Sotheby's Will Auction 200 Pairs of Louis Vuitton and Nike ‘Air Force 1’ by Virgil Abloh

For more info about the scholarship fund and some of Virgil’s students, read The Cut’s article published after his passing, in December 2021.

Sotheby's Will Auction 200 Pairs of Louis Vuitton and Nike ‘Air Force 1’ by Virgil Abloh, to Support The Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund AOC Art of Living

Sotheby's is proud to present The Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh, a special global online auction of the highly coveted Nike x Louis Vuitton “Air Force 1" sold to benefit The Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, an organization that aims to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry by providing scholarships to academically promising students of Black, African American, or African descent.

The auction marks the first-ever release of the Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh created for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Collection. Prior to his passing on 28 November 2021, the Louis Vuitton Men’s Artistic Director was involved in the early organization of the auction and its surrounding events. The auction will take place in association with his family.

Each pair will be sold with a Louis Vuitton pilot case in orange Taurillon Monogram Leather (exclusive to this auction), which was likewise featured in the collection.

Starting from the launch of the auction, the shoes and the pilot case will be exhibited at Sotheby’s New York. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit free of charge, and can make an appointment to do so through our reservation page.

A total of 200 pairs of the Nike “Air Force 1” – originally created for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Men’s Collection – is being made available in an exclusive colorway and a range of sizes.

Luca Khouri Eyes 'Those Noble Natures' in Portland Parish Jamaica for Re-Edition Magazine

Luca Khouri Eyes 'Those Noble Natures' in Portland Parish Jamaica for Re-Edition Magazine AOC Fashion

Models Breana Carson and Val Haughton are styled by Vittoria Cerciello in ‘Those noble natures’ in Luca Khouri’s [IG] images for Re-Edition Magazine Fall 2021.

The images were shot in Portland Parish Jamaica, on the northeastern point of the island. Portland Parish is considered to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

This fashion story immediately brought to mind two earlier AOC posts that are fundamental to our understanding of Black history.

The first is Jackie Nickerson’s 2018 images of Solange Knowles, shot in ‘Runaway Bay’ Jamaica for Dazed Magazine. We learned then about the area as an escape route for slaves. Not part of the Dazed interview was AOC’s own discovery of The Jamaica Maroons and the Danger of Categorical Thinking..

The second past AOC post triggered by the images themselves is These Abandoned Buildings Are the Last Remnants of Liberia’s Founding History. Young people may not know about the West African nation created by former slaves in Liberia.

Coincidentally, the New York Times touched down in Liberia two days ago with Marking a Different Thanksgiving Tradition, From West Africa. We will pick up that story in a separate post.

Lesley-Ann Brandt Will Star in New Series Set in South Africa District Six Ubuntu City

Brandt joins Morgan Freeman in Cape Town’s District Six

AnneofCarversville.com Women’s News.

Lesley-Ann Brandt Will Star in New Series Set in South Africa District Six Ubuntu City AOC Fashion

South African actor Lesley-Ann Brandt is lensed by Angelo D’Agostino [IG] with a digital cover, for Numéro Netherlands [IG] November 2021. The ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Spartacus’ actor is partnering with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment on the development of a new drama series that takes viewers to Cape Town, South Africa’s District Six.

Brandt, who will star and produce with Adrian Cunningham of D6 Entertainment, said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Lori, Morgan and the team at Revelations to bring the beauty and tragedy of District Six to life. It’s such a personal story to me, my family and the people of the Cape Flats. While the barbarity of the apartheid regime has featured onscreen before, Hanover Street will lean into the joy and solidarity that the community shared in the face of repression.”

Deadline explains: “Home to 60K residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community, District Six in South Africa’s second-largest city stood as a symbol of defiance against everything that apartheid stood for. In 1966, the regime designated it a whites-only area. By 1982 its entire population had been forcibly removed, and the neighborhood destroyed.”

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

Francesca Hayward Raises the Barre by Ekua King in Porter Edit October 18, 2021

Francesca Hayward Raises the Barre by Ekua King in Porter Edit October 18, 2021 AOC Fashion

The Royal Ballet’s Francesca Hayward is known for her honest but also diplomatic assessment of life in the notoriously clubby world of ballet. There’s little pretense with Hayward — like her telling Porter Edit interviewer Kadish Morris:

“I don’t come from a dance family, so my whole career has been about just giving it a go and seeing what happens.”

Hayward credits Kevin O’Hare, director of the Royal Ballet, for seeing clearly her potential. “He plucked me out of the water very quickly and said, ‘You can do this.’”

Francesca Hayward is styled by Jenny Kennedy in luxe fashion from Alaïa, A.W.A.K.E, Bottega Veneta, Dries Van Noten, Erdem, Molly Goddard, Saint Laurent, Simone Rocha and more. Ekua King [IG] captures the rising star in ‘Raise the Barre’ for Porter Edit’s October 18, 2021 cover story.

