Ice Queen Frida Gustavsson by Jenny Brough in Vogue Scandinavia February 2022

Ice Queen Frida Gustavsson by Jenny Brough in Vogue Scandinavia February 2022 AOC Fashion

Frida Gustavsson is styled by Sophie Gaten in Nordic elegance for ‘Frida at Last’, lensed by Jenny Brough. Frida isn’t actually walking across an Icelandic volcanic field in Louis Simonon’s set design for Vogue Scandinavia February 2022./ Hair by Amidat Giwa; makeup by Grace Sinnott

Nordic Visitor brings us up-to-date on the latest volcanic eruptions in the Land of Fire and Ice.

Carlos Teixeira Captures Kieza Kanda in 'Love for Nature' in Marie Claire Mexico

Carlos Teixeira Captures Kieza Kanda in 'Love for Nature' in Marie Claire Mexico AOC Fashion

Angolan model Kieza Kanda graced the fall 2021 pages of Marie Claire Mexico and Latin America, styled by Patrycja Juraszczyk in goddess-worthy, seaside elegance. Carlos Teixeira [IG] made the fashion story capture named ‘Love for Nature’.

Kanda expressed a totally different persona in fall 2021’s Gucci Off the Grid' X A Vibe Called Tech Collab Lensed by Amber Pinkerton AOC Fashion

Amy Troost Flashes Fashion Joy Galore in 'Big Fun' for Harper's Bazaar US February 2022

Amy Troost Flashes Fashion Joy Galore in 'Big Fun' for Harper's Bazaar US February 2022 AOC Fashion

Models Bente Oort, Hannah Motler, Jordan Daniels, and Precious Kevin give us a mega-dose of fashion adrenalin in ‘Big Fun’. Photographer Amy Troost inspires, begs, cheers, directs, cajoles — without too much trouble — four models engaged in a lovely moment of stylish levity. Their smiles are contagious without a Debbie Downer in the bunch. ‘Big Fun’ delights us in Harper’s Bazar US, February 2022, and we NEED it. Thank you. ~ Anne

In total contrast, compare to: Charlotte Wales Captures Lola, Malika, Mika in 'Nouvelle Vague' for Vogue France.

Alisha Boe in 'California Dream' by Hugh Lippe for Vogue Scandinavia January 2022

Alisha Boe in 'California Dream' by Hugh Lippe for Vogue Scandinavia January 2022 AOC Fashion

Norwegian and American actor Alisha Boe graces the pages of Vogue Scandinavia’s January 2022 issue. Boe was born in Oslo, Norway, to a Somali father and a Norwegian mother, and she moved to Los Angeles at age seven, growing up with her mom and new step-father. Boe is known for portraying Jessica Davis in the Netflix original series ‘13 Reasons Why’.

Keegan Singh styles Boe in ‘California Dream’, lensed by Hugh Lippe [IG]. / Hair by Sheridan Ward; makeup by Ozzy Salvatierra

Janet Jumbo's Cozy Fashion Getaway by Jackie Nickerson Numéro France

Janet Jumbo's Cozy Fashion Getaway by Jackie Nickerson Numéro France AOC Fashion

Model Janet Jumbo is styled by David Bradshaw in ‘Échappée Belle’, a warm and cozy, elegant fashion getaway lensed by Jackie Nickerson [IG] for Numéro France December 2021/January 2022.

Naomi Osaka Says She's Not God, Could Drop to 84 in Rankings After Australian Open

Naomi Osaka was overflowing with sass this week, heading into the Australian Open, after her early withdrawal from the warmup tournament Melbourne Summer Set 1. Osaka has said that her primary goal in 2022 is to have fun and never cry again in front of the press.

Losing her third round match Friday night to the promising 20-year-old, 60th-ranked American Amanda Anisimova, Osaka was disappointed but also looking on the bright side of things.

Osaka: “I’m Not God. I can’t win every match, you know.”

“I fought for every point; I can’t be sad about that,” Osaka said. “You know, like, I’m not God. I can’t win every match, you know. So I just have to take that into account and know that it would be nice to win the tournament, but that’s, like, really special.”

Having fun was also important to Anisimova, who said that by the third set against Osaka, she was no loner nervous.

“I love playing in these high-pressure moments, and I think it’s really fun to play in Melbourne in front of a crowd like that. So I was just trying to enjoy every moment really. I kept reminding myself, ‘I’m at a Grand Slam playing against Naomi Osaka, just try to enjoy it, because it’ll be over soon.’”

Naomi Osaka, the defending champion of the Australian Open lit up digital space earlier in the week, saying that she has proved herself enough and that she doesn't give a f--- anymore about those who have something negative to say about her.

Osaka responded directly to a fan who wrote on Instagram: "Enter every match in this tournament like you have something to prove.” It’s not clear that the remark was so snarky or disrespectful, but Osaka fired back:

"Respectfully I don't have anything to prove," Osaka said. "Before my first slam I was told I had potential but probably not gonna capitalize on it. After my first slam I was told I got lucky and I was a one-hit wonder.

