Humanrace Samba Colors by Pharrell Debuts at VB 'Something in the Water' Festival
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Valentino DI.VA Florence Pugh Rocks Valentino Garavani Campaign 2023 and Met Gala
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Florence Pugh, the talented English actress known for her roles in ‘Midsommar’, ‘Little Women’, and ‘A Good Person’, is the new face of luxury Italian fashion brand Valentino. The 27-year-old actor stars in a new campaign lensed by Steven Meisel called "An Encyclopaedia Of Feelings.”
Pugh showcases a range of emotions while posing with Valentino Garavani Rockstud23 bag, styled by Joe McKenna.
Piccioli chose Pugh as the new Valentino DI.VA (DI.fferent VA.lues) ambassador because of her authenticity, vulnerability, and fearless self-expression both on and off-camera. This collaboration is about sharing values and standing for the same things, rather than just focusing on aesthetics or numbers of social media followers.
AOC has written about the growing importance of a brand’s values for years now. In a recent discussion about Valentino, we spoke about the HENRYS with Heart: Luxury Brands Selling Democratic Values [[High-Earners-Not–Rich-Yet].
Read MoreMaison Valentino Vintage Partners With 7 Global Vintage Stores in Exchange Voucher Program
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Valentino Vintage, an initiative by the luxury fashion house Valentino [IG], has expanded its presence by partnering with vintage stores in seven cities around the world, including London, Milan, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, and New York. This innovative program allows customers to exchange their pre-loved Valentino garments for vouchers that can be used to purchase new items from the brand, extending the life cycle of luxury fashion.
Each participating vintage store was carefully selected based on its unique identity and cultural relevance within its respective city. For instance, London's Rellik, which opened in 1999, was chosen for its collection of vintage 1960s garments. The updated program now features a variety of Valentino's famous archival apparel in these partner stores.
Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, BFC 2022 Designer of the Year
The goal of ‘democratizing fashion’ in the luxury market is sincere at Valentino from all we know. AOC focused on Valentino’s brand values and how they fit in with the HENRYS: [High-Earners-Not–Rich-Yet] in a recent April 2023 post.
Read MoreExtinction Rebellion Activists Protest at Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris
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Extinction Rebellion France attacked the Fondation Louis Vuitton as a “a cultural and philanthropic and most of all fiscal tool" of the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton group.
Defending their protest, the organization pointed to the failure of major corporations to take action on climate change, writing:
"That's why we demand that corporations take their responsibilities and act in the fight against global warming, and that the government put in place the Citizen Convention for Climate which proposed among other things the impact of greenhouse gas emissions of companies, reinforcing their obligations in the face of environmental demands and condition their financing to green criteria.”
The organization pointed out that current emission levels of companies listed on the CAC40 index would lead to a 3.5 degree Celsius increase in temperatures by 2100.
Read MoreTom Ford Co. Names CEO Guillaume Jesel and Creative Director Peter Hawkings
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The Tom Ford brand recently announced significant changes in its executive leadership. Guillaume Jesel has been appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the brand, while Peter Hawkings has been named the Creative Director. These appointments come after the Estée Lauder Companies completed their acquisition of Tom Ford for $2.8 billion.
Guillaume Jesel brings nearly a decade of successful brand leadership experience from his time at Tom Ford Beauty. Under his tenure, the brand spearheaded iconic innovation and strategically expanded its global reach, firmly establishing Tom Ford Beauty as a powerhouse in luxury beauty.
Peter Hawkings, on the other hand, has been working alongside Tom Ford for nearly twenty-five years. He began his career at Gucci in 1998 under Ford's guidance before joining the Tom Ford brand in 2006. As the new Creative Director, Hawkings will be responsible for upholding the brand's vision and ensuring consistency of creative direction across all fashion categories.
