Grande-Dame Jewelry for WSJ Magazine December 2021 by Felicity Ingram

Grande-Dame Jewelry for WSJ Magazine December 2021 by Felicity Ingram AOC Fashion

WSJ Magazine puts the S in statement jewelry, with Colorful Gemstones: The New Way to Wear Grande-Dame Jewelry (follow our complimentary link to WSJ paywall.) More is better, writes WSJ, about wildly imaginative high and fine jewelry in rainbow hues that beg to be paired.

Shapes inspired by the natural world and adventurous settings get center stage in this shoot by Felicity Ingram [IG] with styling by Virginie Benarroch. A buckle-inspired, multicolor necklace from Louis Vuitton that hugs the nape, bunches of vibrantly green seaweed-like earrings from David Yurman or a magically massive teal butterfly ring from Chopard? Now is the time to go for it.

Models include Licett Morillo at IMG; Mamadou Lo at Elite, and Topsy at Ford./ Hair by Laurent Philippon; makeup, Karim Rahman.

'Cruise Control' Resort 22 Is Eye-popping in V Magazine by David Roemer

'Cruise Control' Resort 22 Is Eye-popping in V Magazine by David Roemer AOC Fashion

Resort ‘21/22 collections have no room for wallflowers, writes V Magazine. We are ready to play and be flirtatious. If this prediction sounds premature in Covid world, hope springs eternal.

Resort style is infused with youthquake spirit. — mini skirts, bandeaus, oversized outerwear — with psychedelic prints and painterly pizzzaz nods to the ‘60s flourishing of Pop Art. Is this sounding familiar? It depends on your age.

Models Diya Prabhakar, Emily Kasten, Izzy Wild, Marlee Bell and Theresa Hayes are styled by Aryeh Lappin in ‘Cruise Control’. Bringing sass to New York streets is a welcome fashion daydream, lensed by David Roemer [IG]. / Hair by Takuya Yamaguchi; makeup by Yui Ishibashi

Kendall Jenner Fronts 2022 Messika Jewelry Campaign Lensed by Chris Colls

Kendall Jenner Fronts Spring 2022 Messika Jewelry Campaign AOC Jewelry News

Valerié Messika, founder of Messika, picked Kendall Jenner as the face of its new 2022 campaign. Photographer Chris Colls [IG] joins Messika and Jenner in St. Tropez the south of France.

“I wanted to illustrate a subtle alliance between grace and strength and capture an image of an alpha woman with a mysterious and hypnotic aura ; Kendall perfectly embodied that for me,” Valérie Messika explains.

Nyaueth Riam Covers Love Want Magazine in 'The Body Memory' by Nagi Sakai

Nyaueth Riam Covers Love Want Magazine in 'The Body Memory' by Nagi Sakai AOC Fashion

Model Nyaueth Riam is styled by Natasha Royt in ‘The Body Memory’, lensed by Nagi Sakai [IG] for Love Want Magazine Here & Now Fall 2021 issue./ Hair by Marco Braca; makeup by Courtney Perkins

Ling Chen Shows Her 'Better Nature' Beauty by Felicity Ingram in Vogue UK January 2022

Ling Chen Shows Her 'Better Nature' Beauty by Felicity Ingram in Vogue UK January 2022 AOC Fashion

Model Ling Chen expresses her beautiful ‘Better Nature’, styled by Eniola Dare in images by Felicity Ingram {IG] for British Vogue January 2022./ Hair by Naoki Komiya; makeup by Niamh Quinn

AOC is all about making connections. These images of Ling Chen appeared as we were posting news of research bias among botanists who reflect a strong preference to study ‘showy’ plants and flowers.

Scientists More Often Study Showy Plants, But Ugly Flowers Are Vital to Ecosystem AOC Eye

Yes, we can cite the modern view that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. But these ‘plain Jane’ or even ‘half-dead’ looking plants and flowers often serve as safe camouflage havens for precious species.

2021 data in America only says that the gender breakdown of botanists is 57% male, 37% female and 5% unknown. Question: does the research preference for colorful, sensual plants hold equally among gender identification?

