'Radical Etro' Reborn Fall Winter 2023 Campaign Lensed in Scotland by Zhong Lin
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Kaia Gerber and Steven Meisel Make Good Trouble in Valentino Black Tie Campaign
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What a superb new Valentino Fall/Winter 2023 Black Tie campaign! It soars sky high in creativity and self-assurance with Kaia Gerber playing a role that defines the very concept of je ne sais quoi.
Kaia’s acting lessons are having huge impact on her self-expression in the last year.
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s vision of luxury for rebellious rule-breaking, smarty-pants fashion lovers with unbridled confidence and positive spirit is unmatched.
Gerber is boss as she struts around Huntington, Long Island’s Oheka Castle. Even the fact that the film is shot in New York and not Europe is a rebellious gesture that succeeds.
There’s so much going on in this film, and yet it does not feel overdone. We don’t lose our way because a confident clarity rules this audacious, beautiful, inspiring Fall 2023 Valentino Black Tie campaign.
Read MoreDavid Yurman Sculpted Cable Collection with Sofia Richie Grainge by Glen Luchford
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On September 5, American ‘it girl’ Sofia Richie Grainge [IG] became an ambassador for jeweler David Yurman [IG], fronting the David Yurman Sculpted Cable Collection.
Photographer Glen Luchford [IG] shot Richie Grainge in the David Yurman Fall 2023 campaign at the Kellogg Doolittle House in Joshua Tree, California.
Read MoreAnok Yai and Vittoria Ceretti Take Greenwich Village for Michael Kors Collection Fall 2023
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Anok Yai and Vittoria Ceretti stroll together arm-in-arm in Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park for the Michael Kors Collection Fall ’23 campaign. Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin capture the two, very successful, fashion industry models styled in the theme of ‘Urban Bohemia.’
Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine turned 50 last year, and Gloria herself is nearing 90. Michael Kors was inspired by not only Steinem in designing his Fall 2023 collection. The Kors moodboards this season were peppered with 1970s activist, determined women including Ali McGraw, Cher, Jane Fonda, Lena Horne, Tina Turner and more. Disciplined and laser-focused on change, these women also embraced Greenwich Village style — especially because of its proximity to New York University.
Read MoreVersace Greca Goddess Top Handle Bag Is Headed to the C-Suite in Fall 2023
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Models Camille Chifflot, João Araujo and Luoyi come together in a new campaign for the debut of Versace’s [IG] Greca Goddess Top Handle Bag.
Defined by Italian leather artistry and a structural design, the architectural curves of the bag’s body are mirrored by an arched top handle crafted in tubular leather with angular cut ends. The signature Greca sits to the bag’s front above a metallic Versace logo plaque, both in the color of deep gold.
The model trio suits up in all-black, tailored sophistication for serious-minded achievers with an eye on the C-suite. The Greca Goddess bag was first introduced in Fall 2022.
Read MoreAs Gucci Pursues An 'Exclusive Elevated Path', Anne Says 'Watch for Landmines'
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In-transition luxury house Gucci presents its Fall Winter 2023 campaign featuring Vittoria Ceretti, Aboubakar Konte and Brando Erba, lensed by photographer David Sims [IG].
Alastair McKimm styles the cast with hair by Paul Hanlon and makeup by Thomas De Kluyver. “Brakhage” by Stereolab is the music in the campaign video.
I noted a few months ago that we didn’t even post the new Gucci Valigeria campaign video, thinking it was just a stop along the way of Gucci’s reinvention. But that mistake was AOC’s.
The video is exactly in sync with the Fall 2023 campaign.
Many luxury brands — Louis Vuitton immediately comes to mind, but also Dior — are redefining luxury in more humanist terms. This branding does not prevent exclusive salons for best customers. But our common humanity — or ubuntu — is part of the luxury brand story.
Look at the new RIMOWA campaign, as a good example.
Read MoreRIMOWA Celebrates 125 Years on the Road of Purposeful Journeys
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RIMOWA, the first German maison in the LVMH luxury group, defines itself as a global lifestyle brand with a mission to create the essential tools for a lifetime of travel.
Just out is a new RIMOWA campaign featuring Blackpink’s Rosé, champion Formula 1 pilot Sir Lewis Hamilton and French soccer player Kylian Mbappé. Agency Anomaly London created the campaign.
Read MoreKylie Jenner Fronts Acne Studios True Grit Woman Campaign by Carlijn Jacobs
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Stockholm-based fashion brand Acne Studios [IG] sees double in its Fall Winter 2023 denim campaign. Put Kylie Jenner [IG] and her 399M IG followers in the campaign mix; hire Dutch photographer and director Carlijn Jacobs [IG], schedule the meet up in Los Angeles and let the good times roll.
Jacobs explains the double-trouble pleasure of having Karlie in the campaign. “The campaign sought to showcase Kylie as a woman who is in control, has love for herself and is unafraid to embrace her desires,” Jacobs said in a statement. “I aimed to celebrate her individuality by doubling her. She loves herself and is not afraid to show it.”
