Bottega Veneta Embraces Sumptuous, Modern Elegance in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
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Tory Burch SS2024 Campaign Starts a Ruckus in Marfa, Texas with Grace, Ida and Selena
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Tory Burch [IG] strikes up the band, taking her Spring-Summer 2024 Campaign to Marfa, Texas, a small desert town in west Texas. population 1,748. Marfa has a very big reach both east and west as an arts center. Those damn liberals keep showing up in Marfa, trying to wreck the whole state of Texas, from the point of view of Governor Greg Abbott.
In fact, the arrival of this great campaign starring Grace Elizabeth, Ida Heiner and Selena Forrest is deeply political — perfectly timed as a clapback to the freakin’ absurd MAGA meltdown over Taylor Swift this week.
Only Taylor Swift appearing on horseback, disguised as a member of the Texas Rangers, but then jumping off her stallion and into the street guns blazing [in the air] to save Grace, Ida and Selena from an impending arrest would make this advert any better. What is their crime? Disturbing the peace.
Photographer Jamie Hawkesworth [IG] would be stupified over the entire scene but covering all the action from every angle. Meanwhile Brian Molloy does an excellent job styling this production, with hair by Jimmy Paul and makeup by Dick Page.
Read MoreLana Del Ray Fronts SKIMS 2024 Valentine's Day Collection by Nadia Lee Cohen
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SKIMS is now fearless about firing one volley after another into the prized territory of the once-great Victoria’s Secret lingerie brand.
SKIMS co-ounder Kim Kardashian has broken the Internet more than once, and it happened again this week. SKIMS said in a statement on Tuesday morning, January 23:
"Due to record breaking traffic and unprecedented demand for our Valentine’s Day launch, our Skims site has crashed. Shopify is working to resolve the issue asap.”
Kim Kardashian may be considering the outrageous possibility of suiting up for battle with Victoria’s Secret — as in an aggressive move to buy Victoria’s Secret with backing of the largest VS stockholders.
Read MoreThis Is Sotheby's? The Stories Kristina O'Neill Can Tell As Head of Sotheby's Media
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Kristina O’Neill, former EIC of WSJ Magazine is now installed at Sotheby’s as Head of Sotheby’s Media and editor-in-chief of a revamped Sotheby’s Magazine.
What an exciting creative road lies ahead of her. AOC raises this topic because O’Neill seems perfectly primed to tap into the creative and business evolution going on at the world’s largest auction house. Visually, it’s one that expands the customer base and also acquires “heart” along the way.
O’Neill can catch the modernized Sotheby’s football and run with it. Her decade of work at WSJ Magazine reveals her status as a change agent. Only someone like AOC who can easily call up a decade of her work for review is aware that O’Neill was featuring Black talent long before the summer of 2020.
British-Ghanaian photographer Campbell Addy comes to mind. Outside of a small feature in British Vogue in 2018, Addy shot for WSJ Magazine before any of the other major magazines.
Read MoreBirgit Kos Wears Mermaids in Sergio Rossi's SS 2024 Campaign by Claire Rothstein
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Top model Birgit Kos fronts Italian shoemaker Sergio Rossi’s [IG] Spring-Summer 2024 campaign, where all-white leather Mermaid sandals deliver a seductive twist.
Photographer Claire Rothstein [IG] shot the campaign in Sorrento, a coastal town in southwestern Italy. CRothstein also has a long commitment to imagery of strong, sensual, confident women and is the genesis of Girls, Girls, Girls Magazine [IG].
Mermaids have captivated human imagination for centuries, touching ancient civilizations from Mesopotamia to Africa to China.
In ancient civilizations, tales of mermaids emerged as a way to explain the mysteries that lay beneath the vast expanses of water. They should not be confused with sirens, who are half human and half-birds.
Read MoreCandice Swanepoel Promotes Hailey Bieber's Rhode Skin Pineapple Refresh Cleanser
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Candice Swanepoel and Hailey Bieber are two of the smartest women in the fashion and beauty sectors. Now they are teaming up in the launch of Bieber’s Rhode Skin calendar girls, with Swanepoel owning January and July.
Low-Key Cross Promotion
As of this moment, Candice has her @Rhode images on her personal IG, not Tropic of C. That may change in a few days, but Monday, this is Swanepoel’s only action. The sequence of three images and one video has 255,000 likes in 3-4 days.
No fanfare, no endorsements. Just the two women together as the friends they are in real life. Moving over to Rhode [IG], Candice appears again as Miss July and this time she’s carrying a big tube of the new Rhode Pineapple Refresh Cleanser.
Read MoreAmerica’s Black Cowboys, As Tributed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection: Pt 1 of a French-American Cowboys Story
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America’s Black Cowboys, As Tributed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection: Pt 1 of an American-French Cowboys Story
Historians estimate that in the latter half of the nineteenth century, one in four American cowboys was black. Anne of Carversville seriously doubts that this reality is taught in the history classes of American schools. Additionally, an estimated 12% of cowboys were Mexican.
Thanks to the January 18th Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection show at the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris, this historical lens of exploration is opened wide. AOC is both incredulous and excited to tell this story. But first — a look at the highly-praised, Louis Vuitton Men Creative Director Pharrell Williams Fall-Winter 2024 show.
Black Cowboys and Slavery
The history of black cowboys in America is deeply intertwined with the legacy of slavery and the Civil War. Prior to Emancipation, many enslaved African Americans were forced into labor on plantations, including working with cattle. Other African Americans went west to California as slaves of gold miners and to Utah as slaves of Mormons.
Texas became the largest home to black cowboys.
Read MoreDolce & Gabbana Spring-Summer 2024 Campaign by Steven Meisel
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Designers Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana work with art director Fabien Baron and stylist Karl Templer to create a Spring-Summer 2024 campaign rich with high-class swagger, penetrating eye confidence, and an attitude that says “judge me at your own risk — because I will take you down.”
With Steven Meisel [IG] on photography, the images will have these ingredients because Meisel often plays high-low with his human subjects. As a result, there are layers of meaning and interpretation that seep out of the images and into our own minds. They are created to be mildly disruptive, another characteristic that makes them interesting and one that Meisel understands deeply.
What AOC loves about Dolce & Gabbana is that their garden is an Italian garden in the same way Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli are Italian gardens. But they are planting different crops growing in different parts of Italy and Sicily and Sardinia — from Rome to Milan to Florence and Venice.
Read MoreCandice Swanepoel's Business Savvy Takes Tropic of C Henna into Art Basel Miami
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Candice Swanepoel’s Tropic of C swimwear shares a new henna pattern, giving us a light touch different from typical swimwear prints and patterns. The henna pattern also sits well against the weathered surfaces of Villa Parodi Delfino [IG], available for rental on the Amalfi coast, a 50-kilometer stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, in the Campania region.
Swanepoel also lives in Miami, and she launched the Tropic of C henna collection with curator Kimberly Drew, and Vogue's Elise Taylor.
The trio gathered an intimate group of friends for a luncheon with Vogue100, hosted at Jason Wright’s private residence.
Kimberly Drew is best known as the former social media manager for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and her use of the social media handle MuseumMammy [IG].
Read MoreDior Magazine Delivers Niki de Saint Phalle Capsule, Lensed by Charlotte Hadden
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Models Gonzalez Corona, Majesty Mare and Sophie Dominique invite us to a resort-capsule, art-inspired getaway, deeply grounded in nature and whimsy for Dior [IG]. Artist Niki de Saint Phalle is in the house and also the new issue of Dior Magazine.
Niki de Saint Phalle and the House of Dior
Initially working as a fashion model for the esteemed fashion house during the 1950s, Saint Phalle became acquainted with influential figures in the art world. This exposure provided her with invaluable insights into the realm of aesthetics and design, as she garnered the support of several Dior clients who recognized her potential as a creator.
In 1967, the artist with a rapidly growing international reputation was invited by Marc Bohan, then creative director of Dior, to collaborate on a collection that would challenge conventional notions of beauty and femininity.
At age 37, Saint Phalle's bold and vibrant Nana sculptures became the centerpiece of this collaboration.
Read MoreLila Moss in 'My Roman Empire' Gucci Story by Theo Liu for British Vogue February 2024
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Model Lila Moss is styled by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson in a Gucci advertorial ‘My Roman Empire’. Photographer Theo Liu [IG] is behind the lens for British Vogue February 2024.
WSJ reflected on Gucci and the brand’s new CEO Jean-Francois Palus, writing that Palus “embodies the severity of the changes: A Frenchman at the head of a company that is as Italian as Chianti, he isn’t yet fluent in the native language, nor does he have a creative background.”
Palus began his career as an auditor and financial adviser with Arthur Andersen. He then ran the books for the timber division of the conglomerate that would go on to become Kering.
Read MorePrada 2024 Chinese New Year Campaign by Leslie Zhang at Prada Rong Zhai
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Prada’s new advertising campaign for the 2024 Chinese New Year celebrates the Year of the Dragon. Photographer Leslie Zhang [IG] captures the images at the Prada-restored Rong Zhai cultural center in Shanghai.
The 2024 Lunar New Year campaign stars supermodel and actor Du Juan and Zhao Lei, the face of Yang Fudong’s film ‘First Spring’, currently on show at the Pradasphere II exhibition in Shanghai.
Power of the Dragon
According to ancient Chinese mythology the dragon is closely linked to the creation and origin of the Chinese nation.
One prominent myth tells the story of the Dragon Kings, who were powerful and influential deities in Chinese mythology. According to this myth, the Dragon Kings were responsible for controlling the waters, including rivers, seas, and rainfall, and were revered as protectors of the land.
