Zara creates a capsule collection THIRTEEN PIECES, designed for the woman who owns her own identity. These are timeless pieces that avoid any type of frill and act as a backdrop for the woman, whose elegance and attitude position her center stage.
Supermodel Rianne van Rompaey and Spanish actor Angela Molina, now 67, are the two protagonists in the campaign, shot by Mario Sorrenti [IG] with creative direction and styling by Elodie David-Touboul./ Hair by Kalle Eklund; makeup by Petros Petrohilos; set design by Mathilde Vallantin Dulac
Molina becomes the oldest model Zara has used to date.
Beloved Chinese supermodel He Cong covers Vogue China’s September 2023 issue, lensed by Shanghai-based fashion photographer Leslie Zhang [IG]. Vivienne Sun styles the photoshoot with creative direction by Matt McDonald.
Anne has written at length about this excellent fashion story and the many topics it touches in Part One of the Vogue China September 2023 fashion story. They include:
Fashion and Sport
Hangzhou and the Silk Roads
Fashion and Sport: Nike, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren
An American fashion mega deal was announced today, August 10, in which Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, will acquire Capri Holdings, home to Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace.
The purchase price is $8.5 billion and is not subject to any financial conditions. Tapestry has secured $8 billion from the Bank of America and Morgan Stanley to finance the deal, which will not close until 2024.
Capri, which has a market cap of just over $4 billion, reported revenues of $5.62 billion in fiscal 2023, down 0.7 per cent on the previous year’s record $5.65 billion. This performance is very subpar in the high-end luxury market, which has had a strong rebound in a post-COVID luxury retail landscape.
Gigi Hadid returns to Self-Portrait in a FW 2023 campaign inspired by butterflies and shot by Tyrone Lebon in a private residence in Paris.
Glitter shimmers in abundance in the Self-Portrait campaign, both in the ready-to-wear pieces and the The Bow Bag, considered a signature bag for the brand.
France’s former First Lady, supermodel and French singer Carla Bruni takes her turn in Messika’s Midnight Sun 2023 High Jewelry limelight.
Photographer Pierre-Ange Carlotti [IG] captures the nightlife the colorful 1970s in the Midnight Sun campaign, when cities like New York City and Paris crushed traditions, reinvented fashion, and redefined genres.
Model Jan Baiboon packs her suitcase with Pre-fall 2023 Saint Laurent and heads to Thailand under the fashion eye of Vogue Korea’s fashion editor Kihoh Sohn.
Photographer Songyi Yoon [IG]captures Baiboon out and about in Bangkok for the August 2023 issue.
Vogue Brasil calls Gisele the only übermodel, activist for environmental causes.
In her interview with EIC Maria Laura NevesIG], Gisele expresses her own view of her success: “I believe that it has a lot to do with my personality and the choices I’ve made. I was faithful to my values and my essence, always giving my best. I took the profession seriously and I was always very professional.”
“I am naturally more reserved and ended up choosing projects that I deemed more meaningful for me to showcase myself. Perhaps this has contributed to the longevity in a career that is typically so fleeting.”
AOC adds that like so many young models today, Gisele suffered from extreme anxiety, although she didn’t talk about it endlessly. The mother of Benjamin, 13, and Vivian, 10, has spoken for decades about the importance of mental health and her healthy-food, yoga-filled and martial arts, gratitude-to-the-universe lifestyle for decades now.
AOC is ALWAYS on the hunt for new information and research. Preparing to post Gisele’s new ad campaign shot by LUFRÉ [IG], I did a ‘wow’ over his Winter 23 campaign for Santa Lolla. We always review the photographer’s recent work before any post, to see what we’ve missed.
AOC is on the record stating that the world of psilocybin will again impact our creativity and way of looking at images — as long as both political parties agree about the benefits of psilocybin.
‘Ubuntu Brains’
The brains of psilocybin users — and I am one of them — are attached to much more expansive and universal values. We have a shared view of our universal human connections — the ubuntu vision that ‘I am because of who we all are’ or ‘We are all in this together’. I will share this medical info in much greater detail shortly, but this article in Body will get you started.
This evolving human vision existed for 10,000-25,000 years before so-called advanced-civilization people roamed the world looking to remold us into them. You know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout. Read on at top of article link.
Models Francesca Cobucci and Kylee Lou are styled by Ahmed Rashwan in ‘The Bigger the Better’, a modern style tableau fueled by imagination. Photographer Mazen Abusrour [IG] delivers the goods for Vogue Arabia’s Saudi Summer 2023 issue. / Makeup by Gianluca; hair by Maggie Semaan
Model Havana Liu is styled in black and blue mood, workwear fashion, styled with a polished edge by Juliana Schiavinatto. Photographer Royal Gilbert [IG] captures the fashion story ‘Who’s that girl?’, featuring Acne Studios, LaQuan Smith, Maison Alaia , Maison Margiela, Thom Browne and more for Vogue Hong Kong August 2023.
