The Story so Far: Cyanica

GLUTTONY: 1

"Thank you, Ms. Dijkstra, for getting my drawings from those designers in Milan. Leave the new designs on my desk, then schedule an appointment with Duchess Amani Marino of Castelletto. She requires a wedding gown for herself in October; I need this to go perfectly", said Ceruli Taquo. Her long, auburn hair was let out of its usual slick back high ponytail, releasing her natural curl pattern. The fiery hair was reminiscent of roaring magma churning through the center of the earth, juxtaposed by the simple, off -white blouse that was designed to be practical for the designer on-the-go. Nothing too elegant. Nothing to draw too much attention to herself. Just enough to remind herself of her roots, of the simpler days when her time was spent in one place for days on end.

Ceruli Francesca Taquo was born in a small village outside of Rome to Yolanda and Vincent Taquo, two young farmhands who led humble lives. Every morning before the sun rose, Yolanda would be preparing the feed for the day while Vincent would tend to his newborn daughter Ceruli. At noon, the couple would switch off duties. In the afternoon it was Vincent's turn to tend to the fields and animals while Yolanda watched the baby and worked on her craft. Ceruli's mother was the village's best seamstress, tailor, and cobbler all at once. With so many viable skills under her toolbelt, Yolanda slowly gained notoriety. With notoriety came fortune.

As Ceruli grew older, she became involved with her mother's work and daily activities. When she was five years old, Yolanda taught her daughter the art of weaving small reeds into beautiful baskets, which could then be used to collect flax seeds, wool, cotton, or any number of materials that could be turned into luxurious fabrics for her mother. When she turned ten years old, Ceruli picked up her first sewing needle and fell in love with embroidery, and three years after she was allowed to sew patterns for her mother's business. Her first complete solo project came when Ceruli was fifteen years old. Yolanda had given her daughter a challenge; to complete a project starting from scratch. Ceruli would have to collect her materials from the farm, process them into fiber, and spin the fiber into a usable yarn. She chose not to dye the yarn for her first time, since that would take way too long and Ceruli had no patience for all of that. After all of the prep work, she was allowed to work the yarn in whatever weaving technique she wished and present her mother with a finished project. Ceruli chose to make a simple, off-white blouse with a woven texture and a soft floral embroidered pattern running down the sleeves. It was the first time she ever saw her mother cry tears of joy.
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Ceruli Taquo was the top fashion designer in all of Europe, earning her the title "The Queen of Milan". Her runway shows alone were enough to catch the attention of designated across the globe. Inspired by the works of Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, the pieces she produced were elegant, lightweight, charming and affordable. Taquo stood out from the rest of the fashion world by using materials and techniques that made her work accessible to the common people, but styled so that everyone could be fashionable.

A day with Ceruli often involved a lot of running around the country, checking on new designs, meet and greets and taking inspiration from all of the wonderful sights in the Riviera, her favorite place.

"Hey, Ingrid. Have the new sketches for the 2024 Winter collection come together yet?", mentioned Ceruli.
"No, Ms. Taquo", said Ingrid Dijkstra, her loyal assistant. "But they should be ready within the next week or two".
"So long as they have my notes, everything should go swimmingly"
They were on their way to Castelletto, one of the most beautiful cities, in Ceruli's personal opinion. She had been invited to meet with a very important client, The Duchess Amani Marino. The Duchess was to be wed in October, and in turn required a wedding gown specially crafted just for her. The details of the events were unclear, but that's what meeting with clients is for.

Pulling up to the Duchess Amani's estate, Ceruli was struck with vivid colors painting the landscape. Beautiful violets danced with verdant greens in a swirling maze of flowers, dotted with marigolds and lined with trees all in a row. In another section, she could spot a small pond surrounded by bushes and oak trees. The oaks weren't as tall as the ones in her childhood home, but they were more vibrant and full of life.