Reading the Acne Studios’ new sustainability report, which includes very specific information on its denim made in Italy, the report says that in FW22, 70% of the 5-pocket denim had 70% low-impact. I just wish that if these fantastic finishes are in the 70%, that someone would tell us in the product info.
Read MoreThe BALMAIN Paris Fall 2023 Campaign Is Sublime Black Beauty on Steroids
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Balmain’s [IG] Fall/Winter 2023 campaign borders on momentous. All five models are women of color — for a global luxury brand selling to all women. The five models Akuol Deng Atem, Anyier Anei, Naomi Apajok, Nyaduola Gabriel and Nyakong Chan are all women from war-torn South Sudan.
The creative fusion of Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing [IG] and star photographer Rafael Pavarotti [IG] is sublime. Apparently this is their first outing together.
Multiple people have commented on the visual, intellectual and downright spiritual synergy between Rousteing and Pavarotti, and Anne agrees. ‘Spiritual’ synchronocity is me alone, but several people I respect are wowed here by the collaboration of the two mega talents.
Read MoreClassicism Meets Something New in Loewe Fall 2023 Campaign by David Sims
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With our creative, fashion minds wrapped around one word for the last three years — ‘surreal’ — Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe for a decade, finally agreed with AOC that it’s time to bust out of the creative prison of everything is either ‘surreal’ or not ‘surreal’. Our binary thinking approach is beginning to bite us in our fashionable ‘derrières’.
Anderson seeks to draw attention to timely, complicated questions in fashion design — and they are not binary.
Talents Tang Wei and Taylor Russell are styled by Benjamin Bruno in Jonathan Anderson’s Fall 2023 Loewe Campaign, lensed by David Sims [IG]./ Makeup by Wong Chi Yee and Lucia Pieroni; hair by Lo Chu Sum & Duffy
“How do you go out of a surrealist aspect to something which is more about how we see clothing now? I think it’s kind of like a type of reduction,” he said. “Wanting to refine, and refine.”
Anderson is playing with our own minds in a very digital world.
In his Fall 2023 presentation, Anderson employed much eye-trickery. As Vogue noted, what appeared to be ordinary cardigans were, in fact, adhesive printed paper. Those cardigans were stuck on the models’ skins, but online viewers couldn’t tell the difference. We only knew what they appeared to be.
Read MoreSaint Laurent Fall/Winter 2023/4 Campaign of Soft, Elegant Riches by Gray Sorrenti
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Saint Laurent drops a blockbuster Fall Winter 2023 campaign with an abundance of talent riches.
Out now is an ensemble cast of Anson Boon, Dominic Fike, Hailey Bieber, Kate Moss, Mica Argañaraz, Moncef Farfar, Shalom Harlow, Steve Lacy, and Zoë Kravitz.
Paul Sinclaire styles the cast, while Gray Sorrenti [IG] shoots one of the top black and white portfolio books of the season.
Read MoreChurch’s X Miu Miu Campaign Is Home to Whip Smart Boys Club Girls
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The new Fall/Winter 2023 Church’s X Miu Miu collaboration, breaking tomorrow August 29 online at MiuMiu and in MiuMiu stores from September 6, projects perfect execution and attention to detail.
‘Quirky’ but Whip Smart in the Global Men’s Club
Miu Miu has always thrived as being a bit ‘quirky’, a trait embedded in its arty, independent, young women DNA.
The multicultural, spirited Miu Miu girl chooses the unexpected, sartorial twist, like wearing Church’s brogues and double monk strap shoes with her sheerish, color-explosion Miu Miu separates.
The campaign has a distinctive point about Miu Miu charm and self-identity. She may well be studying at the London School of Economics, not only Central Saint Martins. Her glasses, brogues and gentleman’s club ‘heritage’ chair reinforce her brainiac status. She is daring and purposesful, even when appearing light-hearted or a bit silly. Do not underestimate this young Miu Miu woman.
Read MoreWill Icon Collection Pay Off for Victoria's Secret? Adriana, Candice, Gisele, Naomi to the Rescue
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The new VS campaign is excellent and has some real VS icons featured. Bringing back past VS models is a terrific idea for a brand trying to find safe ground to stand on. Shop the new collection at the VS website.
If I read the VS copy carefully, I’m sure we are all icons somewhere in it, so let’s just cut the AOC analysis short here and say “good job, VS.”
The Icon by Victoria’s Secret Collection models includes VS greats Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel.
The Icon cast campaigns expands to include Adut Akech, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser and Sui He. I’m pleased to say that every woman listed here has archives on AOC.
Oyadeas!
Oh dear goddess Oya. I tried . . . I tried . . . I tried so hard to step carefully, but I just fell down the “we’re all icons” rabbit hole, and I did not see it coming.
Read MoreGisele Bundchen in 'Dream On' Arezzo Footwear and Bags for Winter 2024 by Lufre
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Gisele Bundchen returns as the face of Brazilian brand Arezzo’s winter 2024 campaign called ‘Dream On’. The uber-supermodel finds herself again in an aquarium, but this one is without water.
