Join Cameron Silver and The Caftan Caucus!

As the heat of summer rises on Rodeo Drive, how better to stay cool and chic than in the most versatile, enduring and fluid garment of all time –– the Caftan! So says the man with more than thirty of them, Cameron Silver, author of the new book Caftans: From Classical to Camp.

Silver talks with Rodeo Drive - The Podcast host Lyn Winter about the history, design and appeal of the caftan, which he says is the most universal and ancient garment in the world. 

“It is this wonderful garment of comfort that’s size inclusive, that's gender fluid, that can be modest or sexy. It can be voluminous or follow the lines of the body, it can be luxurious, or very accessible.”

He points out that the caftan, essentially a square of fabric with holes for the head and arms, kept plain or highly ornamental, has been worn by Jesus, Moses, Muhammad and Buddha. “It is this cultural garment of incredible reverence in Morocco,” says Silver; it was worn with high camp by the singer Demis Roussos and extraordinary grace by Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and numerous other celebrities. It has been styled by the likes of Fortuny, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Marc Bohan for Dior, Karl Lagerfeld, Emilio Pucci, Rudi Gernreich, and Oscar de la Renta. 

Silver, who conducted the interview wearing a lightweight, hooded, 100% cotton caftan designed by Trina Turk, has taken his book on the road from Texas to Mykonos. He notes that wherever he goes he finds an enthusiastic “caftan caucus” of people wearing and talking about caftans, which he says is the quintessential Athleisure garment, counterintuitively more glamorous than body hugging clothes.

It’s not “just a sack,” says Silver. “The reality is that when you wear it, you have to really move your body; you become a Martha Graham dancer, even if you have two left feet like me.” 

SIlver, who was previously Fashion Director for H by Halston for QVC, adds that “Halston famously did his first runway shows featuring caftans and in the late 60s and 70s they became even more popular.” Right now, he says there is a caftan renaissance, with variants appearing at all the runway shows. “It may have taken a Western and European fashion several decades to really understand that it's a good idea to have a caftan in your collection.”

Even though Silver wears his caftans in all seasons, he says this floaty garment, that can be worn from day into evening, is especially appealing in the summer. “It is the garment of the people. Regardless of your size or your gender, or your means or your location, there is a caftan waiting out there for you.”

Season 5 of Rodeo Drive – The Podcast is presented by the Rodeo Drive Committee with the support of The Hayman Family, Two Rodeo Drive, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, and the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau.

Season 5 Credits:

Executive Producer and Host: Lyn Winter

On behalf of the Rodeo Drive Committee: Kay Monica Rose

Scriptwriter and Editorial Advisor: Frances Anderton

Editor and Videographer: Hans Fjellestad

Theme music by Brian Banks

Production Assistant: Isabelle Alfonso

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