After my second Slam I was told I could be great but I was unsure. After my third and fourth slams I was told I will only be good on hard courts. Moral of the story - people are always gonna have something to say and idgaf [I don't give a f***] anymore."

Lara Jade Flashes Roos Abels and Cartier's Sixieme Sens Collection for Modern Luxury

Lara Jade Flashes Roos Abels and Cartier's Sixieme Sens Collection for Modern Luxury AOC Modern

Model Roos Abels travels to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to showcase Cartier’s Sixieme Sens jewelry collection against the Western sky. Sixieme Sens reimagines Cartier’s iconic house designs by combining precious 1,000-year-old stones. The collection in total embraces unusual geometric ornamentations, contrasting textures, and other visual patterns that exhibit optical illusions.

Stylist Faye Vande Vrede chooses Jackson Hole-ready outerwear, knits, and dresses from Erdem, Etro, Ralph Lauren and more as a fashion backdrop for a Cartier collection that is sublime beauty. Photographer Lara Jade [IG] captures the style majesty for Modern Luxury Magazine./ Hair by Walton Nunez; makeup by Georgina Billington

Gabriel Moses Captures Cultural Identity Fashion for Dazed Magazine

Gabriel Moses Captures Cultural Identity Fashion for Dazed Magazine AOC Magazine

Dazed Magazine posted online in December 2021 ‘Under the Skin’, styled by Marika-Ella Ames. Models Baba Chogwu, Goy Manase, Mayor Dutie and Nyaueth Riam are lensed by Gabriel Moses [IG]./ Hair by Ali Pirzadeh; hair by Ali Pirzadeh

The Dazed text by Liam Hess introducers readers to five rising creatives — a “new guard of young designers interrogating cultural identity.”

Across the UK, a new guard of designers is drawing on global influences to ask how we can use our pasts – whether cultural heritage, personal histories, or intergenerational trauma and healing – to forge a new path to the future that ricochets between the boundaries of sexuality, gender, race, and nationality.

The young designers featured at Dazed are Cameron Williams, Chloe Nardin, Fidan Novruzova, Gui Rosa, and Roisin Pierce.

Is Kanye West Headed to Russia, Inviting Putin to His Church Service? For Real?

Is Kanye West Headed to Russia, Inviting Putin to His Church Service? For Real? AOC The Wokes

Ye [formerly Kanye West] made headlines every day this week. Nothing new about that fact, but Billboard’s January 11, 2022 story that the entertainer intends to grow his business in Russia with billionaire developer Aras Agalarov and Agalarov's musician son, EMIN was picked up by Forbes and Business Insider giving it credibility.

AOC found the story totally plausible, given Ye’s relationship with the Trump family and Trump’s relationship with the Agalarovs. Kanye dined with Jared Kushner one-on-one in Miami Beach on January 7, with both parties denying that any business was discussed. The story broke four days later.

Trump and the Agalarovs

In 2013, the Russian oligarch and his son EMIN arranged the kind of spectacle in Moscow that Trump adores. Trump arrived as a surprise guest, with an armored Mercedes stretch limo driving off a freight elevator fight into a ballroom where 3000 Russian guests couldn’t believe their eye as Trump emerged to greet them.

Politico refreshed our memories about Trump and Agalarov in 2016. As Trump sought the nomination for the US presidency, the political website published When Donald Trump brought Miss Universe to Moscow. The article fills in much more background about the 2013 event.

It was West’s confidant and strategic advisor Ameer Sudan who told Billboard that they were working on the arrangements. Russia is going to be “a second home” for Ye, Sudan said: “He will be spending a lot of time out there.”

There’s no disagreement that Sudan is tied closely to West.

Sotheby's Will Auction 200 Pairs of Louis Vuitton and Nike ‘Air Force 1’ by Virgil Abloh

For more info about the scholarship fund and some of Virgil’s students, read The Cut’s article published after his passing, in December 2021.

Sotheby's Will Auction 200 Pairs of Louis Vuitton and Nike ‘Air Force 1’ by Virgil Abloh, to Support The Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund AOC Art of Living

Sotheby's is proud to present The Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh, a special global online auction of the highly coveted Nike x Louis Vuitton “Air Force 1" sold to benefit The Virgil Abloh™ “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, an organization that aims to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry by providing scholarships to academically promising students of Black, African American, or African descent.

The auction marks the first-ever release of the Louis Vuitton and Nike “Air Force 1” by Virgil Abloh created for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Collection. Prior to his passing on 28 November 2021, the Louis Vuitton Men’s Artistic Director was involved in the early organization of the auction and its surrounding events. The auction will take place in association with his family.

Each pair will be sold with a Louis Vuitton pilot case in orange Taurillon Monogram Leather (exclusive to this auction), which was likewise featured in the collection.

Starting from the launch of the auction, the shoes and the pilot case will be exhibited at Sotheby’s New York. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit free of charge, and can make an appointment to do so through our reservation page.

A total of 200 pairs of the Nike “Air Force 1” – originally created for the Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2022 Men’s Collection – is being made available in an exclusive colorway and a range of sizes.

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?

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.