Candice Swanepoel Drops New Tropic of C Swimwear Style and Color Update

Candice Swanepoel Drops New Tropic of C Swimwear Style and Color Update AOC Fashion

Top of the list earth goddess Candice Swanepoel travels to fashion’s fav place Puglia, Italy to pose in new Tropic of C sustainable swimwear style and color updates. Eduardo Bravin [IG] photographs Tropic of C’s new metallic shade serpentine.

Harris Reed x Etro Collab Achieves Perfect Alignment Magic Carpet Fashion Ride

Designer Harris Reed of Harris Reed x Etro Collab via Etro IG.

All images courtesy of Etro.

A Star Is Born: Harris Reed

When the convo is focused on young, emerging, fashion designers, do not make an example of Harris Reed. Perhaps never in the future of fashion has a young designer woke on the day of his [her] first-ever runway show as the subject of a 5,000 word profile on said designer in The New Yorker.

On the morning of Harris Reed’s spring 2022 fashion show, the 25-year-old, 2020 graduate from Central Saint Martins, was living rent free in a perfectly-appointed studio suite at London’s Standard Hotel, a reward for his exceptional, creative status. Reed insists that the majority of this good fortune came in moments of serendipity, none more so than his chance meeting with celebrity stylist Harry Lambert. That encounter opened the perfectly-primed for Reed’s design-vision door to the world of Harry Styles. In the words of Vogue:

“The pop star’s 39 million followers kicked in, and just like that, a star was born. As his debut show demonstrated, Reed—who is the son of the Oscar-winning movie producer Nick Reed—thrives in the costume territory. He repurposed bridal and groom’s wear sourced from the British charity chain Oxfam into majestic hybrids of gowns and tuxedos, topping them off with enormous spherical headpieces that have become his trademark.”

Fast-forward now and who better for Harris Reed to collaborate with on a collection of genderless, sustainable, and colorful voluminous blouses than the house of Etro.

Harris Reed x Etro partnership

“When Harris Reed reached out to collaborate with us on this special project, I did not have doubts. Harris is a young and talented designer that conveys wonderful messages with his work and I was happy to have the chance to mix our textile research and archival fabrics with his innovative approach and taste. I also loved the idea of giving a new life to archival fabrics by transforming them into exclusive ‘one-of-a-kind’ creations,” said Veronica Etro, creative director at Etro Womenswear.

Veronica Etro and Harris Reed backstage at the spring 2022 Etro show in Milan Photo: Saskia Lawaks / Courtesy of Etro

House of Etro: Medici Mindset Meets Hippie Counter-Culture

Founded in 1968 by Gerolamo “Gimmo” Etro and his antiques dealer wife Roberta, the then textile company had amassed a collection of 300 antique shawls — a treasure that remains one of the largest private collections in the world today.

Etro was born in a global counter-culture moment, a configuration of now-aging minds capable of connecting well decades later with a human like Harris Reed. Gucci’s Alessandro Michele would easily have navigated the beards and long hair of the late ‘60s hippie movement.

The sexual revolution was in full bloom at the moment of Etro’s birth, and Yves Saint Laurent was hardly the only man to be found wearing a caftan. As some young people became global vagabonds, design inspo ran rampant in the streets and cafes. Young people were learning about different cultures — yes, defined by the colonial confinement of minds — but still with deep roots in ancient cultures like Mesopotamia, a region that includes parts of present-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, only men wore caftans and related flowing robes.

Young designers always fancy themselves inventing a new look, rather than circling back through history to reinvent, refresh, reintroduce in updated fashion styles for a new era. Harris Reed is no different in knowing when the moment is ‘right’ to plunge into what suddenly seems like a fresh and revolutionary new look and way of dressing.

Tianna St. Louis's Precious Pedigree Finds Treasure in British Vogue December 2021

Tianna St. Louis's Precious Pedigree Finds Treasure in British Vogue December 2021 AOC Fashion

Rising model Tianna St. Louis hails from Connecticut USA with family bloodlines that are a fantastic mix of Australian, German, Irish, Italian and Jamaican. The stellar visual results of St. Louis’ pedigree are obvious and visually arresting. And then there’s the name. Superb.

Poppy Kain styles Tianna St. Louis in ‘Treasure Seeking ‘, a collection of intricately-designed jewelry, lensed by Eddie Wrey [IG] for British Vogue December 2021./ Hair by Shiori Takahashi; makeup by Lynsey Alexander

We’re having visions of Tianna St. Louis meets Rafael Pavarotti and Ib Kamara and then Edward Enninful pops in to see how everyone is doing. Oh yes, put her in Erdem.

Oh wait — it’s coming into view. British Vogue can tell the famous story in which Queen Elizabeth & Ghana President Nkrumah danced a ‘Diplomatic Foxtrot’ in Ghana. It was a highest level mission that required the Queen to persuade Nkrumah to favor Britain and not make an alliance with Russia.

Her Majesty succeeded splendidly. Come ‘on. You guys love that idea and we can give the world a history lesson at the same time.

