Nike x Billie Eilish - Nike Air Alpha Force 88 Drops a Major LIVING INK Black Breakthrough
/
Ulla Johnson Opens West Hollywood Kelly Wearstler-Designed Global Vibe Store
/
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 MoreAngela Ahrendts Joining SKKY Partners Is Big Kim Kardashian News
/
Taking a quick look at other Angela Ahrendts’ videos on capitalism and leadership, her decision to join Kim Kardashian’s private-equity firm is a stunning and inspiring score for SKKY Partners.
Kardashian formed SKKY in summer 2022, joining forces with longtime Carlyle Group consumer head Jay Sammons.
Ahrendts’ primary role with SKKY will focus on identifying and assessing high-potential brands; determining if and how SKKY can add value to them; and to coach and mentor the companies in which SKKY invests for its portfolio.
Read MoreTapestry to Acquire Capri Holdings in $8.5 Billion Deal in Consolidating Luxury Sector
/
An American fashion mega deal was announced today, August 10, in which Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, will acquire Capri Holdings, home to Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace.
The purchase price is $8.5 billion and is not subject to any financial conditions. Tapestry has secured $8 billion from the Bank of America and Morgan Stanley to finance the deal, which will not close until 2024.
Capri, which has a market cap of just over $4 billion, reported revenues of $5.62 billion in fiscal 2023, down 0.7 per cent on the previous year’s record $5.65 billion. This performance is very subpar in the high-end luxury market, which has had a strong rebound in a post-COVID luxury retail landscape.
Read MoreLouis Vuitton Mens FW 2023 Campaign Images | White Americans in Paris 1923
/
Louis Vuitton Men’s has released images from the FW 2023 collection, co-created by Colm Dillane [IG], aka Kid Super, and the Louis Vuitton Men’s studio design team.
Marq Rise styled the shoot with images by Paul Kooiker [IG].
Preparing to write these words, I scrolled my Apple News for any event connected to this post.
The Universe Dials In
You may or may not have read my recent post about American jazz musicians seeking refuge in the French Riviera — and not only to perform.
Apple News just shared one of those “on this day 100 years ago” articles from yesterday — as if it fell into this post. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued this statement on August 2, 1923:
“Some foreign tourists, forgetting that they are our guests and that they, therefore, owe respect to our customs and our laws, have lately, on several occasions, violently shown their disapproval when they have found men of colour from French colonies sitting near them in public places. They have even gone so far as to demand their expulsion in insulting terms. If similar incidents recur measures of redress will be taken.”
The Racists in Paris Were White American Tourists
The foreign tourists not respecting French customs and laws were Americans. Follow the link at top of post to the entire story of the ugly [and presumably rich] Americans in Paris.
Read MoreLouis Vuitton FW 2023 Campaign with Emma Stone and Haim by David Sims
/
Actor and brand ambassador Emma Stone headlines the Louis Vuitton Women’s FW 2023 Collection. American rock band Haim also joins the campaign, lensed by David Sims.
A Collection of Unbelievable Details
The most consistent and prevailing compliment to the Louis Vuitton FW 2023 collection is that one had to see it up close and personal, because the construction and fabrications in the collection are among the most luxurious and intricate techniques Nicolas Ghesquière has ever employed.
Vogue called the details “mindboggling”.
LVMH posted a 20 percent revenue increase in the first six months of 2023, with a profit from recurring operations of 14 percent among its fashion & leather goods division.
Read MoreKering Acquires 30% of Valentino with Option for 100% of Shares by 2028
/
Kering will acquire a 30 per cent share in Valentino from parent company Qatar’s Mayhoola for an all-cash sum of €1.7 billion, the conglomerate announced on Thursday. The agreement, a significant acquisition for Kering’s fashion business, includes the option for Kering to acquire 100 per cent of the share capital of Valentino within five years. It will immediately acquire Valentino board representation upon necessary approvals of the deal.
The transaction is part of a broader strategic partnership between Kering and Mayhoola, which could lead to Mayhoola becoming a shareholder in Kering. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2023, subject to approval.
Read MoreGucci 'An Ode to Love' Campaign with Wen Qi and Daniel Zhou Shot by Leslie Zhang
/
There’s an A-team on this new summer 2023 campaign including art directors Kevin Tekinel and Charles Levai, director Tin Seoi and photographer Leslie Zhang [IG], whose photography we love. Taiwanese actor Wen Qi and Chinese singer Daniel Zhou star are the lovebirds.