Delfina Morbelli Chills at Wynn's Las Vegas by Yossi Michaeli for Modern Luxury

Delfina Morbelli Chills at Wynn's Las Vegas by Yossi Michaeli for Modern Luxury AOC Fashion

Rising model Delfina Morbelli is styled by Faye Vande Vrede, in images by Yossi Michaeli [IG] at Wynn Las Vegas for Modern Luxury Magazine January 2021.

Heidi Klum Sizzles with Snoop Dogg in Dance Video 'Chai Tea with Heidi'

Top model, businesswoman and wife of Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz, Heidi Klum Sizzles with Snoop Dogg in Dance Video 'Chai Tea with Heidi', which also features Los Angeles-based DJ-Producer duo WeddingCake.

The ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge, cohost on Amazon’s version of Project Runway called ‘Making the Cut’ and former Victoria’s Secret mega star, Heidi Klum hasn’t done anything musical since her 2006 track ‘Winter Wonderland’. Pushing 50 and madly in love with her 17 years younger husband, Klum delivers an impressive performance. And she owns the camera.

Heidi explained to People Magazine that it all began innocently enough. In planning the next season of Germany’s ‘Next Top Model’, someone suggested “to do something fun”, like perhaps Heidi could “record the theme song for the show.”

The supermodel’s idea of fun was to do a duet with Snoop Dogg, because she "loves him" and is his "biggest fan." Martha Stewart might take issue with the “biggest fan” part, but let them fight it out over Snoop.

The song pays homage to Rod Stewart’s Rod Stewart’s ‘Baby Jane’. Heidi and Snoop were finished with the entire production when she finally was able to make contact with Stewart who was delighted with 'Chai Tea with Heidi'.

The musical result has caused a wave of head-nodding, and the video is WOW! There are so many things AOC wants to say, but we are zip-lipped and very WOKE! LOL. ~ Anne

As for Snoop Dogg’s tight friendship with Martha Stewart, well she told Andy Cohen on a Thursday night interview on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ that she has a new boyfriend, and the details are none of our business.

Snoop and Martha go way back as good friends off screen and working together on many food-related projects. Snoop’s long-time wife since 1997 Shante Broadus became his manager in June 2021.

Martha and Snoop made it into our June 2021 article on biophilic design. Fake Poser Plants vs the Health and Wellness Benefits of Real Plants AOC Eye.

Returning to the long and joyous friendship between Martha and Snoop, I wondered if they ever get out of the kitchen. Googling “Martha+Snoop+green plants”, I said “silly me” over Google’s top returns. They include: Martha Stewart is teaching Snoop Dogg to grow plant-based food and more recently in Jan 2021 Martha Stewart’s New CBD Line Was Inspired by Snoop Dogg. Ah yes, Martha’s latest venture.

Hick Duarte Captures 'Back to the Origins' with Dandara Queiroz for Vogue Brazil

Hick Duarte Captures 'Back to the Origins' with Dandara Queiroz for Vogue Brazil AOC Fashion

Brazilian model Dandara Queiroz covers the January 2022 issue of Vogue Brazil, posing in Volta às Origens [Back to the Origins]. Pedro Sales styles Queiroz in earth-inspired fashion lensed by Hick Duarte [IG]./ Beauty by Henrique Martins

Alana Felisberto Fronts For Love & Lemons x Victoria’s Secret V-Day 2022 Lingerie Collection

Alana Felisberto Fronts For Love & Lemons x Victoria’s Secret V-Day 2022 Lingerie Collection AOC Body

Brazilian model Alana Felisberto stars in Valentine’s Day 2022’s For Love & Lemons collaboration with Victoria’s Secret lingerie. For Love & Lemons is known for romantic embroideries and V-Day brings an abundance of pink, scarlet and ivory blooms. Other hyper-feminine touches like tiny pleats, embroidered hearts, ribbon ties, lace-ups and dainty prints render Alana a total coquette. Or with VS and their fragrance — a grade-10 tease.

Carin Backoff [IG] photographs the For Love & Lemons x Victoria’s Secret Valentine’s Day 2022 Collection, styled by Ashley Glorioso. / Hair and makeup by Sacey Tan

Dior Lunar New Year 2022 Campaign Celebrates Butterflies with Sun Yi Han

Dior celebrates the Lunar New Year 2022 with new women’s fashion designs that speak to the beauty of nature, dotted with red butterflies and flowers. The color red was dear to Monsieur Dior. The Dior Lunar New Year 2022 campaign [IG] is lensed by Wing Shya [IG] and features actor Sun Yi Han.