Perhaps you can borrow a royal tiara for Tianna St. Louis to wear as the Queen. This was a huge story for AOC when I investigated this segment from ‘The Crown’.

Queen Elizabeth II & Ghana President Nkrumah In A 1961 Diplomat Foxtrot Watched In Black & White

Lesley-Ann Brandt Will Star in New Series Set in South Africa District Six Ubuntu City

Brandt joins Morgan Freeman in Cape Town’s District Six

AnneofCarversville.com Women’s News.

Lesley-Ann Brandt Will Star in New Series Set in South Africa District Six Ubuntu City AOC Fashion

South African actor Lesley-Ann Brandt is lensed by Angelo D’Agostino [IG] with a digital cover, for Numéro Netherlands [IG] November 2021. The ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Spartacus’ actor is partnering with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment on the development of a new drama series that takes viewers to Cape Town, South Africa’s District Six.

Brandt, who will star and produce with Adrian Cunningham of D6 Entertainment, said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Lori, Morgan and the team at Revelations to bring the beauty and tragedy of District Six to life. It’s such a personal story to me, my family and the people of the Cape Flats. While the barbarity of the apartheid regime has featured onscreen before, Hanover Street will lean into the joy and solidarity that the community shared in the face of repression.”

Deadline explains: “Home to 60K residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community, District Six in South Africa’s second-largest city stood as a symbol of defiance against everything that apartheid stood for. In 1966, the regime designated it a whites-only area. By 1982 its entire population had been forcibly removed, and the neighborhood destroyed.”

Kim Kardashian Covers WSJ Magazine November 2021 Innovators Issue with Kim Jones

Images: Annemarieke van Drimmelen for WSJ. Magazine

Kim Kardashian Billionaire

In Spring 2021, Kim Kardashian officially achieved billionaire status on the Forbes list. Unlike her sister Kylie who was dropped by the Forbes list in 2020 over the Trumpian move of inflating her assets, Kim Kardashian’s wealth was estimated by Forbes at about $1 billion, up from $780 million. Forbes estimated values of her stakes in KKW Beauty at $500 million and Skims at $225 million.

Being older and wiser than her younger sister, Kim Kardashian’s sober approach to life and business is well-articulated in her WSJ Magazine November 2021 Brand Innovator 2021 cover story, on newsstands Saturday, November 13th.

KKW poses with her friend, Fendi creative director Kim Jones, celebrating the early November release of Fendi x Skims, the underwear and cozy loungewear label Kardashian launched in 2019.

KKW: WSJ Magazine’s Brand Innovator’s Award

Kardashian West will be honored, along with 7 other cultural groundbreakers at WSJ. Magazine’s Innovator Awards virtual presentation on November 1st at 8:00 PM EST. You can register to watch online at … WSJ. Magazine's 2021 Innovator Awards Virtual Presentation

WSJ Magazine cites Skims alone as being valued at over $1.6 billion, and Kardashian is a majority owner. Kim’s beauty brand KKW is being rebooted but for good reasons and not lack of big-brand potential. Skims Sleep will soon be moving into the inner-lives of American women.

“I want to really launch an entirely new beauty brand,” she says. “I learned so much that I’m excited [to put out] a brand that has all the new information that I know. I feel like it’s going to be my baby, I’ll have my beauty brand and Skims. I can really nourish it and flourish it more if it [were] all condensed into one.”

Frequent WSJ Magazine photographer Annemarieke Van Drimmelen captures KKW for the cover story, styled by Giovanni Dario Laudicina. written by Christina Binkley.

True Grit, Serious Hustle. Major Intelligence and a Micromanaged Life

Achieving a business status that puts Kim Kardashian in a prime spot in WSJ’s annual Innovators Issue takes some serious hustle and intelligence.

Kim Kardashian has both — even if the totally engaged mother of four and supportive soon-to-be ex-wife of Kanye West — has failed some of her recent bar-exam preparation tests. Simply stated, Kar Kardashian powers on with marketing savvy and human connections that are currently too valuable to put a price on them.

“My days are completely micromanaged to the minute,” she says. “In order to get away from the kids, I will go into my office at my house and study. And then working on beauty and rebranding and Skims, constantly, I’m always in fittings and fabric meetings. My days are pretty full…. And that’s it. I love to be home; I love my weekends at home.”

Speaking of home, KKW just paid Kanye West $20 million for their Hidden Hills, LA home and $3 million for the furniture, art and other contents. Kim now owns the house outright.

Images: Annemarieke van Drimmelen for WSJ. Magazine

Kim Kardashian Captains Her Ship with a Steady Hand

People can heap all the hate they want on Kim Kardashian. She is a superb businesswoman, and Kardashian knows it. There’s nothing wrong with self-confidence, sincerity and an earnest approach to living.

In contrast to how the public imagines the life of Kim Kardashian West, her closest humans describe her as a non-partier and a low-grade control freak. By her own admission, she is a workaholic who reads sales numbers in bed late at night.

“I have never liked drunk people,” Kardashian West says. “I never like to be out of control. I never like to not know what’s going on.” (“I didn’t go [away] to college because of [the partying],” she says.)

