How To Plan The Perfect Marriage Proposal in a Glamping State of Mind

How To Plan The Perfect Marriage Proposal in a Glamping State of Mind AOC Fashion

In July 2018, AOC wrote Glamping Sweeps America, Embracing Gaia With Soothing Natural Refuge In Trumplandia. New Yorkers are increasingly desperate to get back in touch with nature, asserted The New York Times.

Three years later, living in our COVID-raging, climate-fires burning, hurricanes hitting New York daily life — many of us have increased reverence for Gaia-inspired connections. Beyond our migraines associated with the 2016 presidential election and America pulling out of the Paris Climate Treaty, we struggled to imagine daily life becoming much worse — until it did.

Considering glamping in New York in 2018, the Ralph Lauren-like decor of the Collective Governor’s Island getaway was irresistible. And the magic of the tents lit up at night was too seductive for words.

When I first saw Katie and Sophie’s wedding pictures, this was my vision for their fantasy glamping excursion. Then a voice spoke to me saying “Green Cow Kitchens.” It’s not very Manhattan. And while the Statute of Liberty is very near and dear to my heart, it may not resonate as deeply with Katie and Sophie.

Think Amsterdam, Anne. Where would these two blonde beauties go to cement their future, to test their spirit vibes for the long-run— if you will. Well, of course then, we’re going glamping in Sedona, Arizona.

One assumes that glamping in Sedona would be an easy Google search. The biggest challenge would be finding glamping sites that are simple, sophisticated and authentic.

Four hours later reality felt like Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole or — better still — Dorothy being blown away to Oz. Good goddess!

Loving Sedona deeply, I looked and looked and looked for a spirit-rich, tented glamping place for our two lovebirds to fantasy-test their future before the proposal.

Google delivered countless Las Vegas-style glamping in the desert offerings, pink mini-bus included.

I met proposal planners with networks all over America. Guys looking to make a big impression love event-proposal planners who photograph the event itself. They even fly in actors from Las Vegas to create a celebratory crowd.

How awful! Who knew that today’s wedding proposals can be as complicated as the wedding itself. AOC’s Katie and Sophie have a trippy and spiritual glamping adventure was dissolving before my very eyes.

We weren’t headed to Oz at all. And why aren’t there flowers in these glamping photos? Who pays $300 a night for a tent with no flowers? For that matter, there’s no flowers in the $1000/night tent. Who goes on a romantic, spiritual marriage proposal adventure with no flowers? These people have no soul.

Ouch! What in the world! A force of some kind just banged my head. An energy vortex? What in the world is an energy vortex?

A vortex is believed to be a special spot on the earth where energy is either entering into the earth or projecting out of the earth’s plane. Vortexes (or vortices) are found at sacred sites throughout the world – the Great Pyramid in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, Bali, Stonehenge, Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia.

In America. the top energy vortex places are Sedona, Arizona; Asheville, North Carolina; and Mount Shasta, California.

No wonder I wanted Katie and Sophie to go to Sedona. Many vortexes are reported to bring feelings of peace, harmony, balance, and tranquility, while others are believed to promote personal reflection, deep insight, and a clear mind. Others still act as powerful centers of physical or emotional rejuvenation.

Cathedral Rock–the “womb with a view” is a well-known magnetic vortex, writes this Sedona red-rocks tour operator. Magnetic vortexes have a feminine or “yin” energy because the energy flow is very nurturing, soft and welcoming and can assist you in inward activities, such as contemplation, meditation and reflection.

Oh please. This is so Anne of Carversville. Read on: How To Plan The Perfect Marriage Proposal in a Glamping State of Mind AOC Fashion

News: Richard Buckley Leaves Us | Naomi Campbell Named Global Ambassador to the Queen | Billie Eilish for Air Jordan

Richard Buckley (left) and Tom Ford COURTESY OF TOM FORD

We are so very sad for Tom Ford and his son Jack, who have lost their dear love, longtime fashion journalist and Tom Ford’s husband and partner of 35 years Richard Buckley. We don’t see a lot of relationships that last 35 years anymore, and theirs was golden, including the entry of Alexander John Buckley Ford into their life in 2012. Ford and Buckley married on New Years Eve in 2014.

“It is with great sadness that Tom Ford announces the death of his beloved husband of 35 years, Richard Buckley,” a statement from the designer said. “Richard passed away peacefully at their home in Los Angeles last night with Tom and their son Jack by his side. He died of natural causes after a long illness.”

