood Red Label prints and the heavy flannel jackets that the boys I used to go to high school with wear hunting.  If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.  (Seriously though, I think it's gorgeous).  Get the scarf and do some good on Thakoon's e-commerce site here.   

-photograph by Paul Maffi-