Sep 15, 20202 min read

SOMETIMES BETTY, SOMETIMES VERONICA

Updated: Sep 16, 2020

Somewhere in the late 80's, early 90's was the first time I laid eyes on my older boy-cousins' Archie comic books, the doggy-eared paperbacks scattered around their messy bedrooms. Stacked one on top of the other, the collection was pretty impressive, probably taller than I was at the time. I was drawn in by the bold, high-gloss book covers, showcasing the buxom Betty and beautiful Veronica, the cover scene alluding to the famous love-triangle between these two and Archie, who even at my young age I had puzzled together was batting way above his league. Jughead on the other hand - a raven-haired, aloof nerd chirping spicy comments...now there's a guy.

Veronica's confidence and hard-to-get attitude made me lean towards Team Veronica. Her preppy, put-together designer outfits were what shoved me right in. How did Americans get so lucky to wear an outfit of their choice to school? Being at an all-girls' school myself, I would romanticize about rocking my Veronica-esque outfit to school instead of the dreaded brown checked frock I had been sentenced to. Civvies days were highlighted in neon marker on my year-planner.

Oh but Betty, what a crafty Jane-of-all-trades. Fooling us all with that girl-next-door persona, this blonde bombshell made sure she always got what she wanted. So I decided I'd be sometimes Betty, sometimes Veronica.

My friend Rushda and I met for lunch recently. Later that evening, smiling at the customary lunch-date pic taken by the waiter, pondering over my blonde, polo-neck and sneaker combo and her salmon pink trouser and silletto ensemble, Archie's girls sashayed their way into memory, and I simply had to recreate my own Betty & Veronica episode for FARAMONES.

There's nothing like a group of young talented creatives to shake you into the reality that you're getting older. Especially when, describing what I had in mind for this campaign, Jamie, Shezan, even Razana and her makeup school girls would reply "ah, yes, Betty & Veronica, like from Riverdale?" In my attempt to reset their Archie Comics reference point, I caught myself sounding like my older office colleagues vehemently defending Mark Ronson's Uptown Funk in favor over the Bruno Mars cover.

So, its time for a re-education. Let's time travel to the 50's with B & V. In a pink Cadillac down Hollywood Boulevard wearing puff-sleeves and bobby socks, in hopes of romance. First Marilyn at the drive-in, then Elvis on the jukebox at the diner, sipping milkshakes served on rollerskates. Giggles and goodnight kisses on a porches, writing love-letters until lights out at midnight. No Netflix, no Ubers. What airpods? Who's DMs?

The 50s...What a time to be alive!

Keep an eye on my Instagram and website posts in the days to follow!

With love,

FARAMONES