Erdem Moralıoğlu Is Photographer of 'Vintage' for Vogue Poland November 2021

Erdem Moralıoğlu Is Photographer of 'Vintage' for Vogue Poland November 2021 AOC Fashion

“It’s gone by extraordinarily quickly,” Erdem Moralıoğlu says about the 15th anniversary of his brand Erdem. “If I close my eyes, I can still imagine being a student at the Royal College putting together my graduate collection,” reflects the designer who has embraced a poetic femininity with deep roots in the strong, often renegade, women of history.

In fact, Erdem’s depth of historical context underpinning the collections — combined with an overarching respect or craftsmanship and artistry — is unmatched in the world of luxury fashion brands. A key element in the recent evolution of the Erdem brand vision is the extraordinary synergy emanating from Ibrahim Kamara, who has styled all of Erdem’s collections and shows since 2019.

New Vogue Poland editor-in-chief, photographer Ina Lekiewicz invited Erdem Moralıoğlu, accompanied by Ib Kamara, to create this visual masterpiece in the November issue. In a new role, the designer is the photographer for the fashion shoot on location at the 17th-century Southside House in London.

Models in ‘Vintage’ include Florence Hutchings, Lily Nova, Ngozi Anene, Sienna King and Wang Han./ Hair by Teiji Utsumi; makeup by Thom Walker

Celestial Grade Synergy

Now the Dazed editor-in-chief, Ib Kamara is extraordinary adept at upending reticence or plain ignorance in how to weave the visual narrative of race, colonialism and fashion together in a modern way. Gender and sexuality are also key undercurrents in Kamara’s work, but the visionary stylist’s brilliance is his emotional and intellectual willingness to take historical realities and weave them in a web of revised history.

The result is an unabashed modern and progressive vision of a better truth, if you think like we do. Others may shatter a mirror or two over the audacity of Erdem Moralıoğlu and Ibrahim Kamara revising colonial history in a shared vision. In another ironic twist, both talents admire strong women and they seek out unique and unconventional personalities as their seasonal muses.

Kamara makes no attempt to shun the often painful facts of history, being a son of the African continent. Rather, he reweaves them into new visual narratives that travel far beyond their original reality. This revised visual statement says “it didn’t have to be this way.”

Erdem Moralıoğlu is the beneficiary of Kamara’s insights and visual interpretations, and one imagines that the synergy between the two super-talents is nothing less than blinding at times. Born in war-torn Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Kamara benefits from Erdem’s insights as the son of a Turkish father and an English mother. Erdem was born in Montreal, Canada and shuttled between Montreal and Birmingham, England.

Ibrahim Kamara says about his relationship with Erdem Moralıoğlu:

“It’s very valuable to meet someone with whom you can perform a creative dance. “

To those of us watching, the tango is breathtaking. ~ Anne

Carlijn Jacobs Captures 'Island Life' in Barbados for Dazed Magazine Autumn 2021

Carlijn Jacobs Captures 'Island Life' in Barbados for Dazed Magazine Autumn 2021 AOC Fashion

AOC has praised W Magazine’s current Fall 2021 issue, and we must not neglect the Dazed Autumn 2021 issue. Ib Kamara is doing a fantastic job as the new editor in chief. I’ve read that the styling is too costumey and will just hop over that comment. Call AOC in love with the global village styling or theatrical styling direction of Kamara’s vision.

It’s through embracing some of these mixes that wearers create more relatable translations of the Dazed stories — in this case ‘Island Life’, styled by Imruh Asha and shot in Barbados by Carlijn Jacobs [IG].

I will never forget my partner grabbing his daughter’s life preserver and putting it on his head as he started a Conga line with his son and daughter in a very posh resort in Trinidad. It was amazing how they brought strangers together as more and more people joined into their musical celebration of evening.

I hate to tell stuffy white people that the creative celebration of joy that is the bedrock of Black and Brown life is just getting started. You don’t have to jump on this train, but I am positive that we are looking at a long run.

Louis Vuitton Men's FW 2021 by Tim Walker Busts Power People Archetypes

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Louis Vuitton Men's FW 2021 by Tim Walker Busts Power People Archetypes AOC Fashion

Whatever your opinion of Louis Vuitton Men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh, he is moving into his own zone of excellence — at least in the eyes of Bernard Arnault and the LVMH family.

Given the realities of business life, AOC reminds the naysayers of this simple reality check: “That’s all that counts.” Not only is LVMH thrilled with Virgil Abloh’s artistic and financial performance at Louis Vuitton Mens, but they are dramatically expanding his role and influence within the entire LVMH family of brands.

The month of July was intense for the Rockford, Illinois-born Abloh who is an artist, architect, entrepreneur, designer and DJ who — in the words of NYTimes woman-in-the-know Vanessa Friedman — is on track to “become the most powerful Black executive at the most powerful luxury goods group in the world.”

It’s true that Virgil Abloh is about “rewriting the rules”, and we love that this reality permeates most of what the hyper-creative visionary does with his time each day.

For the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall 2021 Campaign, Abloh enlists his trusted creative partner, fashion photographer Tim Walker to play a fashion game of chess.

“By taking archetypes such as the writer, the artist, the drifter, the salesman, the hotelier, the gallery owner, the architect, or the student, the collection explores the dress codes that inform our predetermined perceptions of these familiar characters. Virgil Abloh imbues the grammar of these codes with different values and employs fashion as a tool to change those assumptions. Throughout the collection, garments, accessories, motifs and techniques play on themes of illusion, replicating the familiar through the deceptive lenses of trompe l’oeil and filtrage. Leather goods are interpreted through the classic shapes of Louis Vuitton and enriched with added wording, shiny silver, or tuffetage embroidery.” – from Louis Vuitton

Related: LVMH Buys 50% of Jay-Z's Champagne Brand As Bernard Arnault Nods To Black Culture's Financial Influence AOC Living

Savage X Fenty, Valued at $1 Billion, Is Poised To Rival Victoria's Secret and Win AOC Living (Note that while LVMH’s Fenty collab with Rihanna is on hold, the Arnaud family is a major backer in Savage X Fenty through L Catterton.)

Viviane Sassen Captures Marc Jacobs Pre-Fall 2021 'The Color Collection'

Vivianne Sassen Captures Marc Jacobs Pre-Fall 2021 'The Color Collection'

Dancer Christian Yav is among the airborne models styled by Ib Kamara in Marc Jacobs ‘The Color Collection’ of Pre-Fall 2021 athletic pieces. Viviane Sassen [IG] is behind the lens in for this bodies in motion photo shoot. / Hair and makeup by Irena Ruben