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, and red is found in abundance as both the cultural color of the Chinese people, but also their primary color associated with gala celebrations and good fortune.

In choosing the butterfly motif to decorate Dior’s signature bags like Lady Dior, the Saddle bag, and Dior Book Tote, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri honors the beauty of nature with a decidedly feminine approach. And while these products honor Lunar New Year 2022, they are part of Dior’s Resort 2022 collection.

Butterflies are prolific in global cultures as symbols of transformation, resilience and triumph. Butterfly migrations are legendary with caterpillars born into Monarch butterflies in North America and then taking flight. Weighing less than a single gram, a butterfly takes off on a journey of more than 2000 miles from Mexico to Canada.

In many aspects, butterflies are also symbols of global immigration patterns, as these increasingly endangered and climate-imperiled creatures don’t know national boundaries.

In China and numerous other cultures around the world, butterflies symbolize transformation, rebirth and resurrection, fertility, triumph and endurance, metamorphosis, immortality and the soul.

LV x NBA: AOC Catches Up With a Brilliant Virgil Abloh 'For the Ages' Collaboration

AOC is working to define the key creative concepts of the esteemed and beloved, now departed into the cosmos, Louis Vuitton Men’s Artistic Director Virgil Abloh. At no point did we cover Abloh’s work with the NBA.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Rather than just post-date articles into the past — which we typically do in posting archival material, in order to keep the model, photographers and now brand archives sequential by date — AOC shares this new article about a collection that actually debuted in May 2021. More will come.

Pretend you are reading this article, as we would have written it, had we known about the second LV x NBA collaboration [or the first one!!!]. Having just looked at three collections — this one is the second drop — the product design is just gorgeous.

We will pull together other elements of the collab, because AOC’s marketing/branding instincts are having a big WOW moment over this concept.

Note also that the $2200 late May drop basketball that AOC references at the end of this article is now on sale at Sotheby’s for $8000. This discovery prompted me to ask Google if Sotheby’s is now in the resale market, as opposed to exclusively bidding auctions. The answer is “yes”. Read on.

AOC Writes About a May 2021 LV x NBA Drop

Louis Vuitton sharee its second collection created in collaboration with the NBA called Louis Vuitton x Capsule Collection II in May 2021.

LV artistic director Virgil Abloh delivered a collection that merges American sports and fine French craftsmanship, as well as uniting the signature emblems of the two iconic institutions in a sophisticated and male elegance way.

Abloh referred to the process as “transversal”, a concept fundamental to his design approach in fashion as well as architecture.

In geometry, a transversal is a line that passes through two lines in the same plane at two distinct points. If the angles created by the intersection are identical, then the lines are running technically parallel in geometry-speak. Abloh sought to create ideas that intersect seemingly parallel lines not automatically guaranteed to intersect at some future point. He created the intersection of seemingly ‘of little interest to each other ‘entities.

The three-year partnership between the NBA and Louis Vuitton was announced in January 2020.

“Fashion muses aren’t predictable. Ideas of luxury can be found in the sports world and its champions as much as in traditional forms of artistry. This collection celebrates the cultural contribution of basketball and its diverse characters, and the idea of relatability as a force of unity today,” Abloh said in announcing the exciting collab.

The second LV x NBA collection for Pre Fall 21 alluded to the way basketball players dress as they travel to games, conduct their many business affairs off the court and often speak at press conferences. Many NBA players manage businesses directly related to their sports prowess, but also in unrelated categories like real estate. Many are investors in major new business concepts and especially ones looking for seed money — translated startups.

Louis Vuitton hopes that NBA fans will identify with and support the collab, rich in sophisticated merchandise that goes far beyond the mass market concept of NBA merchandising.

NBA Playoff Winners Meet Louis Vuitton Trunk Makers

WWD reported, when the project was announced in early 2020, that The Larry O’Brien Trophy, presented annually to the NBA team that wins the final championship game, “now travels in a case custom-made by six craftsmen working more than 100 hours at the Vuitton workshops in the Paris suburb of Asnières. Coated in the house’s signature monogram canvas, it is lined with microfiber in the NBA’s trademark blue.”