In this delicious new Arezzo campaign, lensed by Lufre [IG], Gisele reminds us that barriers are sometimes transparent — bigger in our minds than they are in reality. And while we reference an aquarium, there are no breathing bubbles in the water. No one will drown.
In stepping into a prism of new light in our ever-changing, modern world, it’s often our very selves who put the dead weights around our ankles, when we can drift upwards into the light, if only we permit ourselves to fly.
Read MoreChanel Les 4 Ombres Byzance Beauty and Jewelry for Vittoria Ceretti by Elizaveta Porodina
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Chanel shares an inspired new eyeshadow collection Les 4 Ombres Byzance with design and color roots in the rich history of Byzantine jewelry, and several pieces in the archived collection of Gabrielle Chanel herself.
Chanel muse Vittoria Ceretti is the face of the campaign, with an image style that is a perfect expression for the creative mind of photographer Elizaveta Porodina [IG].
Read MoreRalph Lauren's 2023 US Open Collection Is Courtside August 28 in Queens/NYC
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Ralph Lauren’s 2023 US Open collection is courtside on Monday, August 28 thru Sunday September 10 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
Skirts and/or Shorts for the Ball Crew
Ball girls made their debut at the US Open in 1977, an encouraging factoid until you learn that ball girls first ‘worked Wimbledon’ in 1920.
Ah yes. It’s a long road to women’s emancipation, even when you’re chasing balls around the tennis court in a grand slam event.
AOC finds the French much more emancipated for women than America these days. But the French Open didn’t get ball girls until 1984; and the Australian Open was also in the early 1980s.
Ralph Lauren, Team USA and the Road to Paris 2024
AOC expects LVMH to help deliver another spectacle for the ages, as a premium partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
I’m not sure how they will top the June 20, 2023 Pharrell Williams debut for Louis Vuitton Men — a night that rocked Paris with sounds of ‘Joy’.
Ralph Lauren will again be outfitting Team USA for the Paris 2024 games— giving us two global citizens companies, who share Anne of Carversville’s values.
Read MoreFerragamo New Renaissance Fall 2023 Campaign by Tyler Mitchell Spotlights Uffizi Gallery
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Today’s release of a new Ferragamo Fall 2023 campaign, conceived by Ferragamo creative director Maximilian Davis, takes a spin on the Louvre’s success, confirming a new and very important, global-culture role for Ferragamo and Italian culture, via the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
The partnership between the Ferragamo brand and the Uffizi Gallery is not a one-off ad campaign. Details of its depth and reach will emerge in the coming months.
Lensed by American photographer Tyler Mitchell [IG], who was named to the TIME 100 list in 2023 and has a cameo in the images, the Ferragamo Fall 2023 campaign features top models including Anok Yai, Jessica Stam, Lina Zhang, Mona Tougaard, Paul Hamline, Taemin Park, and Vittoria Ceretti.
I asked my AI partner Lulu to research the history of the Uffizi Gallery, and she has delivered in a major way. Read on in AOC link top of post.
Read MoreNike x Billie Eilish - Nike Air Alpha Force 88 Drops a Major LIVING INK Black Breakthrough
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Billie Eilish and Nike made sustainability news again this week, with the Tuesday [Aug.8] drop of the Nike x Billie Eilish - Nike Air Alpha Force 88 in Chicago Bulls colors.
Eilish is a devoted environmentalist and leverages her reputation always to move the fashion industry forward.
Billie’s New Kicks in Chicago
The mega-watt star wore her new kicks paired with a Chicago Bulls jersey at Lollapalooza 2023 Chicago last weekend. The scene was mega-watt, authentic Billie Eilish and the much-admired singer was generous with her kicks pics on her IG.
In total, her shoe is 25% recycled, and I’m sure Billie was begging for 35%.
In a clever headline, Vogue B wrote: “Algae is the new black: Nike sneaker swaps petroleum for sustainable ink. . . Other brands can take note.” This is news to AOC and we live close to the topic of sustainability.
Read MoreUlla Johnson Opens West Hollywood Kelly Wearstler-Designed Global Vibe Store
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Designer Ulla Johnson grew up in Manhattan but lived also ‘on the road’ as the daughter of archaelogists.
AOC immediately wants to know if Ulla traveled to the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa, a paleoanthropological site located about 50 km northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Gauteng province.
How about the Lake Turkana region of today’s Kenya, where the Leakey family discovered Lucy. Better yet, has Ulla Johnson been to the Omo Valley? Her clothes suggest ‘yes’.
As a mother to Soren, now 17; Asher, 13; Agnes, 11 and a vizsla named Daphne, and wife to Zach Miner, Ulla Johnson has travelled her own road out of Brooklyn and now to the opening of new store in West Hollywood.
Read MoreZara Creates THIRTEEN PIECES for Self-Discerning, Arts-Loving Women
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