Fall 2023 fashion can be found in a large impressionist-painting story ‘Garden of Delights’ with model Julia Banas in Harper’s Bazaar UK [IG]September 2023. The collection bears photographer Eric Madigan Heck’s [IG] visual imprint in rich hues clothes styled by Leith Clark.
AOC has zero issues with larger images and white text with designer names, as well as photographer’s. / Hair by Franco Gobbi; makeup by Andrew Gallimore
Cartier global ambassador Elle Fanning covers Los Angeles-based Flaunt Magazine [IG] Issue 186, wearing Thom Browne on the cover, styled by fashion editor Muy-Hai Chu.
Photographer Greg Swales [IG] is in the studio, capturing Fanning, whose latest role is playing Michelle Carter, convicted of involuntary manslaughter over a ‘texting-suicide’ case in ‘The Girl From Plainville’.
Model Blanca Padilla exudes a smoldering presence on the digital cover of Numéro Netherlands August 2023. Caterina Ospina Buitrago styles one of the best known international Spanish models in Ferragamo red, Emporio Armani, Givenchy, Michael Kors Collection, Missoni, Miu Miu, MSGM, Prada, Sportmax, Versace and more.
Numéro Netherlands goes into conversation with Padilla who will shortly launch her second collection with Ecoalf.
You can see Blanca Padilla’s first Ecoalf Collection here. Ecoalf is a B Corp [meaning that decisions and business strategy must consider workers, the environment and other priorities and not only stockholder or owner profits], that is recognized in the top 5% as ‘Best for the World’ and separately by Merco as the Most Environmentally Responsible Company in Spain in 2022.
Fashion lovers are excited to see model Soo Joo Park covering the September 2023 issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK [IG]. Cathy Kasterine chooses the power of a crisp white shirt from Prada on the cover, embellished with Tiffany & Co jewelry.
Photographer Boo George [IG] is in the studio, photographing Soo Joo in Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Chanel, Chloe, Valentino and more in a modern, angular, architectural fashion story ‘Split the Difference’. Tiffany & Co. jewelry throughout.
Rising French model Lise Sauve graces the pages of Grazia International’s June 2023 issue, posing in a lovely fashion story ‘The Bird Cage X Dior’, with creative direction by Dane Stojanovic [IG] and production by Jean-Marc Mondelet.
Flamingos are among my favorite creatures and they are a perfect style statement in this Dior fashion story styled by Anna Castan for images by Vladimir Marti [IG].
Model Frida Aasen rules the fashion universe, styled by Anna Castan for this voluminous set of images in Grazia International 14. It seems possible that a single photographer shoots these ‘Exhibition’ issues.
“Private Collector X Frida Aasen” suggests that perhaps Frida’s husband Tommy Chiabra commissioned them.
In the case of Gomez, I’ve always raved about his Instagram [IG] which is a feast for eyes that thrive on sensual beauty. AOC is pleased to see him shooting so many fragrance and beauty campaigns these days. Working with producer/creative director Jean-Marc Mondelet[website] seems to have been a good choice for this talented photographer. / Hair by Jean-Luc Amarin
Le Jardin de Chaumet 2023 high jewellery collection is divided into four chapters— Woods and Undergrowth, Fields, Flowers, and Bouquets of The World— in a collection that embarks on a journey through natural’s kingdom, masterfully transforming plants, flowers and even bark into glamorous rings, necklaces, earrings, and headpieces.
Model Sophie Koella is styled by Schanel Bakkouche in images by David Ferrua [IG].
Harper’s Bazaar Mexico blazes into fall style with ‘A todo color’, a saturated-colors, bodywear and accessories reveal with model Olaide Zainab. Photographer Fernando Gomez [IG] is behind the lens, with Alex Montoya styling the high-volume August 2023 fashion story. / Makeup by Rosa Matilla
Actor and brand ambassador Emma Stone headlines the Louis Vuitton Women’s FW 2023 Collection. American rock band Haim also joins the campaign, lensed by David Sims.
A Collection of Unbelievable Details
The most consistent and prevailing compliment to the Louis Vuitton FW 2023 collection is that one had to see it up close and personal, because the construction and fabrications in the collection are among the most luxurious and intricate techniques Nicolas Ghesquière has ever employed.
Vogue called the details “mindboggling”.
LVMH posted a 20 percent revenue increase in the first six months of 2023, with a profit from recurring operations of 14 percent among its fashion & leather goods division.
