On March 26, 2023, Longoria debuted her new CNN show, “Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico”, which is modeled after the very successful “Searching for Italy with Stanley Tucci”. She is both host and executive producer of the series.
The series consists of six episodes, each exploring a different location in Mexico, including Jalisco, Mexico City, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Veracruz, and Yucatan. Throughout the show, Longoria immerses herself in the rich culture, landscape, and history of Mexico, which have all played a significant role in shaping its world-renowned cuisine.
There are plenty of star chefs in the series, but Eva Longoria is unusually mindful of the stories of simple people like Ponciano Méndez, a farmer from Santa Ana Zegache, a town one hour from the capital of Oaxaca. In the valley where Ponciano lives, corn has been planted for more than six thousand years; In the neighboring valley, the oldest maize remains of humanity were found.
I truly love the show and was eager to learn more about Eva’s experiences of visiting indigenous communities and eating a traditional decolonized diet.
Before the Spanish conquest, Mexico was a predominantly vegetarian territory.
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.
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
Sharing these fabulous images of Winnie Harlow lensed by Daniella Midenge [IG] at California’s Joshua Tree National Park, Winnie is just the most beautiful, articulate, focused and inspiring warrior-woman, love goddess on our precious Earth.
It’s a challenge to do her justice with words, although Jeannine Amber does a great job of explaining Winnie’s impact on the general population in her Women’s Health April 2023 interview Winnie Harlow Wants To Be More Than Just Your Role Model. Amber and Winnie go deep into how she maintains her extraordinal physique and warm spirit.
Between Daniella’s unique persona as a photographer/model and Winnie in all her glory, we’re damn lucky this duo and their team didn’t cause a major earthquake in the desert.
I hope Winnie won’t be cross with me for saying this, but when I saw her images, I thought they were primordial. We know that humans lived in Joshua well over 15,000 years ago — a group of hunter-gathers known as the Pinto Culture. The park's oldest rocks, Pinto Gneiss among them, are 1.7 billion years old.
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.
Leslie Zhang [IG], a talented, visionary and increasingly renowned photographer based in Shanghai, has gained international recognition for his unique and romantic portrayal of Chinese culture.
Zhang captures top model Vivienne Rohner, a Chanel darling, on two print covers for Vogue Hong Kong’s May 2023 issue dedicated to ‘Allure of the lens’. Rohner walked for Chanel back in 2015, when Karl Lagerfeld was alive. But her close association with the brand comes through her relationship with the current creative director Virginie Viard.
Photographer Zhang’s deep appreciation for Chinese culture and aesthetics showcases a poetic appreciation for Chinese culture and aesthetics, evidenced in the Vogue Hong Kong images. AI is again at work with Chad Nelson, who also worked on the Vogue Italia May issue with Carlijn Jacobs and Bella Hadid.
The May 2023 issue of Vogue Hong Kong has three print covers and three digital covers, all shot by Leslie Zhang [IG].
Vivienne Rohner takes the three print covers, wearing Chanel styled by Sean Kunjambu. Digital covers go to Amy Lo, Aokab and Natalie Hsu with same stylist.
Model Lena Werner is styled by Marta Zaczynska in rich prints, patterns and fabric layers perfect for summer-loving, cultured fashionistas. Photographer Angelina Bergenwall [IG] is behind the lens for Vogue Poland’s May 2023 issue./ Hair by Roku Roppongi; makeup by Julia Kraemer
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.
Model Suzi De Givenchy is styled by Niki Pauls in a street savvy, sleek utilitarian fashion story. Paris-based, youth photographer Winter Vanderbrink [IG] is behind the lens for V Magazine China May 2023./ Hair by Eduardo Bravo; makeup by Akari Sugino
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.
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.
Models Adwoa Aboah and Devyn Garcia greet warm weather in ‘Short Cuts’, a polished collection of mini dresses and shorts styled by Camilla Nickerson. Photographer Zoë Ghertner [IG] adds smoke and mirrors to the studio shots for Vogue US May 2023. It works. / Hair by Tamara McNaughton; makeup by Homa Safar
Dominican model Ysaunny Brito covers the April 2023 issue of Amica Magazine [IG], posing in a denim-rich, relaxed but polished fashion story.
Photographer James Macari [IG] is in the studio, with styling by Michaela Burati. The lead image Dior ensemble is just smashing. We don’t often get a straightforward, clear pose like this one that showcases the surface artistry of the fashion piece. It’s a wow!
Photographer Lawrence Cortez [IG] turns his lens to model Yunsu Katie in the April 2023 Sustainability issue of Fashion Canada [IG].
Creative director George Antonpoulos styles ‘Circle Time’ with a clear message:
Creative director Gabriela Hearst has brought her eco awareness to Chloe with low-impact knits, certified leather and circular solutions such as recycled cotton and cashmere.
Photographer Boris Ovini [IG] brings a fresh-emphasis on testosterone-infused, action-oriented, femme sexy style in the pages of Exhibition Magazine’s SS2023 issue.
Elena Mottola styles Mathilda Gvarliani and Minnie Warren in ‘ladies, start your engines’ fierce, bold fashion not created for pussycats./ Hair by Pablo Kuemin; makeup by David Koppelaar
Gabriela Hearst’s Hildegard recycled cashmere bag is based on a Japanese Bento bag, which traditionally is tied silk or cloth to carry fruit of vegetables to market.
Made in Italy, this luxury version in felted, double faced recycled cashmere has oversized proportions and is 27” tall. Support sustainable cashmere at Gabriela Hearst.
How lovely! Vogue’s May issue Just One Thing takes focus on the importance of a good white shirt, preferably from Ralph Lauren.
Model Quannah Chasinghorse appears with her boyfriend, Canadian actor D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai in Santa Monica. Tonne Goodman styles the couple in images by Blair Getz Mezibov [IG]./ Hair and makeup by Homa Safar
Vogue reminds us that when Tom Ford returned to fashion world with his spring 2011 in his post-Kering world [then the Gucci Group], he was joined by his favorite models including Amber Valletta, Joan Smalls and Karen Elson.
Today the model trio and colleagues support their designer man [did I say ‘beloved designer man’] as he says goodbye to his eponymous label.
Photographer/director Steven Klein [IG] was there in the spring 2011 runway beginning [in fall 2010] and he is behind the lens today, a 12+ years. The curtain falls on a great run for the fashion visionary, in AOC’s opinion. No need to draw out the loss.
