American athlete and OMEGA ambassador since 2019, Noah Lyles is one of the fastest sprinters in the world and he’s headed to Paris, fashion capital of the world.
Lyles is pictured here wearing his OMEGA Speedmaster watch in action images lensed by Sharif Hamza [IG].
Scrolling through a GQ magazine feature on Instagram, one of the biggest names in track and field noticed that the featured “best outfits worn by professional athletes as they walked into stadiums around the world” had no athletes from track and field.
“Why aren’t there any track and field people in here?” Lyles wondered out loud to NYT writer Talya Minsberg.
Luxury brand Chanel [IG] delivers a fresh and modern summer Coco Beach 2024 campaign starring Danish model Olivia Vinten lensed by Cass Bird [IG].
At Chanel, Let the Good Times Roll
Chanel is riding high off a 16 percent revenue increase in annual sales over 2023. Price increases alone drove up sales by around 9 percent, according to BoF.
Chanel CFO Philippe Blondiaux praised Virginie Viard’s contributions to Chanel’s major growth in his BoF interview. Days later, the artistic director was escorted out the door.
With Viard seeming out-of-touch with the world at large at times, and given Coco Chanel’s own delicate political history in Europe, AOC is on the record saying we’re watching the brand like a hawk. We continue to write today from that updated perspective.
The Hailey Bieber and Saint Laurent love fest takes another turn after the Kering-owned luxury brand dressed Bieber for her vow renewal with husband Justin Bieber, and early-May pregnancy announcement.
Ray-Ban Wayfarers are center stage in a new campaign lensed by Gray Sorrenti [IG] anchoring two key brands synonymous with pop culture for 50 years. We’re talking Bob Dylan and John F. Kennedy to Taylor Swift.
Supermodel, business entrepreneur, devoted mom and sustainability advocate Candice Swanepoel joins Sudanese model Mamuor Majeng in Balmain’s [IG] Pre-Fall 2024 Campaign.
Gabriel Popoff worked as director on the campaign, with photography by Theo Liu [IG] and art direction by Ben Kelway. / Hair by Christos Bairabas; makeup by Sophia Kossada
LA’s Sporty & Rich brand founder Emily Oberg returns to Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the south of France for a new campaign and collaboration. Oberg is very successful in collabs and she put her young Sporty & Rich brand on the map last July with her first branded collection with the spectacular hotel in Antibes.
In this new campaign, model Constanze Saemann is lensed by sensually-aware photographer Henrik Purienne [IG], adding a bit of spice to the brand.
CH Carolina Herrera’s [IG] new 2024 social media handbag campaign turns to Ethiopian-heritage beauty Liya Kebede, lensed by French photographer François Halard [IG], widely known for his interior and architecture photography and recent books published by Rizzoli.
AOC’s impression of the H&M Summer 2024 Collection [IG] is simple: H&M Killed It!
The trio of top models Anok Yai, Devyn Garcia and Vittoria Ceretti killed it. Designer Eliana Masgalos hit all the high notes in this sophisticated, vibrant, very wearable collection.
Whatever ancestral spirits photographer Raf Pavarotti [IG] appealed to — collectively with all involved before starting work — they blessed him and this H&M photoshoot.
Kate Phelan styled the campaign with art direction by Li Von Euler and set design by Ibby Njoya./ Hair by Mustafa Yanaz; makeup by Chiao Li Hsu
Calzedonia [IG] delivers a roster of great models Birgit Kos, Bregje Heinen, Hana Jirickova and Lais Ribeiro for its 2024 swim campaign called Limited Edition.
Modernity defines cuts and colors in a welcome sensual statement made from Seychelles Island, East Africa.
Bottega Veneta's [IG] Summer Solstice 2024 campaign and new capsule collection highlight resortwear essentials that embody the brand's commitment to quality and craftsmanship, offering luxury pieces ideal for summer adventures.
The campaign features models Anok Yai,Badhiel Lony Nyang, Haroon Sherzad, Isaiah Zacarias, Pasquale Nappi, and Penelope Ternes. The visuals were photographed by Louise and Maria Thornfeldt [IG] with creative direction by Bottega’s design visionary Matthieu Blazy. / Hair by Duffy; makeup by Hiromi Ueda
Photographer Dan Beleiu [IG] captures great summer images for the Missoni Eyewear [IG] Campaign. Models Ana Portela and Valeria Duldini bask in the kaleidoscope of Beleiu’s color-rich, modern eye. Styling by Lorenzo Poscocco with creative direction by Filippo Grazioli./ Hair by Lorenzo Barcella
Lachlan Bailey [IG] and Brunello Cucinelli [IG] make perfect sense together. We find Bailey behind the lens for Brunello Cucinelli’s May 2024 drop.
The cast includes Cate Underwood, Lucky Blue Smith, Nour Rizk and Ryan Porter with styling by Michela Buratti. / Hair by Werner Amort; makeup by Pedro Pianto
While much luxury retail has stumbled in the first quarter of 2024, Brunello Cucinelli posted a 16.5 revenue percent increase through March 31. Based on current orders, the gentle luxury house is projecting revenue growth of 10 percent in 2024.
Marseille-based model Erin Wasson poses for Aussie brand Spell’s Bohème 2024 campaign. Photographer Jamie Green[IG] writes that Wasson rolled out of a cab 90 minutes from Marseille, saying “You’ve got me for 8 hours, babe.”
