Charlottesville, VA Will Donate Robert E Lee Statue for Meltdown into New Art

The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center is a cultural arts and history center whose mission is to honor and preserve the rich heritage and legacy of the African-American community of Charlottesville-Albemarle, Virginia. Additionally, the heritage center promotes a greater appreciation for and understanding of the contributions of African Americans and peoples of the Diaspora locally in Charlottesville, across America and globally as well.

In a modern-day Confederate statue cremation, the controversial statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee will be donated to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. Plans are for the statue, which lived at the center of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, to be melted down into materials for a new piece of public art.

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An Indiegogo campaign page for the project said that its leaders wanted to “transform a national symbol of white supremacy into a new work of art that will reflect racial justice and inclusion.”

Related: Charlottesville’s Statue of Robert E. Lee Will Be Melted Down New York Times

Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee statue will be melted down by city’s African American history museum Washington Post

NYC Sues L'Officiel USA for Not Paying Freelancers On Time or Ever

Note from Anne: As a result of this NYC lawsuit and learning about L’Officiel USA’s pattern of not paying freelancers, AOC will no longer promote any fashion stories or lifestyle posts associated with L’Officiel USA magazines until there is a resolution to this lawsuit. We will research this alleged pattern and practice in other L’Officiel magazines worldwide and not post any further materials associated with L’Officiel magazines until we understand both the scope and the organizational, corporate structure that governs L’Officiel media.

AOC shares a summary of key points in a press release from the Office of the Mayor of New York City, which filed suit against L’Officiel USA on December 1, 2021.

NYC Sues L'Officiel USA for Not Paying Freelancers On Time or Ever AOC Fashion for entire discussion

The Freelance Isn't Free Act is a local New York City law passed by the New York City Council in 2016 that protects the labor rights of freelance workers. The bill was enacted on May 15, 2017 and is now the basis for a new lawsuit filed by New York City ’s Law Department and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) against L’Officiel USA, the American subsidiary of the French-owned global media company.

The lawsuit was announced by outgoing New York City mayor Bill de Blasio on December 1, after its filing in New York County Supreme Court.

NYC ’s Freelance Isn ’t Free Act, the first law of its kind in the country, gives freelance workers the legal right to written contracts, timely payment, and freedom from retaliation. The Law also established a Court Navigation Program as one avenue to assist freelancers in getting paid and accessing other resources, but it also authorizes New York City to file cases against businesses with a systemic pattern and practice of violating the Law.

In this first court case derived from NYC ’s Freelance Isn ’t Free Act. The lawsuit, which was filed in New York County Supreme Court, alleges that L ’Officiel has “engaged in a pattern of failing to pay freelancers on time or at all, including writers, editors, photographers, videographers, graphic designers and illustrators.”

Kerrigan Clark Poses in a Fish Market Eco Story by Élio Nogueira for Vogue Portugal

Kerrigan Clark Poses in a Fish Market Eco Story by Élio Nogueira for Vogue Portugal AOC Fashion

Model Kerrigan Clark poses in one of Vogue Portugal’s November 2021 ‘no Comments’ issue cover stories. Sandra Benbaruk styles Clark in a fashion statement that does have environmental overtones, as humans and climate change seriously impact the world’s fish supplies. Élio Nogueira [IG] does create images that tell their own environmental story — not an easy feat — and are fashionable besides.

In this genre, nothing comes closest to Steven Meisel’s 2010 ‘Water & Oil’ fashion story for Vogue Italia under EIC Franca Sozzani. Such a controversy erupted with a clear fault line between the Americans and the Europeans in responding to Meisel’s disturbing images.

As is so often the case, AOC sided with the Europeans. Even CBS News covered the controversy.

Josephine Skriver Covers ELLE Denmark, Lensed by Frederik Lentz Andersen

Josephine Skriver Covers ELLE Denmark, Lensed by Frederik Lentz Andersen AOC Fashion

Josephine Skriver covers the December 2021 issue of ELLE Denmark, styled by Agnes Buch. Frederik Lentz Andersen [IG] photographs Skriver, who lives in LA with partner Alexander DeLeon of The Cab, now releasing solo music as Bohnes. The couple has sold their Nashville home, not making LA their crash pad place, as originally rumoured.

As we speak, Josephine Skriver has teamed up with Los Angeles-based Triarchy to unveil a collaborative capsule of sustainable denim styles.

“Collaborating with Josephine on this collection was not only a dream because her aesthetic is a perfect compliment to Triarchy’s, but also because she was genuinely interested in the fabrics we developed for this collaboration. The sustainability was just as important as the style for Josephine, and that’s why this collection works so well,” Adam Taubenfligel, the brand’s creative director and co-founder, told WWD.

Triarchy designed its own “proprietary sustainable denim fabrication from a blend of Naia Renew,” which is created by using 66 percent organic cotton, 22 percent Tencel and 12 percent Naia fiber. The capsule incorporates sustainable wash practices and a second sustainable denim fabrication consisting of a whopping 83 percent recycled content.

You can find the eight-piece collection in styles ranging from $165 to $495 on the brand’s e-commerce site. The Triarchy x Josephine Skriver launch with Bergdorf Goodman in December, as well as with Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Shopbop and Holt Renfrew.

EYE on TikTok Star Wisdom Kaye for Coach 'Hit the Slopes' and H&M Innovation @ British Fashion Awards

American model and Tik Tok personality Wisdom Kaye joins Brittany O’Grady, Mia Regan and Tiffany Guo in the new Coach ‘Hit the Slopes’ campaign. The vision behind the campaign ‘introduces nostalgic winter sportswear reimagined through the optimistic lens of now' along with a digital game, Snow City. The game allows players to ‘race through snowy New York City as a Coach Holiday animal, collecting “love”’.