In another brilliant move, Vuitton has created a matching double-door wardrobe trunk for the players who won the championship, designed to house clothing, accessories and footwear.

Given the rich sophistication of the merchandise, it deserves a worthy trunk to travel in.

Virgil Abloh and Don Crawley

The Louis Vuitton x Capsule Collection II also featured selected pieces designed together with Don Crawley, known professionally as Don C, an American streetwear designer from Chicago, Illinois. Crawley has a long relationship with Kanye West.

The collection also introduced the first ever Louis Vuitton basketball [LV x NBA] at a cool price of $2200. The Louis Vuitton x NBA Capsule Collection II dropped in stores worldwide on May 28th, 2021.

AOC loves the Louis Vuitton collaboration with the NBA in a heart-felt way, because it gives the NBA players the respect they deserve in a post Colin Kaepernick [NFL, we know] world. There’s no NBA-related “shut up and dribble” BS attitude in this LV project. Call AOC inspired. ~ Anne

'Gucci Formation' by Yasutomo Ebisu at Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto for Vogue Japan

'Gucci Formation' by Yasutomo Ebisu at Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto for Vogue Japan AOC Fashion

Models Ai Hashizume, Danil Uspenskiy, Kanon Hirata, Kohei Takabatake, Miyu Onodera, Rabu 羅武LuoWu, Sakura Endo are styled by Saori Masuda in ‘Gucci Formation’. Photographer Yasutomo Ebisu [IG] is behind the lens at the Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto for Vogue Japan January 2022./ Hair by Asahi Sano; makeup by Nobuko Maekawa

Joan Smalls Takes Paris, Lensed by Chrisean Rose for InStyle December 2022

Joan Smalls Takes Paris, Lensed by Chrisean Rose for InStyle December 2022 AOC Fashion

Seeing supermodel Joan Smalls wearing a Louis Vuitton coat with magnificent Bettina Vermillon boots, in a December 2021 InStyle Magazine fashion story headline that reads: Joan Smalls Turned the Streets of Paris into Her Personal Catwalk — well my heart literally tightened with emotion.

Sandy Armeni styles Smalls in images by Chrisean Rose {IG} / Makeup by Hila Karmand;hair by Hos

"It's where I broke through," says the Puerto Rican model, recalling the gig that launched her career: a place in Givenchy's spring 2010 haute couture show. "That was one of the most memorable moments I've ever experienced." It was an opportunity she had to fight for.

Paris is challenging and nurturing at the same time for all of us. Then we add on the reality of Joan Smalls being a person of color battling for more diversity in a fashion industry that wasn’t. However Paris has challenged me, it has challenged Joan Smalls even more so.

When I write that Paris understands certain people, Smalls articulates the feeling.

"Looking back, I appreciate what I have that much more because of what it took to get here," she says. "It wasn't handed to me easily. I had this hunger in me to achieve more and not just settle for what I was given."

In the days after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the rise of BLM protests, Joan Smalls raised her voice loudly and in ways that resonated deeply. In February, 2021 Joan was joined by IMG and the Black Fashion Council to Launch #Change Fashion.

WWD explains the new organization, dedicated to encouraging companies to take responsibility for their impact on the world and provides concrete steps that will ensure the industry is working toward racial justice.

Signe Vilstrup Flashes Yujin Sim in 'Night Out' Glam for Vanity Fair Italia January 2022

Signe Vilstrup Flashes Yujin Sim in 'Night Out' Glam for Vanity Fair Italia January 2022 AOC Fashion

Model Yujin Sim is styled by Simone Guidarelli in ‘Night Out’, a hot mix of sensual artistry. Photographer Signe Vilstrup [IG] is behind the lens for Vanity Fair Italia January 2022./ Hair by Pedro Pianto; makeup by Claudia Marchetti

'Squid Game' Star Hoyeon Jung Covers Vogue Japan March by Harley Weir

Supernova Hoyeon Jung, Star of 'Squid Game' Covers Vogue US February 2022 by Harley Weir AOC Fashion

South Korean model turned actor Hoyeon Jung covers the March 2022 issue of Vogue Japan. In her role of north Korean defector in the Netflix hit ‘Squid Game’, the 27-year-old is part of an established cast of South Korean actors who comprise Netflix’s most-viewed series ever.