If you don’t know Spell, they have one store in Byron Bay and a global internet business. Sustainability has been at the heart of Spell for over a decade, and they lead with fibers that are circular, regenerative and renewable.
In spite of the brand’s ‘California Girl’ in Australia positioning, Spell uses words atypical for PR campaigns. On the topic of sustainability, Spell says they are ‘braver, clearer and frankly – gutsier’.
Nice . . . especially the gutsy part. Fashion needs more gutsy people. Less facade; more guts . . . PLEASE. And thanks, Spell for being a Certified B Corporation.
2023 was a banner year for Khaite with the brand opening a store in Soho, New York, and a second one in Seoul. Khaite popped into Water Mill, New York — at Holstein’s summer home — to show the pre-Fall collection. [See image above.]
In an amazing sequence Holstein sold another stake in her company to growth equity firm Stripes, after being launched in 2016 by brand incubator Assembled Brands. In 2023, as part of its Stripes presentation, Khaite announced plans to open 10 additional brick and mortar stores in the next five years.
In a well-written 2006 New York Times headline, ‘To Barneys, and Step on It’,Eric Wilson detailed the life-changing events for the 22-year-old Parson’s student Catherine Holstein, who had designed six sailor dresses.
Distilled to its essence, Holstein and Khaite is a wonderful New York story, filled with true grit determination and also the power of connections. Lots of them. AOC delights in sharing the details.
Taylor Hill takes the spotlight in Banana Republic’s Summer 2024 ad campaign. Hill, who married Daniel Fryer in 2023, poses with Ibby Sow, Marlon Teixeira and Melodie Vaxelaire for the fashion shoot in Mérida, Mexico.
Banana Republic CEO Sandra Stangl was relieved of her position late last week, by Richard Dickson, Gap Inc. president and CEO. Stangl arrived at Banana Republic with a strong background in home retail at both Restoration Hardware, now RH, and Williams Sonoma.
Actor Sydney Sweeney is behind the wheel of Jimmy Choo’s [IG] Summer 2024 campaign, ‘Road to Joy.’
In my life, AOC has never asked “Who did it better?” But after reading ‘Dazed’ describe Sweeney preparing for her Jimmy Choo roadtrip as packing up her stuff starting with a “few pairs of cunty stillettos”, I couldn’t help laughing and then reflecting on one of the sexiest roadtrip campaigns that I remember.
Jimmy Choo creative director Sandra Choi had to see the ‘Euphoria’ star in her scorching ‘old convertible breakdown in the Palm Springs desert’ June 2022 campaign for Tory Burch Miller sandals.
Clearly Choi decided that she could do it better, being a visionary for Jimmy Choo. This is a great decision, if you’re bringing plenty of prove-it ammo to the gunfight.
It’s close, as to which Sweeney campaign wins — because they are sisters.
The Louis Vuitton Leather Goods Campaign Spring-Summer 2024 returns to the high seas with an extension of their Louis Vuitton Nautical Summer Capsule that focuses on Vuitton’s best handbags.
Lensed by Ethan James Green [IG] against the ancient backdrop of Mediterranean world waters, the campaign steps into AOC’s earlier Louis Vuitton Nautical campaign discussion of women in the world of Olympic sailing.
Today models Chu Wong, Ida Heiner and Sacha Quenby inspires a deeper question by AOC.
Did Women Sail in Ancient Waters?
Based on our best AI, Phoenician women were known to be skilled sailors who played a crucial role in the maritime trade network of the ancient world. These women were involved in various aspects of seafaring, including navigation, trading, and ship maintenance. Their expertise in sailing and trading helped establish Phoenicia as a dominant maritime power in the Mediterranean.
The scarcity of direct historical records makes it difficult to paint a complete picture, yet through the analysis of artifacts, writings by ancient historians, and mythological tales, we begin to see indications of women's participation.
Victoria’s Secret alum model Behati Prinsloo Levine and husband Adam Levine, of the pop rock band Maroon 5, front the new Jacquie Aiche Rebel Heart[IG].
Photographer Adam Franzino [IG] brings to life a visible electricity and sensual connection between the couple.
"The energy that Adam and Behati give off in the jewels, both independently and together, encapsulates everything that came to mind when I was working on this collection. It's all about sharing your own light with the world. With Adam and Behati, they're both so positive and so energetic, you could just feel the electricity between them on set,” Jacquie Aiche told the press about the campaign.
This is the first campaign that the couple shot together.
Louis Vuitton introduces its Flight Mode summer 2024 collection for global travelers. The colorful collection is inspired by vibrant colors like yellow and also prints inspired by travel stamps connected to the famous Élysée Palace Hotel in Paris.
The newly-introduced Monogram canvas bags, like the Keepall and Side Trunk, are decorated with colorful Élysée Palace Hotel stamps. Built in 1896 in the Art Nouveau style, the Elysée Palace hotel — most recently the headquarters of HSBC Bank in Paris — is under a spectacular renovation as the first Louis Vuitton flagship hotel, scheduled to open in 2026. Read more details in our January 2024 post.
Apparently this ‘insider information’ about the reason Louis Vuitton is inspired in its Flight Mode summer 2024 collection by the Elysée Palace hotel was not in the LV press release. It’s not in their IG either.