After all the challenges in 2021 — and especially for our young people, whose lives are just turned upside down in today’s world — let’s play along with Snow City.

Anne of Carversville is all about love through the practice of ‘ubuntu’ — the Nguni Bantu term meaning "humanity". It is sometimes translated as "I am because we are" (also "I am because you are"), or "humanity towards others" (in Zulu, umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu), according to Wiki.

New York City photographer Zackery Michael [IG] photograph’s the Coach ‘Hit the Slopes’ campaign. His images seem to appear out of another era.

Like so many New York City creatives, Michael — who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — migrated to the city from small town America. In his case Springfield, Oregon. Zackery Michael’s bags are always packed and ready for the next destination.

Wisdom Kaye is also on the move, appearing Monday night at the British Fashion Council awards, where he was dressed in clothes from H&M’s new circularity-focused collection, Innovation Circular Design Story.

Wisdom Kaye is represented by IMG models and hails from Houston, Texas. The energy-infused, rising creative star with major swagger joined Tik Tok in January 2020 and went viral for his offering to the ‘Vogue Challenge’.

By July 2020, the Kaye’s TikTok had 2 million followers, prompting Vogue to call him "TikTok's best-dressed guy".

Read more about H&M’s commitment to being a leader in rewriting fashion’s damning impact on our planet. The brand has created a heap of woes around our industry’s destruction of the environment in pursuit of style and see-me pleasures.

Now the global brand is committed to being a leader in cleaning up the mess. H&M is teaming up with fashion’s most talented people to help drive hope the urgency of a planet-protecting response.

Related: H&M Hugs the Brilliance of Ib Kamara and Rafael Pavarotti with Innovation Circular Design Story AOC Fashion

Stacey Abrams Launches 2022 Georgia Governor's Rematch

Prominent Democratic voting rights activist Stacey Abrams is stepping up for a rematch of her contentious 2018 race against Gov. Brian Kemp to hold Georgia’s highest office.

Ms. Abrams candidacy assures that voting rights will remain center stage in Georgia, where Republicans have further sought to restrict the vote. If she succeeds, Abrams would become the first Black governor of Georgia and the first Black woman to serve as governor of any state.

“Opportunity in our state shouldn’t be determined by ZIP code, background or access to power,” Ms. Abrams said on Twitter, posting an announcement video with the slogan “One Georgia.”

Stacey Abrams has broad-base appeal and not only among both moderate Democrats and the more progressive wing of the party. Abrams created a strong coalition of white women — including white Republican and independent voters.

Sign up to learn more about the Stacey Abrams campaign.

Media Reports on Stacey’s New Campaign

Stacey Abrams Says She’s Running for Georgia Governor New York Times

Breaking: Stacey Abrams is running for Georgia governor in 2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Stacey Abrams Announces 2022 Run for Governor of Georgia New York Magazine

Ina Lekiewicz Shoots Giedre Dukauskaite in Iceland for Vogue Poland December 2021

Ina Lekiewicz Shoots Giedre Dukauskaite in Iceland for Vogue Poland December 2021 AOC Fashion

Photographer, stylist, art director and EIC of Vogue Poland Ina Lekiewicz delivers Lithuanian model Giedre Dukauskaite in ‘The Sound of Silence’ for the December 2021 issue. Ali + Aniko style Dukauskaite for the cover story shot in Iceland.

Ina Lekiewicz was on a mission in Iceland, speaking with local people about living in harmony with nature and the idea of omnipresent silence. “Confrontation with nature is ruthless. It leaves a permanent mark on you,” says Hördur Ingason, a photographer born in the capital of Iceland. “It makes us more dark and melancholic. But we also owe her inner peace,” he adds.

n a translated paragraph from the editor’s letter, we stumble into one of those obvious questions for us fashionistas — a question that stands on its own with or without a conversation around sustainability: Why do we not respect clothes? Better still:

“What if we stopped treating clothes like rags?”

Michał Zaczyński is looking for an answer to the question why we do not respect clothes. In the essay "What if we stopped treating clothes like rags?" he writes that the contempt is primarily due to a lack of knowledge, experience and poor PR: "If we knew how much work it takes to create a dress, and had an idea of the complexity of the process, we would not treat it so condescendingly."

The fashion editor of "Vogue Polska" Kamila Wagner in a special report analyzes the situation in the fashion industry, which has finally begun to demand balance and suggests itself how to achieve balance in many of its fields: "In balance, we see the only chance to survive and, in fact, we seek it on the market of services and goods. The related discourse thus mastered all trade and the communication that is inseparable from it, 'she writes.

A Racy Penélope Cruz Puts Her Foot on the Gas,by Nico Bustos for Elle España December 2021

Actor Penélope Cruz covers the December 2021 issue of ELLE España styled by Sylvia Montoliù in black lace dressed woman driving red convertible. You get the drift. Nico Bustos captures Cruz, who is winning rave reviews for her role in ‘Parallel Mothers’, with her great collaborator Pedro Almodóvar.

“Parallel Mothers” debuted to rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival, where Cruz captured the best actress prize, and then resonated with audiences and critics again when it screened on the closing night of the New York Film Festival, writes Variety Magazine.

The BBC writes that the film received a nine-minute standing ovation in Venice.

Nico Bustos [IG] photographs Cruz for ELLE Espana and also for an excellent interview in Variety. We looked forever for an online ELLE Spain editorial for translation.