Bob Dylan Helps Hayward Prepare to Perform

The dancer was born in Nairobi, Kenya, then moved to West Sussex at age two, living with her grandparents. She is presently set to dance as Juliet in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, a part very familiar to her. “It’s in my body,” Hayward explains, adding that her chief concern is not to go on autopilot.

Framing Prejudice as ‘Imbalance’

On the topic of the rise of activism, Francesca Hayward is circumspect and dedicated to raising the convo around the world of ballet. “I think it is ingrained into ballet dancers from our very first class that we should be so grateful to be here, that we are so lucky doing what we’re doing. But we should be able to speak out,” she tells Morris.

When AOC calls Hayward ‘diplomatic’, here’s an example of how she doesn’t mention the words ‘racism’, ‘prejudice,’ ‘white superiority’ but only ‘diversity’. in a word chain that we will consider fully, Francesca Hayward uses the word ‘imbalance’ to describe the reality of racism. What a fascinating, nonjudgmental communication umbrella to frame racial ugliness or even hate with the more innocuous word ‘imbalance.’

Never Let Them See You Sweat

Hayward’s references to managing fear and nervousness in the performing arts or the public space generally also resonate as very good advice — an AOC mantra, in fact:

“Don’t look SCARED. People who can smell fear might exploit it. Look STRONG — even if you’re not feeling strong on the INSIDE.”

Francesca Hayward is performing at London’s Royal Opera House in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ from October 5-23; ‘The Dante Project’ from October 14-30; ‘Giselle’ from November 22-27, and ‘The Nutcracker’ from December 7-16

VA Supreme Court Says Dead White Men Do Not Rule: Remove the Damn Statue!

Republish via AOC at FeedBurner CC 3.0 License Attribution Required: Daily Fashion Design Culture News

VA Supreme Court Says Dead White Men Do Not Rule: Remove the Damn Statue! AOC Fashion

The statue of Confederate military leader, anti-United States successionist General Robert E. Lee has loomed six stories tall over Virginia’s state government and its citizens in Richmond since 1890. After a never-ending series of court battles, the VA Supreme Court ruled definitively last Thursday that the state of Virginia may now begin to disassemble the infamous, 12-ton statue.

The court ruled that "restrictive covenants" in the 1887 and 1890 deeds that transferred the statue to the state no longer apply. In June 2021

Virginia Solicitor General Toby Heytens argued before the court for less than a minute last June, regarding one of two cases seeking to block removal of the Lee statue that “no court has ever recognized a personal, inheritable right to dictate the content of poor government speech about a matter of racial equality, and this court should not be the first one ever to do so.”

"Those restrictive covenants are unenforceable as contrary to public policy and for being unreasonable because their effect is to compel government speech, by forcing the Commonwealth to express, in perpetuity, a message with which it now disagrees," the justices wrote.

Gov. Ralph Northam said upon the announcement of the court’s ruling: “Today it is clear—the largest Confederate monument in the South is coming down.”

In its own legal documents before the court, the current state of Virginia wrote:

“Symbols matter, and the Virginia of today can no longer honor a racist system that enslaved millions of people. Installing a grandiose monument to the Lost Cause was wrong in 1890, and demanding that it stay up forever is wrong now.”

Related: Virginia Museum Will Lead Efforts to Reimagine Richmond Avenue Once Lined With Confederate Monuments Smithsonian Magazine

Dead Men's Property Heirs Argue Confederate Statue Rights in New VA Court Move AOC Blackness

Gant Offers a Fashion Vision for a New Colored America in Vogue Scandinavia

Republish via AOC at FeedBurner CC 3.0 License Attribution Required: Daily Fashion Design Culture News

Gant Offers a Fashion Vision for a New Colored America in Vogue Scandinavia

Gant launched a high-voltage, sponsored fashion story ‘Gant is leading the glorious return of ‘preppy dressing’ in the debut issue of Vogue Scandinavia. The visual fashion mashup is lensed by Marco Van Rijt with styling by Fernando Torres. Talents include Caitlin Tamsyn Soetendal, Fredrik Quiñones, Lamin Holman, Levi Anijs, Idsa Mikado, and Miyake Mugler.

Gant has long done better in Europe than in America. But there is high potential in this reinvention of the New Haven-born, Stockholm-headquartered brand that is redefining prep. Founded in 1949 by Bernard Gantmacher in New Haven, Connecticut — the home of Yale and, arguably, the epicenter of American prep — Gant sits at an intersection of ‘Gossip Girl’ meets Black Lives Matter and Yale meets Howard University.

As America struggles with a full embrace of its own identity as a nation, fashion itself shows us what we can be. We can be colored; we are the world.

