Photographer Tyler Mitchell [IG] was over the moon, shooting “a gang of boys in the Spanish desert” near Almería, Spain. The minute I saw Mitchell’s name I understood how impacted he was by the shoot. To his credit, Tyler said as much: “I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity. Photography has brought me many places but this is my first main campaign for a heritage house of such stature. Those who know me know how much this means.”
In an excellent interview Mitchell has with FRIEZE, the photographer explains how his new work is being influenced by his growing understanding of historical paintings.
AOC understands the constant mention of boyhood games and imaginations in the evolving Louis Vuitton Menswear discussion, but to me it’s just as important that cool men are relating to amusing and creative elements in their clothes. Creativity is known to be a uniting force among diverse peoples.
Virgil Abloh understood that reality. Clearly Louis Vuitton understands it in their deeply personal embrace of Virgil’s talents — then and now. And Tyler Mitchell is a similarly soft-spoken, creative personality that fits beautifully into the Louis Vuitton hive.
Limamu Mbaye and Taino Lakota Uppal join A-lister Emily Ratajkowski in Versace SS-2023 campaign ads, first drop. The cast is styled by Jacob K in images by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott [IG].
Models Kendall Jenner and Selena Forrest join talent Arca in Proenza Schouler’s Spring/Summer 2023 Campaign, lensed by Davit Giorgadze [IG].
Camilla Nickerson styles the modern fashion silhouettes with splashes of cascading ruffles, lavish crochet lace panels, fringe and dots created by designers Jack McCollough + Lazaro Hernandez.
Loro Piana is also on an Italian grand tour in the cashmere brand’s Spring/Summer 2023 campaign.
Models Amar Akway, Mika Schneider, Rianne Van Rompaey and Leon Dame present an appetizer excursion of authentic Italian experiences that are in communion with nature, land and community.
Inez and Vinoodh [IG] capture the quartet, styled by Aleksandra Woroniecka./ Makeup by Lisa Butler; hair by Eugene Souleiman
Writing about Loro Piana’s Fall 2022 collection and campaign, AOC shared highly-specific information about a decade’s worth of the brand’s processes and control over its cashmere production.
‘Transparency’ is a stake in the ground among today’s cashmere brands, including less expensive but very well-run cashmere labels. There is no “Don’t worry, be happy, I’ve got this issue under control so you don’t have to worry” in today’s cashmere business.
Reviews for this new Givenchy Spring 2023 campaign have been very positive. It would seem that holding the line and trying to make this vision of Givenchy work has merit.
Reminding readers that Givenchy has no core house identity, the sequence of designers at Givenchy has further created murky waters.
As for the talented American creative director Mr. Williams, does a former Kanye West acolyte, have a vision capable of translating Givenchy in modern terms — especially when none of us knows anymore, what Givenchy is about?
Because it’s game over if Mr. West, legally known as Ye, gets anywhere near an advisory role to Mr. Williams to help sort out his quandary.
From all I’ve read about him, Williams can’t possibly share West’s ‘I’ve never read a book, because I don’t need to’ attitude.
As The Atlantic explained this week: “Identifying as someone who categorically rejects books suggests a much larger deficiency of character.”
Top model Lais Ribeiro dazzles as the face of Vivara’s Summer 2023 campaign. Renata Correa styles Ribeiro in elegant, skin-bearing swimwear for a glamorous, modern campaign lensed by Gui Paganini [IG]. Silvio Giorgio handles hair and makeup, adding the finishing touches to a grade A campaign that sparkles.
Note from AOC: The Spring Summer 2023 Miu Miu campaign is not for mere mortals. It is for the fashion rebels, “united in their courage and desire to challenge conventions” by wearing Miu Miu. You are now absorbing the meaning of meeting this deadly-serious assembly of warrior-women models and talents who understand that by choosing Miu Miu, the decision has a “deep impact on life, enhancing it more and more.”
Hopefully, their sartorial Miu Miu brand enlightenment can be transferred to us, if only we open our minds to these exceptional fashion prophets.
All bow down now and breathe deeply.
Good goddess, I LOVE Miuccia Prada. Lips zipped, because I am not worthy to speak of this campaign’s brilliance. Not one more word. xxxx ~ Anne
I personally went back over Virgil’s older shows and the influence of the menswear design studio is strong in the Fall 2023 collection. This is not about radical change.
AOC remains a believer that Beccari and Arnault will take the menswear design group for an innovative spin — sort of a design laboratory that focuses on the future studio workplace.
But to hear in March that Colm Dillane gets his LV men’s position would not surprise us. AOC believes strongly that elegance is in the wind. I did keep asking myself “Would Jay-Z wear these clothes? Would the NBA players wear these clothes because the LV Men’s NBA clothes are fabulous.
We are positive that LVMH will make some kind of investment in Dillane. His whole story and his talent are pretty irresistable.
Supermodel Anja Rubik is the perfect woman to remind us that visible sensuality in fashion is making a comeback, even at Zara [IG].