Read MoreVivienne Rohner Polished Modern Tailoring for Zara January 2024
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Top Zara model Vivienne Rohner poses in sleek, neutral-colors separates for the brand’s January 2024 drop, lensed by Hanna Tveite [IG].
Minor Anti-Zara, Atelier The Jacket Blowback
Stopping by Zara’s [IG], AOC notes that the FREE PALESTINE forces continue to punish the brand for allegations that it capitalized on Palestinian suffering with its recent Atelier campaign.
Reuters reports that Inditex posted a 32.5% increase in net profit to $4.42 billion, for the nine-months to end-October, 2023. In the six weeks ending Dec. 11, Inditex posted a 14% increase in holiday sales.
Read MoreBurberry Lunar New Year 2024 Campaign Shot by Ryan McGinley in Chendu, China
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Burberry brand ambassadors Chinese actor Tang Wei and actor, singer, producer Chen Kun, along with models He Cong, Wang Xiangguo and Alex Schlab, front the Burberry Lunar New Year 2024 campaign.
The Burberry Prorsum knight rides on every piece, and has not been replaced in this Year of the Dragon. The Chinese celebration images were lensed by Ryan McGinley [IG] in the city of Chengdu, one of China’s fastest growing cities.
Read MoreWinter 2023.24 Armani Neve Ski Campaign by Brett Lloyd and St. Moritz Boutique
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Giorgio Armani launched Armani Neve in the mid-90s, long before ski collections became a trend. The Italian perfectionist’s approach to high-style design and ‘la dolce vita’ living on the ski slopes makes another decades-old bow with the new Winter 2023/24 collection.
Models Giacomo Cavalli, Ibrahim Idoow, Jiayun Xie, Tommy Vanden Meerssche, and Valerie Scherzinger are captured by photographer Brett Lloyd [IG] and styled by Mauro Demestria in retro feeling images perfect for a St. Moritz New Year’s. / Makeup by Arianna Campa; hair by Giovanni Iovino
Read MoreWill Sotheby's Magazine Cover LeNell Santa Ana Camacho's Whisky Journey Red Hook to Birmingham?
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When former editor in chief of WSJ Magazine Kristina O’Neill departed her position in April 2023, the luxury fashion and style world knew she was going somewhere important.
Kristina O’Neill has been named editor in chief of the new Sotheby’s Magazine, starting Jan. 8. She will report directly to Gareth Jones, Sotheby’s chief marketing officer.
In perhaps the best story of all, Sotheby’s recent American whisky auction set new records with two big blockbusters. LeNell’s Red Hook Rye 23 Year and Rathskeller Rye, each sold far beyond their highest initial estimate ranges. The LRHR 23 year scoring $56,250 (est range $20,000 – $30,000) and RR grabbing $37,500 ($18,000 – $24,000).
Read MoreKarlie Kloss Buys i-D Magazine as CEO. Alastair McKimm Now CCO, Global EIC
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Karlie Kloss is the proud owner of i-D Magazine, a decade after being featured on i-D’s Spring 2013 cover.
Fast forward to November 2023, where Karlie’s new media company Bedford Media is flying solo in acquiring i-D Magazine.
Karlie will lead the British magazine as CEO, with i-D top editor Alastair McKimm [IG] expanding his role to the title of chief creative officer and global editor-in-chief.
Read MoreLouis Vuitton Taps Pharrell Williams As First Guest of Podcast 'Louis Vuitton Extended' Out Now
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Louis Vuitton is launching a podcast with popular French fashion journalist, documentary maker and YouTuber Loïc Prigent. Called ‘Louis Vuitton Extended’, the podcast will dive deeper into the scenes of what’s happening behind the scenes at one of the world’s premier luxury houses. That Prigent-guided conversation includes the house’s cultural codes, values and activism.
In the case of Louis Vuitton Men’s creative director Pharrell Williams, the dialogue will focus on the June 20, 2023 show and all the decisions made around its structure and content.
Read MoreBurberry's New Pop-Ups and Immersive Events Design Live Well in a Psilocybin World
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The field of Burberry winter 2023 purple roses popping into the first floor of Seoul’s Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch is a feast for our psilocybin-loving eyes.
This new Burberry pop-up in Seoul is sophisticated, charming in a totally-modern way and also a reflection of ‘restrained psychedelic design’. There is nothing ‘flashy’ about the visual design. It beckons us, however to explore the shop — which is a key attribute of a successful pop-up.
‘Restrained Psychedelic Design’
Magic mushrooms inspired profound introspection and spiritual connections long before the rise of monotheism.
In a world where psilocybin use is coming at us in a profound and urgent way — after a Nixon-administration 50-year ban — my reaction to the Burberry purple roses display was instantaneous.
My memory was transported to my own use of psilocybin and a dark night walk I took, eventually sitting down next to a flower bed on my own lawn.
Read MoreSporty & Rich Founder Emily Oberg In the Streetwear Passing Lane With Soho Store
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