“I think prep has made a natural return,” says Gant's Creative Director Christoffer Bastin. He notes that in the early aughts, Ivy League attire was very much a uniform — the club blazer, the chino, the button down — reflected in the skinny Thom Brown suits favored by Pharrell Williams and the cotton candy coloured polos popularized by Kanye West. “Balenciaga and Vetements came in with their streetwear influences and committed this mercy killing on prep,” he says.

Gant’s Autumn/Winter 21 collection and the ways in which it’s interpreted by a fresh, youthful crop of Gant enthusiasts is inspiring. A hoodie may be worn under a tweed coat, for instance, and the chinos are decidedly looser. Cardigans are open and oversized. Patchwork and patches are employed liberally, offering a renegade take on iconic collegiate items.

The key word here is ‘renegade’. In a moment where a majority of America’s young people reject capitalism as we know it, fashion is making a big statement. As summer winds down in COVID-world, fashion is creating a new American style heavily influenced by the reality that global creatives want America to embrace and celebrate our multicultural identity.

Sixteen months after the murder of George Floyd, this new America may not make it. The forces fighting this deep embrace of a colored identity — that we are a nation of mutts with staggering potential — may lose the fight against the forces of white nationalism.

But I am clear that fashion really is taking a stand on multiple fronts. This Gant advertorial for Vogue Scandinavia is truly a roadmap for the better-angels vision of an American future. — and I love it. ~ Anne

Gucci Off the Grid' X A Vibe Called Tech Collab Lensed by Amber Pinkerton

Republish via AOC at FeedBurner CC 3.0 License Attribution Required: Daily Fashion Design Culture News

Gucci Off the Grid' X A Vibe Called Tech Collab Lensed by Amber Pinkerton AOC Fashion

Gucci took a step forward this summer with its evolving Gucci Off the Grid Collection, shot here by rising photographer, ‘jamaican gyal in london town’ Amber Pinkerton [IG]. Danish stylist Anders Solvsten Thomsen styles models Fabio Silva and Kieza Kanda.

This ‘Gucci Off the Grid’ sustainability campaign is a collab between Gucci and A Vibe Called Tech, a new creative agency founded by Charlene Prempeh, to explore the intersection of Black creativity, culture and innovation. Prempeh is an FT How to Spend it columnist and contributing editor who writes about Black innovators, design, travel, and culture. She is a graduate of Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics [PPE].

Lewis Gilbert is the creative director of A Vibe Called Tech [IG]. AOC will flush out the agency in a separate post.

Returning to photographer Amber Pinkerton in this abundance of Black creativity moment, she was profiled in an August 2020, T: New York Times Style profile: The Rising Photographer Inspired by Her Home Country.

When Gucci announced its first Off the Grid collection in June 2020, Jane Fonda was holding a new bag made of sustainable material.

We now know the material is Econyl, and it’s heavily featured in these Gucci Off the Grid campaign images.

The upcoming Louis Vuitton Charlie unisex, 94% sustainable sneaker has pieces made of Econyl. The fabric made by Aquafil, using large amounts of recycled nylon, is also in heavy use by Prada — who led the Econyl drive — and Burberry, also a founding driver of the material. Track Econyl here.

See entire campaign: Gucci Off the Grid' X A Vibe Called Tech Collab Lensed by Amber Pinkerton AOC Fashion

Pharrell Williams Launches Black Ambition for Black and Latinx Entrepreneurs

Pharrell Williams Launches Black Ambition for Black and Latinx Entrepreneurs AOC Eye

Black Ambition, Pharrell Williams’ newest venture dedicated to cultivating Black and Latino entrepreneurs, is the winner of the impact investing category of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards.

Williams launched Black Ambition last December 2020, with Louis Vuitton Men’s artistic director and founder of Off White Virgil Abloh is onboard as a member of the Black Ambition advisory team. Black Ambition will act as a non-profit initiative providing a bridge to success for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who are launching start-ups in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products.

Pierpaolo Piccioli Was Woke Before Naming Zendaya As New Brand Face

‘Euphoria’ star Zendaya has joined the Valentino stable of celebs and voices representing the brand. The star shared the news, saying that she is “honoured to have been chosen as the face of Valentino,” and “so excited to begin this amazing collaboration with Pierpaolo and the entire Valentino family.”.

WWD delivered the message that Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli wants “to make the brand more in sync with the times and more inclusive, while maintaining its storied codes.”

From his perspective, Piccioli wants “to resignify the brand and how it is generally perceived. It’s like a different take on a familiar landscape.” Zendaya “embodies and represents what Valentino is and stands for today,” Piccioli explained to the press. “She is a powerful and fierce young woman that uses her talent and her work to express herself, her values and her generation as well.”

As an actor, the recent Emmy Awards youngest winner of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Zendaya’s role in ‘Euphoria’, joined Viola Davis as only the second Black female actor to win an Emmy in the high-profile category.