Tapping into utilitarian and manly silhouettes, tailoring strikes a perfect balance in neutral colors cargo pants, jumpsuits, bustiers, crop tops and sexy-heels slides.
The look is dazzling and easily adopted by Zara Woman femmes worldwide.
Top model and Chanel-exclusive Vivienne Rohner travels to New York City’s downtown for Chanel's latest Spring Summer 2023 Pre-Collection images, lensed by Theo Wenner [IG].
We circle back to Maison Alaïa Holiday 2022.23 accessories that make bold statements about the brand’s sensual DNA under Pieter Mulier. Aleksandra Woroniecka styles the fashion story lensed by Tanya + Zhenya Posternak [IG] with models Athieng Bul and Tomiwa.
Model Abby Champion is styled by Swarovski Creative Director Giovanna Engelbert in the Swarovski Valentines Day [IG] 2023 Campaign.
Photographer Carlijn Jacobs [IG] captures the ‘Powered by Passion’ pink hues, uber-modern mood that also includes bathed-in-pink model Lucas El Bali./ Makeup by Masae Ito; hair by Olivier Schawalder
Paolo Roversi [IG] captures the Giorgio Armani [IG] S/S 2023 Men’s Campaign. Ludivine Poiblanc styles the models including Aleksandar Rusic, Ibrahim Idoow and Taemin Park.
At first glance Natalie Portman’s new Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet campaign seems straightforward enough. The floral scent features notes of bergamot essence, Damascus rose, and peony with the tagline: “Love is a bouquet.”
The music to Natalie Portman’s new Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet campaign is Janis Joplin for heaven’s sake. I thought I was going to lose my mind.
When Natalie Portman looks straight at me in a Janis Joplin music commercial and says WAKE UP, she has my undivided attention.
AOC wrote in 2019 about Natalie Portman’s human connection and deep respect for Catherine Dior. The Miss Dior fragrance was named for Christian Dior’s sister who was a member of the French resistance during WWII. Catherine was sent to multiple concentration camps in Germany.
In the 2019 interview for Harpers Bazaar UK, the Hollywood star had sober words for progressive optimists:
“I think it’s a mistake to think of humanity as evolving,” the intellectually-accomplished Portman explains. You want to believe it, for sure, but it’s more like cycles of violence. Yet we’ve had an extraordinary lifetime of peace, too, so it’s allowed us to live in this belief that progress is being made.”
Technically-speaking this fashion campaign is about Fendi’sx Tiffany winter-drop two weeks before the holidays. Yet the power of a color — Tiffany Blue — defines it’s larger message and impact. The campaign is promoted almost solely by Fendi.
Trademarked as a color in 1998, and added as an official color to the Pantone system in 2001 [use governed exclusively by Tiffany], the color was trademarked in every classification.
Maverick artist Stuart Semple dared Tiffany & Co to sue him, when he liberated Tiffany Blue in 2021, creating Tiff.
Most IP lawyers agree that Tiffany would have won a lawsuit against Semple. The question was if they really wanted to sue artists — famous and not famous — the audience who bought the soldout Tiff acrylic paint at once.
Tod’s [IG] Pre-Spring 2023 campaign brings together two couples — 1) Anna Ewers and Joshua Seth and 2) Nora Attal and Valentin Caron on a journey through the sun-kissed atmospheres of Southern Italy captured by Karim Sadli [IG] . A typical Apulian Masseria perfectly frames the Pre-Spring 2023 collection, bringing together the four models on their getaway.
Top models Adut Akech, Bella Hadid, Candice Huffine, Devyn Garcia, Imaan Hammam, Jill Kortleve, Mayowa Nicholas, Paloma Elsesser, Taylor Hill, Valentina Sampaio star in Victoria’s Secret Valentine’s Day 2023 campaign.
Gabriella Karefa Johnson styles the shoot, with Camille Summers-Valli [IG] directing the 30-second 2023 V-Day Shop spot.
No one has been more committed to use her fashion shows platform to tell women’s stories than Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Dior ambassador Anya Taylor-Joy has a life-long passion and fascination with animals. The star adores animal prints, making her the perfect face for Dior Beauty’s Dior Mitzah collection.
Christian Dior’s original muse Mitzah Bricard inspired him to recognize the leopard print as a reputable trend.
Mitzah’s advice was: “When a man wants to send you flowers, always say — ‘my florist is Cartier.’” “Madame Bricard is one of the rare people for whom elegance is their sole reason for living,” wrote Dior.
Simone de Beauvoir’s ‘The Second Sex’ was published in 1949, when the French existentialist philosopher, social theorist and feminist activist was age 41.
The lifelong partner and lover of Jean Paul Sartre wrote a piece for Vogue in 1947, arguing that “Femininity is a Trap”. Dior’s Chiuri used the 1947 statement in her Pre-Fall 2022 show.
Top model Kaia Gerber is the face of Alaïa’s WS23 [IG] campaign, styled by Aleksandra Woroniecka. Photographer Tyrone Lebon captures Gerber with creative direction by Alaïa’s Pieter Mulier.