Whenever Ford has talked about his relationship with Buckley, he describes their relationship as “love at first sight.” Sharing the same elevator in 1986, Buckley was a fashion editor for Women’s Wear Daily, and Ford was working under sportswear designer Cathy Hardwick.

Ford’s interview in 2917 with Jess Cagle is so poignant that words do not do it justice. Responding to Cagle’s request for advice on maintaining a great relationship, Ford replied: “If the person you are with is someone you respect, who you believe has a great heart and a great soul — as good a heart and soul as you will ever find — don’t ever leave them, because you won’t find anyone better.”

We share what will be major commentary about this sad news, and with updates:

Richard Buckley, Tom Ford’s husband, dead at 72 Page Six

Stella McCartney, who is Jack’s godmother, shared her thoughts on Instagram Tuesday: “What a gentle man; grace and charm filled the room when he was in it,” she wrote in part, adding, “He was so loved, so respected and so madly and passionately dedicated to you, Tom and Jack, that his life was fully complete.”

Richard Buckley, Longtime Fashion Journalist and Husband of Tom Ford, Dies at 72 Hollywood Reporter

Naomi Campbell Now Global Ambassador for Queen’s Commonwealth Trust

Image Collage by Anne of Carversville

Among the roles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to relinquish in stepping back as senior royals to pursue a life in America were their positions as president and vice president of the Queens Commonwealth Trust, a new organization formed in 2018.

Legendary supermodel, activist and new mom Naomi Campbell has accepted an appointment as The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) Platinum Jubilee Global Ambassador, where she will be involved with championing the work of young leaders backed by the trust.

CEO of the charity Christopher Kelly cited Naomi’s diverse background and also her status as a woman of colour already engaged with young people as being key reasons why she was asked to step into the role created by Meghan and Harry.

The Telegraph reported Kelly’s view that “It will be very positive to have someone who not only transcends different countries and nationalities because she is a global superstar but who is also a British woman with Caribbean roots, who has got to the very top.”

Naomi Campbell was beloved by global

Billie Eilish Shows Off Her Sustainability Credentials

Billie Eilish in Oscar de la Renta at the Met Gala.Credit...Nina Westervelt for The New York Times

Billie Eilish is fresh off her gig as cohost of the recent Met Gala, where the 19-year-old, Goth pop star and climate activist crusader channeled her Marilyn Monroe alter ego. Eilish wore an Oscar de la Renta nude tulle ball gown to complement her more recent blonde bombshell look.

PETA was thrilled — not only to see the Met Gala go meatless — but to see Billie negotiate the terms of wearing her Oscar de la Renta gown. PETA wrote:

In working with Oscar de la Renta on her 2021 Met Gala look, the vegan singer-songwriter ensured that her dress would be animal-friendly. Last month, PETA announced that the legendary designer would be going fur-free after decades of our runway disruptions, protests, some carefully thrown tofu cream pies, and pressure from activists worldwide. Now we know that Billie Eilish played a major role as well!

The New York Times did a deep dive on the negotiations preceding Billie Eilish’s appearance as the youngest cohost ever of the annual Met Gala. Read on Billie Eilish Sets a Condition for Her Dress: No More Fur

This week Billie Elish flipped the switch, keeping her blonde locks — because she LIKES the look — but leaving her golden slippers at the Metropolitan Museum. Today’s news story is about Billie’s collab with Nike and Air Jordan.

Billie Reimagines Beloved Air Jordans

A release of Billie Eilish’s Air Jordan collab will land first via store.billieeilish.com on 9/27, predating a Nike SNKRS launch on 9/30.

Collabs with musicians are not new to the Jordan Brand. Nor are collabs with women — although men rule. AOC took a deep dive on the Jordan Brand a few months ago, learning that black women are taking over the footwear industry.

On Monday, September 20, Billie Eilish was center stage for the Jordan Brand, designing two styles of Air Jordans for the collab: a pair of Air Jordan 1 KO and a pair of Air Jordan 15. "I am SO excited to finally share my two Air Jordan silhouettes with you!!" Billie wrote. "I've always loved @jumpman23 and it was such an incredible and surreal experience getting to create these."

Each pair of Billie’s Air Jordans is made with 100% vegan leather instead of the traditional leather and contain more than 20% recycled materials. The shoes feature Billie's logo, one she drew up at age 15, and her name next to the iconic Air Jordan logo. You can read more about Billie’s beauties on Sneaker News.

AOC didn’t know that the performance basketball shoe market peaked in 2015 and has experienced double-digit declines since then, according to NPD.

Sales fell a massive 23% in 2020, enough to crush companies not prepared for it. Nike was prepared, and the “retro” or lifestyle business has more than made up for the declines. When I read the words “retro’ and lifestyle business in new business articles about Air Jordan and Jordan Brand, I knew we were talking about ToiletPaper Magazine shoes.

Jordan is the dominant player, with 96% of the market including Jordan and Nike brand sales, writes Sportico. “The retro product has done phenomenal,” Cowen & Co. analyst John Kernan told the website. “Nike is doing a lot of different colorways now, and they are launching product in very smart, very creative ways. They have done a masterful job managing the marketplace.” [That’s the example I just gave you of arty sneakers in Toilet Paper Magazine,]

Enter Nike’s new Air Jordan Collab with Billie Eilish. Is this Nike’s first Air Jordan collab with a white woman? Our inquiring mind wants to know. The answer appears to be yes, but we could be seriously embarrassed. AOC has never purported to be the work of sneakerheads.

Lorde Talks 'Solar Power' Album in Vogue US October 2021 by Theo de Gueltzl

Lorde Talks 'Solar Power' Album in Vogue US October 2021 by Theo de Gueltzl AOC Fashion

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, who makes music under the name Lorde, covers the October 2021 issue of Vogue US. Camilla Nickerson styles the “pop iconoclast”, as the Vogue headline calls her, in Schiaparelli couture for the cover. Photographer Theo de Gueltzl captures Lorde in Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Celine by Hedi Slimane, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Marni and more. / Hair by Jimmy Paul; makeup by Fara Homidi

Writer Rob Haskell interviews the New Zealander about her third album ‘Solar Power’, described as “a celebration of the natural world” and “a meditation on the hazards of a plugged-in existence.”

RIMOWA's Great Sustainability Story Is Untold in 'Never Still' Fall 2021 Campaign

Rihanna Headlines RIMOWA 'Never Still' Fall 2021 Campaign by Gray Sorrenti AOC Fashion

Rihanna Photographed by Gray Sorrenti

Getaways were on Rihanna’s mind when she hit the road earlier for RIMOWA’S latest ‘Never Still’ campaign. The journey is lensed by Gray Sorrenti, Davide’s 18 year old niece and daughter of photographers Mario Sorrenti and Mary Frey. Gray captured Rihanna in September 2020 on 26 Harper’s Bazaar editions worldwide.

‘Never Still’ People

The rising-star photographer is more concerned about people than must-have fashion. The campaigns that thrill her the most properly make fashion the prop of people and not vice-versa. Example: Gray Sorrenti Revs Up LOEWE Paula's Ibiza SS Campaign with Loads of Love

A short film includes more RIMOWA campaign stars Patti Smith, LeBron James, and Roger Federer. Smith narrates a poem over the video’s cinematic clips — one that strikes a chord with today’s creative, activist-oriented thinkers. and also the LVMH powerhouse stable of brands.

“No one Builds a Legacy by Standing Still”

The message of the RIMOWA ‘Never Still’ campaign resonates deeply at AOC. The modernization of the centuries-old luggage manufacture was born from the mind of then CEO Alexandre Arnault, now charged with the rebirth of Tiffany & Co.

LVMH is investing significantly in the travel and hospitality sector,. The RIMOWA brand campaign prompts AOC to plead once again to Bernaud Arnault and now Alexandre Arnault, to save our beloved elephants.

Tiffany has supported elephant conservation for several years now and leads the jewelry industry in ethical manufacturing and transparency principles and practices.

Update: AOC is working on the LVMH conservation update and especially elephant conservation. This recent September 2021 article LVMH and UNESCO join forces again to safeguard biodiversity at IUCN World Conservation Congress documents the top-level facts about the LVMH Initiative.

He Cong and Artist San Yu Paintings by Trunk Xu for Marie Claire October 2021

He Cong and Artist San Yu Paintings by Trunk Xu for Marie Claire October 2021 AOC Fashion

He Cong’s fashion story for Marie Claire China October 2021 juxtaposes art work by the late artist Sanyu against elegant fashion looks styled by Austin Feng. Photographer Trunk Xu [IG] creates the visual masterpiece. / Makeup by Yooyo Keong Ming; hair b Minghu Zhang

See full size fashion images w/o paintings.

The artist Sanyu’s paintings are represented by Sotheby’s who writes that the artist was: among the first wave of Chinese artists of the Paris School during the 1920s. Picasso, Miró and Dalí arrived from Spain, Brancusi came from Romania, joined by Chagall from Russia and Kandinsky from Germany. From across the globe, creative immigrants took up residence in the world’s art capital of Paris.