Valentino Isn’t New to Supporting Black Creatives and Culture

Valentino haute couture, spring 2019.Credit...Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York Times

Valentino and Piccioli are walking a needlessly treacherous balance beam in AOC’s opinion.

Perhaps because we follow the fashion industry so closely, we know Valentino and Piccioli himself have existing credentials in their support of Black creatives and models. I would have positioned that existing pedigree as part of their new announcement about Zendaya.

Piccioli’s relationship with Black models is at the top of luxury fashion houses. In his spectacular January 2019 couture show, the creative director and designer featured a dominating majority Black models extravaganza, reflecting a historic commitment to Black model representation. Vanessa Friedman reported that of 65 models, 45 were Black.

“As a designer I have a voice,” Piccioli said in the moment. “Hopefully a loud one. I want to use it.”

Fine — we are accustomed to marketing manipulation — but when Roberta Flack’s ‘The First Time’ hit the runway, tears welled up in more than one set of fashionista eyes. The beauty of the January 2019 moment existed in the reality that Pierpaolo Piccioli’s gesture was not tokenistic.

Joining Naomi Campbell were Aaliyah Hydes, Adut Akech, Ajak Deng, Akiima, Alek Wek, Alyssa Traore, Annibelis Baez, Anyelina Rosa, Assa Baradji, Ayak Veronica Bior, Blesnya Minher, Duckie Thot, Eftagine Fevilien, Grace Bol, Hannah Shakespeare, Hiandra Martinez, Janaye Furman, Judy Kinuthia, Karly Loyce, Litza Velloz, Lineisy Fatou Liya Kebede, Jobe, Lisette Moriello, Mayowa Nicholas, Miqueal-Simone Williams, Montero, Naomi Chin Wing, Nichole Atiero, Rouguy Faye, Niko Riam, Nyara Aboja, Saba Koj, Sana Diouf, Selena Forrest, Shanelle Nyasiase, Sompra Antonio, Tami Williams, Ugbad Abai, and Veronica Cabral.

Valentino’s Moncler Collab with Liya Kebede

Image courtesy Moncler.

Pierpaolo Piccioli’s collaboration with Lemlem’s founder Liya Kebede on puffer gowns for Moncler also comes to mind. Kebede’s Ethiopian artisans created colorful borders on the gowns, like those found on the ‘habesha kemis’ traditional Ethiopian dress.

AOC’s only point is that there’s no need for Valentino to communicate a message that’s it’s a luxury brand jumping on the Black representation bandwagon.

Valentino was ‘woke’ on this issue before most other luxury brands. They don’t deserve an award for being among the first to take a leadership position around Black beauty and creativity. But Valentino could have celebrated their ongoing commitment to racial justice and Black representation by announcing Zendaya as a next step in this long-overdue journey.

It would be like Anne of Carversville announcing our commitment to Black models, when we’ve been fighting for them for a decade. Nobody deserves a bow on this issue, but Valentino is not new to this long-overdue party. It didn’t take a summer of widespread protest and discontent to prompt Valentino to action. Nor did it take embarrassing condemnation from Black leaders and racial justice activists pointing out the obvious racism in their product offerings — as experienced by Gucci and Prada. ~ Anne

Nadine Ijewere Captures Vogue US December's Ode to Glorious Aunties

Nadine Ijewere Captures Vogue US December's Ode to Glorious Aunties

The December 2020 issue of American Vogue brings a delicious visual and historical narrative fashion story to its pages. Titled ‘Family Values: An Ode to Aunties and Their Inimitable Sense of Style’, the new fashion images including models Adut Akech, Akon Changkou, Ariish Wol, Kesewa Aboah and Maty Fall are styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson.

London-born photographer Nadine Ijewere, of Nigerian-Jamaican parentage, is behind the lens. Her Nigerian ancestry is relevant because writer Alexis Okewo sets the stage for a discussion on aunties based on her own experience growing up in Alabama’s Nigerian community.

John Edmonds' 'The Custom of the Country' for Vogue US September 2020

John Edmonds' 'The Custom of the Country' for Vogue US September 2020

The September 2020 issue of American Vogue is out. AOC’s in-depth focus on cover artists Kerry James Marshall and Jordan Easteel will be finished today. This moment, we share ‘The Custom of the Country’ a fashion story styled by Carlos Mazario and featuring a wide-range of fashion industry luxury brands.

Photographer John Edmonds captures Alek Wek, Akon Changkou, and Toni Smith in a leisurely game of cards and a glass of champagne. Who knows — perhaps they are members of US Vice Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris’ Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, celebrating their sorority sister’s new national stage trajectory.

Make no mistake, if these women are AKAs, they are not ladies of leisure, but a force to be reckoned with. Read a July 2019 New York Times politics feature Kamala Harris’ Secret Weapon: The Sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha.