British Vogue Flowers Fashion & Jewelry Goes 'Over the Border Bold' with Anthuriums
/Models Malika El Maslouhi and Tess McMillan go ‘Over the Border’ in a total immersion of floral fashion and jewelry, styled by Julia Brenard. Felicity Ingram [IG] captures the biophilia immersion for British Vogue May 2023.
Anthuriums Are Everywhere in Fashion
The influence of anthuriums has been dominated by the LOEWE Women’s 2023 Spring Collection. The flower is so distinctive visually that it almost serves as a logo.
Read MoreBella Hadid Gives AI a Try with Carlijn Jacobs and Chad Nelson for Vogue Italia May 2023
/Supermodel Bella Hadid joins photographer Carlijn Jacobs [IG] and Vogue Italia in a May 2013 cover story driven by AI. Imruh Asha styled Bella and was part of the team working with AI artist Chad Nelson. / Hair by Mustafa Yanaz; makeup by Sam Visser
The team worked on the DALL-E artificial program. Carlijn Jacobs describes a bit of the process:
After coming up with a rough concept for each photo, we shot Bella in the studio, then tried to generate background images with the AI program. I found myself having to translate my vision to the camera into a few key words, called "prompts": a far from easy undertaking for a photographer used to working with images rather than words. At first I tried to give random inputs, but I soon realized that the precision of my instructions was crucial if I was to get anywhere near the idea I had in mind.
Read MoreEmily Ratajkowski Cheers Vogue Spain May 2023 35th Anniversary Lensed by Brett Lloyd
/The model, writer, businesswoman and podcaster Emily Ratajkowski travels to the picturesque town of Chinchón, southeast of Madrid, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Vogue Spain’s May 2023 issue.
Emrata embodies Mediterranean sensuality in a fashion story that is pure style, celebration and tradition.
Photographer Brett Lloyd [IG] captures Ratajkowski, who is styled by Laetitia Gimenez Adam, in a story with a Sophia Loren vibe. That’s a compliment ER.
Emily Ratajkowski reminds me of Marilyn Monroe, who also sought to be regarded as a woman with an active, intelligent brain. Speaking of this major transition to being a multi-hyphenate writer, 'podcaster', political subject and mother [as described by Vogue], she explains:
“I thought the most I could do with my life was be a sex object and I said to myself, 'My God, I'm so unhappy.' So I started writing.”
Read MoreCOACHTOPIA Scrappy Bags 'Think Different' and Sell Out on Coach Website
/On the rarest of occasions, AOC wakes up to a significant new reality in fashion world, a radical process that turns everything upside down. Going foward, we will share the news by playing probably the most important marketing video ever to date ‘The Crazy Ones’.
Today, April 24, 2023 Anne of Carversville shares ‘The Crazy Ones’ worthy: COACHTOPIA.
A defining component of Coachtopia, Joon Silverstein, SVP, global marketing, creative and sustainability explained to Vogue Business, is that it is built as a “community” and has invited a “beta community” of Gen Z environmentally-conscious, individuals to collaborate and give feedback on Coachtopia concepts and products.
Emerging artists will be key players in future product drops and design collaborations.
Coach flipped its traditional production process on its head. Rather than a vision and a sketch, designers started with scraps on a cutting room floor. The handbags are made almost entirely from materials that were destined for landfill, with excess leather fragments arranged into vibrant floral patterns and zipper tracks repurposed into embellishments. The waste-forward products are a bid to transform the supply chain and move toward a circular industry, Coach says to all press inquiries.
Read MoreIrina Shayk Covers Harper's Bazaar May 2023 With a Key Message: 'Be Kind!'
/Top model Irina Shayk shares a more intimate side of her personality, in what becomes a wonderful interview, as told to Nikki Ogunnaike for the May 2023 Beauty issue of Harper’s Bazaar. / Hair by Cim Mahony; makeup by Marcelo Gutierrez
The concept of ‘kindness’ is the biggest theme in her story, beginning with Shayk’s grandmother who never wore makeup but whipped up natural potions, using ingredients in the fridge. Irina reflects:
She was always so positive and grateful for every day and was like, “Always be yourself. Be kind to people.” That’s what true beauty is.
I mentioned on Wednesday reading a powerful Emrata interview in the LA Times, and that it was “a welcome jolt”. The minute I began reading Irina Shayk’s interview, my thoughts immediately went to Emrata.
Read MoreLouis Vuitton Makes Zendaya Official in 2023 Capucines Campaign by Mert & Marcus
/On Thursday rumors that Zendaya had made a major luxury brand move were confirmed, with Louis Vuitton announcing her as its newest house ambassador.
Master photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott captured Zendaya as the face of its Capucines bag, shot in color-saturated, cinematic images of blue sky and a quiet Mediterranean backdrop at the restored 1929 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin house, designed by Irsh architect Eileen Gray./ Hair by Raoul Alejandre; makeup by Antoinette Hill
The Golden Globe–winning actor’s career is in fifth gear, with two highly-anticipated films this year. ‘Challengers’, a Luca Guadagnino–directed tennis drama [‘Call Me by Your Name’] will release in August on August 11, 2023. Zendaya stars with ‘The Crown’s’ Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist ‘West Side Story’ in a tennis tournament in which her husband faces off against her former lover.
Read MoreCherokee Jack for Polo Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Country Workwear by Sharif Hamza
/Rising [star] model Cherokee Jack appears in Polo Ralph Lauren ads, lensed by Sharif Hamza [IG]. The country clothes include denim, workshirts and timeless outerwear — “made to be worn and made to last.”
Some or all of the collection are produced in partnership with The New Denim Project an innovative textile group based in Guatemala.
Finely crafted from upcycled materials, this denim collection is designed to reduce the use of virgin cotton by incorporating cloth scraps into new yarns and fabrics.
Read MoreJonathan Anderson's Pilgrimage to LOEWE's Paula's Ibiza Summer 2023 Has Arrived
/Summer wouldn’t be whispering future visions of sun and fun in our ear without LOEWE’s Creative Director Jonathan Anderson annual pilgrimage to nirvana with its Paula’s Ibiza 2023 Collection. The 2023 cast is particularly interesting with its strong connections to Ibiza’s music heritage.
American supermodel, arch feminist, author and activist Emily Ratajkowsteps into the light for the second time today on AOC [see Marc Jacobs] for the Ibiza spirit shoot styled by Benjamin Bruno. Gray Sorrenti [IG] is again behind the lens making the annual pilgrimage.
It was an American Stuart Rudnick, born and raised in Philadelphia, United States, who transitioned from being a Special Attorney with the United States Department of Justice to selling herbs on the streets of Ibiza, who became the right arm of Paula’s founder Armin Heinemann, a German architect by trade.
Here’s an engaging and inspiring interview with Heinemann on apartamento, and Paula Ibiza images from an out-of-publication book. LOEWE — people would pay $250 for this book! Republish it for a global cause! The world needs it.
Read MoreLiu Wen Fronts New Gucci Bamboo 1947 Handbag, Lensed by David Sims
/In a new Spring 2023 campaign, Gucci celebrates the enduring style of its iconic Bamboo 1947 handbag. Supermodel Liu Wen is centerstage in images and video lensed by David Sims, with creative direction from Ezra Petronio & Lana Petrusevych./ Hair by Paul Hanlon; makeup by Thomas De Kluyver
The Gucci Bamboo 1947 handbag, originally known by its product number 0633, has a rich history that dates back to post-war Italy. In 1947, Europe was still recovering from the aftermath of World War II, and resources were scarce. Leather, a primary material used in fashion at the time, was in short supply, forcing designers to find alternative materials for their creations.
Read MoreWet Leg Lets Loose at Coachella and in Net-a-Porter April 17, 2023, Lensed by Annie Lai
/Wet Leg, a British indie rock group, was founded in 2019 by singer Rhian Teasdale and lead guitarist Hester Chambers on the Isle of Wight. The duo debuted with their single "Chaise Longue" in 2021, followed by their self-titled debut album in 2022.
Wet Leg has received five Grammy nominations, winning Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. They also won Best New Artist and Best British Group at the 2023 Brit Awards.
Fast forward to now, where Wet Leg is the lead opening act on the 2023 Harry Styles ‘Love on Tour’ tour. Wet Leg performed hits like ‘Chaise Lounge’ at Coachella 2023 this past weekend.
Today we meet Wet Leg’s Rhian and Hester in the pages of Net-a-Porter’s April 17th issue, where Hanna Hanra talks “fun, friendship and tearing up the songwriting rule book.”
Photographer Annie Lai [IG] shoots the talented, conspiratorial duo Rhian and Hester, who are riding high in music, culture and now marriage.
Read MoreJust In! Choupette Lagerfeld Is Coming to The Met Gala ! Is She Flying Private?
/Deeply immersed in the pending US Supreme Court stay issued against the dreadful anti-science decision by US Federal Texas District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk against Mifepristone, AOC completely missed the news that Choupette Lagerfeld has accepted an invite to The Met Gala honoring her famously controversial daddy.
Glamour Magazine posted the news last week. Is Choupette traveling on her own jet, or will she preferably take the heat in an airplane at least carrying a crowd of fashion folks?
Will Kim Kardashian Fly Choupette to The Met Gala?
Back to Choupette . . . she could be flying Air Chanel, which would make sense. Or now that Kim Kardashian is coming to the Met Gala, it’s a fact that Choupette would look great in KK’s new plane.
And if anybody can take the heat for flying a private jet to Europe to pick up Karl Lagerfeld’s famous cat Choupette, it’s Kim Kardashian.
After all, Karl Lagerfeld shot Kim Kardashian [West then] in 2013, seven months pregnant with North. He was the first major fashion photographer to shoot her.
Read MoreGuerlain Taps Aristide Najean To Honor Le Bouquet de la Mariée Fragrance
/Renowned glassmaker Aristide Najean has collaborated with LVMH-owned Guerlain to honor the 170th anniversary of the luxury brand’s Bee Bottle. Najean created a fantastical Murano glass limited-edition flacon housing Guerlain's Le Bouquet de la Mariée fragrance.
Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain created the first bee bottle to celebrate Empress Eugénie's marriage to Emperor Napoleon III on that date.
Napolean I — often called Napolean the Great as the military and political leader known to global historians — had personally chosen bees as a symbol of the French Empire because of their ancestral ties to resurrection, power, tenacity, and hard-work.
Guerlain’s 170th Anniversary Exhibit
Guerlain Director of Art, Culture and Heritage Ann-Caroline Prazan invites us to rediscover Guerlain’s iconic Bee Bottle, which celebrates its 170th anniversary in 2023 with a stunning exhibition at Guerlain’s flagship boutique.
The House pays tribute to the iconic Bee Bottle by inviting eleven women artists to revisit the Flacon aux Abeilles in a 21st century artists update of Guerlain’s heritage.
Read MoreTom Ford's Edgy Spring 2023 Campaign by Steven Klein Probes Deep, Sexy Questions
/Designer Tom Ford was among the 150 newcomers to the annual Forbes list of the world’s richest people released last week. The 61-year-old with a deep understanding of human sexuality — and women’s sexuality in particular — entered the list with LeBron James. That’s kind of cool.
The first time Moore met Ford, she was nominated for an Oscar and had checked into the Beverly Hills Hotel with her two-month old baby. “I wasn’t really in Tom Ford shape,” the actor told Vogue. “The first thing Tom did was pick up my little boy—who’s now 21—and said, ‘I want one of these.’”
There are many layers to Tom Ford and these layers drift through every element of his work and life.
Signing a one-year-contract last November with Estee Lauder, agreeing to stay with the brand as Lauder digests their big-leagues’ purchase, it’s very Tom Ford to get edgy on his way out the door in this Spring 2023 campaign film. It’s equally edgy to have Steven Klein behind the lens, creating this tableau of subtle, erotic tension and beauty that provokes questions.
Models for the Tom Ford Spring 2023 Campaign include Akbar Shamji, Annemary Aderibigbe, Felice Noordhoff and He Cong styled by Carine Roitfeld. K Studio acted as Creative Director./ Hair by Jawara; makeup by Yadim
Read MoreFrench Protesters Storm LVMH Paris Offices, Opposing Macron's Pension Reform
/The protests against French President Emmanuel Macron’s pension overhaul escalated Thursday as a crowd of men waving flares and banners stormed the headquarters of luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE.
The Wall Street Journal described the event [free AOC ink] as a moment in which the weekly protests “morphed into a populist rebuke of France’s establishment”.
The central issue is the intention of Macron’s government to raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64 by 2030. The French prime minister used his constitutional powers to take the action without a vote.
Representatives of LVMH said the protesters did not stay long, after forcing their way through the Avenue Montaigne entrance of the luxury group’s headquarters and taking an escalator to the reception area leading to LVMH corporate officers, including Bernard Arnault. There is no confirmation that Mr. Arnault was on the premises.
Read MoreGuerlain #WomenforBees Project Led by Angelina Jolie in Yucatan for 2023
/The partnership between Guerlain and UNESCO launched in early 2020, with the training of beekeepers with more than 50 hives based in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cambodia and China. The five-year project has a goal of training 88 beekeepers from 44 biospheres maintaining 4.400 beehives, after which the partnership can be renewed.
In 2023, the program expanded to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, in collaboration with the Fundación Selva Maya and Maroma, a Belmond Hotel.
To learn that the new LVMH Belmond Maroma Resort and Spa, re-opening August 3, 2023 is also a co-sponsor of the #WomenforBees project, gives Maroma a sense of purpose that has deep roots in ancient practices and traditions.
Reading Maroma’s IG description of its “place” is quite breathtaking and a tribute to LVMH’s approach to 21st century values in creating brand identity with real integrity and an embrace of ancient wisdom.
Maroma is a space of enchanting natural refinement, where ancient mysteries meet modern revelations. Our hotel is based on higher design—infinite and larger than the place itself. It was created originally by true believers of the Sacred Geometry, who aligned our white stucco buildings with the surrounding energy fields.