AOC disagrees with more than one fashion writer who has seen this new Gucci ‘An Ode to Love’ campaign and responded with words of praise that storytelling is back at Gucci. Whew!
This new campaign is pure and innocent — which is not how Alessandro Michele served it up. He took you into the setting to experience the imagery yourself, not as an observer.
In my case, he sometimes admonished me [metaphorically], because I wasn’t in the mood to be part of the joke. Yet I chuckled when he grabbed me by the arm, saying “Would you take a damn break, Anne, and let your imagination run wild. Come and play with us.”
Read MoreNew GAP CEO, Mattel's Prez & COO Richard Dickson Is a Superlative Hire
/
Mattel golden boy Richard Dickson is the new CEO of Gap, ending a year-long search for a visionary leader to take the helm of the struggling mothership brand. Dickson is widely credited with reviving Barbie for the 21st century.
President and COO at Mattel
Mattel announced Dickson’s departure as President and Chief Operating Officer to staff early Wednesday, as many were still celebrating Barbie’s humongous box office success. In his role, Mr. Dickson leads Mattel's portfolio of global brands, overseeing innovation strategy, design and development, and brand marketing.
Dickson joined the retailer’s board in November 2022 and is responsible for a new partnership in which Gap sells merchandise themed around Mattel’s properties. First up is Barbie, where Gap began selling T-shirts, hoodies, jeans and other gear inspired by Barbie and Ken in May.
Read MoreSporty & Rich Founder Emily Oberg In the Streetwear Passing Lane With Soho Store
/
“I do consider Sporty & Rich streetwear, but I also consider it a lifestyle and wellness brand,” Oberg is quoted by Vogue. “I’m trying to get out of the ‘streetwear’ lane because I feel it is very limiting—even Supreme’s business isn’t as strong as it once was because people are just shopping differently. The demand for logo-driven items is decreasing, so I want to expand and broaden the range.”
The spa facilities are very much “if you know, you know” and Oberg has no intention of putting a sign in the window. “Health is Wealth” is a core brand plank for Sporty & Rich — and very deeply embedded in in Emily Oberg’s personal DNA.
Read MoreDaniel Lee Rolls On As Burberry Resort 2024 Meets London New Bond Street Store Renovation
/
On June 29, 2023 creative director Daniel Lee’s evolution of the Burberry brand continued with the opening of the renovated New Bond Street store in London.
The 22,000 sq m space stretching over three floors, has been transformed into a minimal, modern space with an with open-plan design.
It’s safe to say that in the area of store design, Burberry has met the 21st century, and there is nothing uniquely British about the interior environment.
Read MoreSKIMS Now Valued at $4 Billion as Kardashian - Grede Lockdown $270M Series C Funding
/
Skims co-founders Kim Kardashian and CEO Jens Grede have confirmed a new $4 billion valuation for the company, after raising $270 million in a new Series C funding round.
Skims was previously valued at $3.2 million.
The new capital investment was led by Wellington Management and also includes funds from Greenoaks Capital Partners and existing partners D1 Capital Partners and Imaginary Ventures.
Mr. Grede has confirmed that Skims anticipates sales of about $750 million in 2023, up from $500 million in 2022. About 15 percent of its online customers come from outside the United States.
Read MoreProrsum Knight Is Wilding in Scotland and Ireland in Burberry Fall 2023 Campaign
/
Burberry’s [IG] Winter 2023 campaign is out, lensed by Tyrone Lebon [IG] in Scotland’s Isle of Skye and Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway.
About the cow . . .
AOC needs to make one small point. We are thrilled with the cow, and the speed with which Burberry delivered it. It was only Monday in writing about Daniel Lee’s second Resort 2024 collection, that we brought up cows for Burberry. Voila! We have a cow.
It’s great but . . .. . . it was cows in relation to the Burberry dandelion print revised to a daffodil. Because we are promoting a great climate change study with cows and daffodils.
Read MoreSporty & Rich X Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc and the New French-American-AOC Alliance
/
Embracing her faux French roots without behaving like an imposter, it’s perfectly natural — even logical — that Sporty & Rich finds itself in an exciting collaboration with one of the world’s most important destinations — Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc Antibes.
Sporty & Rich is not just a fashion brand; it represents a lifestyle that seamlessly blends athleticism, wellness and luxury. At its core, the brand embraces the belief that being active and maintaining physical fitness should not compromise one's sense of style or desire for clothes with an attitude of luxury.