Read MoreBritish Vogue Flowers Fashion & Jewelry Goes 'Over the Border Bold' with Anthuriums
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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
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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 MoreCOACHTOPIA Scrappy Bags 'Think Different' and Sell Out on Coach Website
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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 MoreCherokee Jack for Polo Ralph Lauren Spring 2023 Country Workwear by Sharif Hamza
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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
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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
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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 MoreGuerlain Taps Aristide Najean To Honor Le Bouquet de la Mariée Fragrance
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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
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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
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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 MorePasticceria Marchesi Inspires Prada Caffè Harrods London Until January 2024
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On the eve of its 200th anniversary, the spirit of Pasticceria Marchesi transformed as the Prada Caffè has popped into the main floor of Harrods in Knightsbridge, open until January 7, 2024.
Open from 9am to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 6pm on Sunday, Prada Caffè is a full-fledged restaurant serving strong espresso accompanied by pistacchio fagottini and eggs Florentine with caviar for breakfast. Take heart — you can also enjoy yogurt and granola.
The Prada Group acquired control of Pasticceria Marchesi in 2014, nearly 200 years after its opening at Via Santa Maria alla Porta. Despite the change in ownership, the pastry shop continues to operate with the same passion for excellence at its original location, offering its fresh patisserie, signature chocolates, and classic Milanese Panettone.
Read MoreGuerlain #WomenforBees Project Led by Angelina Jolie in Yucatan for 2023
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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.
Understanding the respect that LVMH is giving to ancient wisdom and practices — writing about sacred geometry and the energy fields involved with the design of Maroma — had great impact on me, and I continue to process the many ways that LVMH is touching our lives in the world of luxury.
Read MoreKylie Jenner Fronts DG Logo Bag Campaign, Lensed by Mert & Marcus
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Dolce & Gabbana is not a toned-down brand, but Kylie Jenner’s softer, more natural makeup enhances the sensual message of her new DG Logo bag campaign.
Sophisticated, uber-competent women like Kylie rarely take handbags to bed.
Then again . . . a leopard print throw, black stockings with black nails and a silk bra photographed against the backdrop of an Italian tapestry may convey the well-travelled road to the riches of earning your own DG Logo bag — Karlie style — or being gifted the Italian treasure by photographers duo Mert & Marcus [IG], who photographed the campaign.
Consider the fact that Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott own a spectacular 10-bedroom Moorish villa in Ibiza. Who knows . . . there may be a DG Logo bag gifted to special guests like Kylie.
Read MoreAI-Generated, Gorgeous Fashion Story Is Just the Beginning for Anna Trevelyan
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Stylist Anna Trevelyan [IG] is part of an AI first, working with CGI image and video maker Nik Gundersen [IG] to create the romantic, gotthic location of her dreams for 10 Magazine [IG].
Model Maike Inga poses in the cool new AI artform that allows visionary, creative imaginations to flourish and excel. Paris-based photographer Rob Rusling [IG] was a willing participant in the creative exercise and speaks to both the opportunities and threats that accompany the new AI platforms on his IG.
Stylist Trevelyan promises many new shoots coming because she is “embracing the future”.
The Extraordinary Benefits and Challenges of AI
AOC has embraced a new writing program that puts to shame all the unsolicited garbage writing posts that come my way, under the guise of a sponsored post posing to be me.
Read MoreSaint Laurent Summer 2023 Languid Elegance Campaign by Juergen Teller
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Saint Laurent reveals its summer 2023 campaign, shot by Juergen Teller. The photographer tends to break with his more familiar images, expressing a rare sensuality for the German photographer— and particularly in this summer campaign.
Styled by Paul Sinclaire, the ensemble includes Awar Odhiang, Camille Chifflot, Chaima Ameziane, Freja Beha Erichsen, Marilou Hanriot.
The Sun Rises Again on the Human Body
“To me, the body says what words cannot,” Martha Graham, the revered, radical American modern dancer and choreographer, said about her dance movements.
Graham, a muse for the spring/summer collection and Saint Laurent Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello are in sync in a mutual embrace of an unapologetic physicality — a languid elegance that is most appealing.
Read MoreChanel 22 Bag Snares BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim for Seoul Tour by Inez & Vinoodh
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