The stories of the Chinese artists like Sanyu, Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun is of particular interest because their ancient cultural traditions were vastly different from those of the European painters.

TIME 100 2021: Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

TIME 100 2021: Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) AOC She

Nigerian-American, MIT PHD, Harvard undergrad economist Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been named to the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people. Okonjo-Iweala is the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), appointed after the inauguration of US President Joe Biden.

Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, give TIME testimony about leader Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, asking the question: what will it take to vaccinate the world? “Unity, cooperation and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,” is their answer.

As Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (2016 – 2020) and also AU COVID-19 Special Envoy and WHO COVID-19 Special Envoy, Okonjo-Iweala has existing skills and knowledge around global vaccine efforts.

Harry and Meghan remind us that “her job affects every person, family and community.” They continue, writing that “to end the pandemic, we must work together to equip every nation with equitable vaccine access.”

Today only one quarter of the world’s 8 billion people are fully-vaccinated, and Dr. Ngozi Oonjo-Iweala has a tough job ahead. Harry and Meghan write that besides guidance from strong leaders like their friend Ngozi, we have a global duty to find compassion for one another.

Tech Giant Amazon Rolls Out Amazon Rainforest Carbon Offset Project

Read on: Tech Giant Amazon Rolls Out Amazon Rainforest Carbon Offset Project AOC Sustainability

By Juliana Ennes. First published on Mongabay.com

. First published on Mongabay.com AOC Sustainability

How do you get a small rancher to give up cutting trees for pasture and instead produce high-value and sustainable agricultural products without the requisite skills, money, or access to markets? A new initiative is trying to solve this problem in the Brazilian Amazon.

Called the Agroforestry and Restoration Accelerator, this nature-based carbon removal project aims to help small farmers diversify production and reach new markets, focusing on reforestation and regenerative agroforestry while also advancing economic development. The initiative, announced in early September by U.S-based tech giant Amazon in partnership with nonprofit The Nature Conservancy (TNC), will set up a project in Pará state, home to 9% of the world’s tropical forest area and 40% of Amazon deforestation — the highest rate of forest loss in Brazil.

But this isn’t a philanthropic movement. While Amazon will invest money and provide technical assistance to farmers — and TNC and other nonprofits will provide support on the ground — the tech colossus will receive carbon credits in exchange. Amazon executives and NGO representatives say this project is a win-win for forests, farmers, investors, and even for international carbon credit markets.

“The logic was to generate an alternative source of income so the small farmers wouldn’t have to expand their cattle production through deforestation. This logic, however, had always been philanthropic so far,” said TNC conservation director Rodrigo Spuri Tafner de Moraes in a phone interview.

Before the partnership with Amazon, TNC said it developed a pilot project in Pará over the last eight years named Cacau Floresta (“forest cocoa” in English) to help small farmers start producing sustainable crops of high market value, such as cocoa; Brazil is one of the world’s top cocoa-producing countries, but is still a net importer of the commodity.

According to TNC, this pilot project incentivized small farmers and ranchers to recover degraded or unproductive areas by planting cocoa trees in addition to other native species. This approach created low-carbon, small-scale agricultural production through agroforestry systems that recovered the forest while opening up a new income source for farmers, the nonprofit added.

Farmers peeling cocoa fruit in São Félix do Xingu municipality, Pará state. Image courtesy by © Kevin Arnold/The Nature Conservancy.

Now, through the partnership with Amazon, the investing model aims to generate carbon credits by scaling the project over time, with the possibility of bringing in other investors, the partners say. The goal for the first three years, they say, is to support 3,000 small farmers and restore around 20,000 hectares (nearly 50,000 acres), an area approximately the size of the city of Seattle. Amazon calculates that this would remove up to 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through 2050.

“We believe that there are more than 40,000 farmers who could benefit from a program like this in the region, and that would take a significant scale of investment,” James Mulligan, senior scientist at Amazon, told Mongabay in a phone interview. “We will set up the basic structure of the project and set up the program to scale. In order to scale, it needs additional investments which could come from different sources.”

To succeed, the project includes comprehensive steps, developers say, ranging from a platform to select eligible farmers, to training for the requisite skills, given that deforestation here is driven largely by cattle ranchers who don’t know how to produce cocoa. Smallholders will also have access to high-quality seeds, access to credit lines, logistics to support sales, and entryways to markets, they add.

Read on: Tech Giant Amazon Rolls Out Amazon Rainforest Carbon Offset Project AOC Sustainability

Farmer Deniston Dutra working on his family’s small farm in São Félix do Xingu municipality, Pará state. Image courtesy of © Kevin Arnold/The Nature Conservancy.