Images: Annemarieke van Drimmelen for WSJ. Magazine

Kim Kardashian: Someday Matriarch

She now weighs in on most of the family’s deals jointly with Kris Jenner. “If there’s a deal, it’s always my mom, me and our attorney talking it over,” Kardashian West says.

The expectation is that Kim Kardashian will take over the reins, when Kris, 66, one day retires. “We’ve talked about it. I would assemble a team of people to take over,” Kardashian West says. “I hope it doesn’t happen for a really long time, because I’m really busy.”

The possibility that KKW will lead a Kardashian-Jenner conglomerate empire built around the fashion, cosmetic, liquor and media enterprises that her family has launched over the past decade is a real one.

Images: Annemarieke van Drimmelen for WSJ. Magazine

WWJ Magazine references the fact that the rebound fortunes of Victoria’s Secret; the pulsating growth of Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie [with indirect backing from LVMH] and now Skims soaring puts a lot of pressure on the already-stressed VS. There’s no doubt that both Rihanna and Kim Kardashian know how to play hardball, even if they do it grace and a smile on their faces.

Kate Moss modeled in recent Skims campaign images. A special Skims pop-up opened in Paris in time for Paris Fashion Week this September at the famous Galeries Lafayette department store. Skims is sold by retailers such as Nordstrom, Ssense and Net-a-Porter. “The inclusive sizing, sharp price point and comfort are just a few reasons why the brand has been so successful,” says Lea Cranfield, Net-a-Porter’s chief buying and merchandising officer, by email.

Rihanna hasn’t weighed in on this trifecta undergarments competition, but KKW reminds us that her grandmother only retired in her early 80s. “I think I’ll always feel good when I’m working,” Kardashian predicts.

“I don’t see me floating on a yacht.”

In fact, Kim Kardashian’s life plan has her as a member of the California bar, and she currently studies about four hours a day to achieve this goal. “Hopefully one day I can start a law firm where we can help people pro bono and hire people who were formerly incarcerated,” she says of her longer-term goals.

Kim’s goal is no act, in spite of the heat she’s taken for working with former president Donald Trump on prison reform. KKW marches to her own drum with four kids and a big family in tow. One wonders what Kanye West actually thinks of his uber-talented wife. R-E-S-P-E-C-T would be appropriate.

Erdem Moralıoğlu Is Photographer of 'Vintage' for Vogue Poland November 2021

Erdem Moralıoğlu Is Photographer of 'Vintage' for Vogue Poland November 2021 AOC Fashion

“It’s gone by extraordinarily quickly,” Erdem Moralıoğlu says about the 15th anniversary of his brand Erdem. “If I close my eyes, I can still imagine being a student at the Royal College putting together my graduate collection,” reflects the designer who has embraced a poetic femininity with deep roots in the strong, often renegade, women of history.

In fact, Erdem’s depth of historical context underpinning the collections — combined with an overarching respect or craftsmanship and artistry — is unmatched in the world of luxury fashion brands. A key element in the recent evolution of the Erdem brand vision is the extraordinary synergy emanating from Ibrahim Kamara, who has styled all of Erdem’s collections and shows since 2019.

New Vogue Poland editor-in-chief, photographer Ina Lekiewicz invited Erdem Moralıoğlu, accompanied by Ib Kamara, to create this visual masterpiece in the November issue. In a new role, the designer is the photographer for the fashion shoot on location at the 17th-century Southside House in London.

Models in ‘Vintage’ include Florence Hutchings, Lily Nova, Ngozi Anene, Sienna King and Wang Han./ Hair by Teiji Utsumi; makeup by Thom Walker

Celestial Grade Synergy

Now the Dazed editor-in-chief, Ib Kamara is extraordinary adept at upending reticence or plain ignorance in how to weave the visual narrative of race, colonialism and fashion together in a modern way. Gender and sexuality are also key undercurrents in Kamara’s work, but the visionary stylist’s brilliance is his emotional and intellectual willingness to take historical realities and weave them in a web of revised history.

The result is an unabashed modern and progressive vision of a better truth, if you think like we do. Others may shatter a mirror or two over the audacity of Erdem Moralıoğlu and Ibrahim Kamara revising colonial history in a shared vision. In another ironic twist, both talents admire strong women and they seek out unique and unconventional personalities as their seasonal muses.

Kamara makes no attempt to shun the often painful facts of history, being a son of the African continent. Rather, he reweaves them into new visual narratives that travel far beyond their original reality. This revised visual statement says “it didn’t have to be this way.”

Erdem Moralıoğlu is the beneficiary of Kamara’s insights and visual interpretations, and one imagines that the synergy between the two super-talents is nothing less than blinding at times. Born in war-torn Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Kamara benefits from Erdem’s insights as the son of a Turkish father and an English mother. Erdem was born in Montreal, Canada and shuttled between Montreal and Birmingham, England.

Ibrahim Kamara says about his relationship with Erdem Moralıoğlu:

“It’s very valuable to meet someone with whom you can perform a creative dance. “

To those of us watching, the tango is breathtaking. ~ Anne