Canadian-born, New York-based founder Emily Oberg has a sixth-sense for brand DNA and pedigree, and she plays her hand expertly — choosing a name like Sporty & Rich for her brand, but not falling down the rabbit hole of vapid pretentiousness.
Read MoreCeline Fall 2023: Kaia Gerber Ads, Harrods London Parfumerie, Celine in Shenzhen, China
/
Kaia Gerber returns to Celine’s new 2023 campaign in a collection named “Age of Indieness”, with its big reveal last December 2022 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
The Chasseur jacket, the Newspaper Triomphe bag, and bold sunglasses worn 24/7 express the Celine vibe in the new campaign.
Slimane’s images of Gerber channel the rebellious spirit of the mid-2000s. Kaia wears all the sleek and structured silhouettes we’ve come to expect from Hedi Slimane, who has refashioned the LVMH brand in his own image.
As Phoebe Philo is ready to return with her own eponymous collection, with a beloved following, LVMH financing and her Celine old mailing list, it’s important to note the great success that Celine has enjoyed under Hedi Slimane’s tenure as creative director.
Reality is that LVMH has achieved staggering results with the expansions of Louis Vuitton and also Dior. I would never second guess their goals on what is achievable with Celine.
Read MoreBasquiat Graffiti Will Remain at Atelier Jolie's NYC Home at 57 Great Jones Street
/
Angelina Jolie’s new purpose-driven collective has its first location at 57 Great Jones Street in New York City. In the IG video showing off the new headquarters, Jolie’s children, Shiloh, 17, and Pax, 19, are also visible spray painting the collective’s logo onto the building.
This has got to be an exciting time for Angelina Jolie and her children as they enter a space where Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat lived and worked for several years.
The interior features 6,600 square feet of space across three floors. The exterior of the building is adorned in street art, and Jolie will keep it that way as a public tribute to Basquiat. who started his career as one half of the graffiti art duo SAMO.
More Basquiat News
In Los Angeles, the show “JEAN-MICHEL-BASQUIAT: KING PLEASURE©” has been extended through October 15, 2023. Location is 100 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, Ca 90012. Self Parking is located between W. 2nd Street and W. 1st Street on S. Olive Street.
At the same time, in Paris the Jean-Michel Basquiat x Andy Warhol exhibit, organized by the Louis Vuitton Foundation, runs through August 28, 2023.
Read MorePrada's Caffe Principe: Where Excellence Meets Timelessness in Forte dei Marmi
/
Nestled in the enchanting Italian coastal town of Forte dei Marmi, Caffè Principe stands as a true testament to the la dolce vita marriage of excellence and timelessness.
Since its establishment in 1959, this iconic establishment has been a haven for discerning coffee lovers, gastronomes, and art enthusiasts alike. The cafe reopened today, July 9, 2023, with its legacy intact.
In fact, Caffe Principe has been restored to honor the legacy of the hotspot, keeping its original name. Caffè Principe is managed operationally by Marchesi 1824, which makes perfect sense.
Read MoreLVMH Launches Bold Focus on Preserving and Teaching Craftsmanship Across France
/
The Rencontres Economiques des Metiers d'Art Forum, organized by leading partner LVMH, is an exciting new platform celebrating the convergence of art, artisanship and commerce in the luxury sector.
The platform launched in the picturesque town of Tonnerre, Burgundy on June 30, 2023, designed to bring together renowned artisans, industry experts, art enthusiasts business leaders to explore the rich but intricate relationship between craftsmanship and economics.
With a focus on preserving traditional techniques while embracing innovation, the goal of the forum was and will be a catalyst for dialogue and collaboration among talented individuals from various artistic disciplines. It’s indisputable that the artisans themselves are at the center of this metaphorical wheel of French excellence.
Read MoreSKIMS Dials Up The Heat As 50 and Fabulous '90s Icons Sizzle in SKIMS Swim July
/
‘90s Playboy models Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy are 50 and fabulous, thank you very much, as Kim Kardashian rolls out another fantastic SKIMS swim July 2023 campaign.
Electra, 51, and McCarthy, 50, "capture the essence of a sizzling, hot summer," notes SKIMS in a release. "This fun campaign celebrates the impact these women had on pop culture and their timeless appeal, reminding the world that confidence and sexiness cannot be confined."
Read MoreFlower Power Takes Charge in Prada AW 2023 Campaign by Willy Vanderperre
/