Louis Vuitton’s newest Global House Ambassador for fashion, watches and jewelry wears a Vuitton cape and dress on her Vogue cover, accented with Alexander McQueen earrings. Alex Harrington styles the fashion story [Vogue US February link interview link in English] ‘From Squid Game to Supernova: Inside the Whirlwind with Hoyeon Jung’ with gorgeous elegance from Acne Studios, Givenchy, Junya Watanabe, Loewe, Miu Miu, more Louis Vuutton, Prada, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang and more.

Harley Weir [IG] is behind the lens, shooting a new cover and at least one new editorial image / Hair by Holli Smith; makeup by Thomas de Kluyver for Gucci Beauty.

Vogue’s Monica Kim catches up with Hoyeon Jung at New York’s Soho Grand.

Note to AOC regular readers: As Vogue Global develops a shared content strategy [a policy we understand given Conde Nast recent financial losses in excess of $100 million annually] we want to give our high-level creatives an understanding of one Vogue issue to another edition. At the same time, we are respecting Google’s content redundancy SEO, policy so as to stay on the right side of the cyber law, so to speak.

In this case, the images that are showing are the ones published so far by Vogue Japan March 2022. AOC is not writing new commentary from the interview. We link back to AOC’s US Vogue February 2022, at the end of post, where there will be a duplication of three of these images but also multiple more not appearing in Vogue Japan so far images. Surely there’s a Google penalty in here somewhere, but then Google hasn’t faced these kinds of real-world financial content revenue challenges, so they can have all the rules they want. As a side note, Amazon has been deeply cutting into Google ad revenue.

If you are an AOC reader who speaks Japanese, this link takes you that the Global Vogue interview with Hoyeon Jung in Vogue Japan.

Original story on Vogue US February 2021

Supernova Hoyeon Jung, Star of 'Squid Game' Covers Vogue US February 2022 by Harley Weir AOC Fashion

China's Skiing Demon Eileen Gu Eyes Beijing 2022 Gold in Louis Vuitton Twist Bag Campaign

China's Skiing Demon Eileen Gu Eyes Beijing 2022 Gold in Louis Vuitton Twist Bag Campaign AOC Fashion

Louis Vuitton ambassador Eileen Gu has closed in on two key life goals at age 18.. The two-time freestyle world champion has always wanted to attend Stanford University — and she will be, as a legacy applicant. Second for Gu was to qualify for the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, leaving Team USA to represent China.

In these images for Louis Vuitton, Eileen Gu is styled by Victoria Sekrier in images by Carlijn Jacobs. Creative direction by Charles Levai and Kevin Tekinel./ Hair by Olivier Schawalder; makeup by Min Kim

In 2019, the U.S.-born Gu announced she would switch national affiliations and compete for China in 2022. Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal probed the topic of whether Eileen Gu has given up her American citizenship, so represent China. The situation for Gu is largely similar to Naomi Osaka’s, who did give up her American citizenship to represent Japan at the 2021 Summer Olympics. Gu deflects any questions on her actual citizenship status, writes WSJ.  Osaka did give up her American passport.

“This was an incredibly tough decision for me to make,” Gu wrote in an Instagram post at the time. She said she hoped her move would help “inspire millions of young people where my mom was born,” especially young girls. Through skiing, she added, she wanted to “unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations.”

Gu is such a high-flying IMG ace, that her background puts her at the top of marketing opportunities in the world’s two largest economies. And she could help China whip the US in the upcoming medal count.

Julia Hafstrom Explores Fashion and Occult in Vogue Poland by Hill & Aubrey

Model Julia Hafstrom covers the January/February 2022 issue of Vogue Poland. Ina Lekiewicz, editor-in-chief, ponders the synergy of fashion and astrology including cyclicality, looking into the future, fascination with ritual and beauty of symbols.

The cover story Magia | Kosmos takes a deep dive into magic and cosmic phenomena. In the UK's most western corner, the Hill & Aubrey [IG] photographer duo capture the dark intrigue rich with symbolism of an old farmhouse, with Hafstrom styled by Ali & Aniko. / Hair by Yumi Nakada-Dingle; makeup by Athena Paginton