Thalita Farias Shockwaves by Emre Ünal for Dry Clean Only Magazine AW 21 Issue: 02

Thalita Farias Shockwaves by Emre Ünal for Dry Clean Only Magazine AW 21 Issue: 02 AOC Fashion

Brazilian model Thalita Farias basks in the limelight of Dry Clean Only Magazine’s AW 2021 September Issue 02. Oguz Erel styles Farias for images by Emre Ünal./ Hair by Ledora Francis; makeup by Andrew Colvin

Christian MacDonald Eyes Valerie Scherzinger in Nomad Style for Vogue Paris October 2021

Christian MacDonald Eyes Valerie Scherzinger in Nomad Style for Vogue Paris October 2021 AOC Fashion

Model Valerie Scherzinger is styled by Geraldine Saglio in ‘L’Automne En Douceur’, a collection of big coats, jackets and pants for modern nomads. Christian MacDonald [IG] is in the studio for Vogue Paris.

Ugbad Abdi by Pieter Hugo for T: The New York Times Style Magazine September 2021

Ugbad Abdi by Pieter Hugo for T: The New York Times Style Magazine September 2021 AOC Fashion

Accomplished model Ugbad Abdi is covered from head to toe in modern woman, utilitarian luxury styled by Carlos Nazario. Photographer Pieter Hugo [IG] captures Ugbad for T: The New York Times Style Magazine September 2021.

News: Richard Buckley Leaves Us | Naomi Campbell Named Global Ambassador to the Queen | Billie Eilish for Air Jordan

Richard Buckley (left) and Tom Ford COURTESY OF TOM FORD

We are so very sad for Tom Ford and his son Jack, who have lost their dear love, longtime fashion journalist and Tom Ford’s husband and partner of 35 years Richard Buckley. We don’t see a lot of relationships that last 35 years anymore, and theirs was golden, including the entry of Alexander John Buckley Ford into their life in 2012. Ford and Buckley married on New Years Eve in 2014.

“It is with great sadness that Tom Ford announces the death of his beloved husband of 35 years, Richard Buckley,” a statement from the designer said. “Richard passed away peacefully at their home in Los Angeles last night with Tom and their son Jack by his side. He died of natural causes after a long illness.”

Whenever Ford has talked about his relationship with Buckley, he describes their relationship as “love at first sight.” Sharing the same elevator in 1986, Buckley was a fashion editor for Women’s Wear Daily, and Ford was working under sportswear designer Cathy Hardwick.

Ford’s interview in 2917 with Jess Cagle is so poignant that words do not do it justice. Responding to Cagle’s request for advice on maintaining a great relationship, Ford replied: “If the person you are with is someone you respect, who you believe has a great heart and a great soul — as good a heart and soul as you will ever find — don’t ever leave them, because you won’t find anyone better.”

We share what will be major commentary about this sad news, and with updates:

Richard Buckley, Tom Ford’s husband, dead at 72 Page Six

Stella McCartney, who is Jack’s godmother, shared her thoughts on Instagram Tuesday: “What a gentle man; grace and charm filled the room when he was in it,” she wrote in part, adding, “He was so loved, so respected and so madly and passionately dedicated to you, Tom and Jack, that his life was fully complete.”

Richard Buckley, Longtime Fashion Journalist and Husband of Tom Ford, Dies at 72 Hollywood Reporter

Naomi Campbell Now Global Ambassador for Queen’s Commonwealth Trust

Image Collage by Anne of Carversville

Among the roles the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to relinquish in stepping back as senior royals to pursue a life in America were their positions as president and vice president of the Queens Commonwealth Trust, a new organization formed in 2018.

Legendary supermodel, activist and new mom Naomi Campbell has accepted an appointment as The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) Platinum Jubilee Global Ambassador, where she will be involved with championing the work of young leaders backed by the trust.

CEO of the charity Christopher Kelly cited Naomi’s diverse background and also her status as a woman of colour already engaged with young people as being key reasons why she was asked to step into the role created by Meghan and Harry.

The Telegraph reported Kelly’s view that “It will be very positive to have someone who not only transcends different countries and nationalities because she is a global superstar but who is also a British woman with Caribbean roots, who has got to the very top.”

Naomi Campbell was beloved by global

Billie Eilish Shows Off Her Sustainability Credentials

Billie Eilish in Oscar de la Renta at the Met Gala.Credit...Nina Westervelt for The New York Times

Billie Eilish is fresh off her gig as cohost of the recent Met Gala, where the 19-year-old, Goth pop star and climate activist crusader channeled her Marilyn Monroe alter ego. Eilish wore an Oscar de la Renta nude tulle ball gown to complement her more recent blonde bombshell look.

PETA was thrilled — not only to see the Met Gala go meatless — but to see Billie negotiate the terms of wearing her Oscar de la Renta gown. PETA wrote:

In working with Oscar de la Renta on her 2021 Met Gala look, the vegan singer-songwriter ensured that her dress would be animal-friendly. Last month, PETA announced that the legendary designer would be going fur-free after decades of our runway disruptions, protests, some carefully thrown tofu cream pies, and pressure from activists worldwide. Now we know that Billie Eilish played a major role as well!

The New York Times did a deep dive on the negotiations preceding Billie Eilish’s appearance as the youngest cohost ever of the annual Met Gala. Read on Billie Eilish Sets a Condition for Her Dress: No More Fur

This week Billie Elish flipped the switch, keeping her blonde locks — because she LIKES the look — but leaving her golden slippers at the Metropolitan Museum. Today’s news story is about Billie’s collab with Nike and Air Jordan.

Billie Reimagines Beloved Air Jordans

A release of Billie Eilish’s Air Jordan collab will land first via store.billieeilish.com on 9/27, predating a Nike SNKRS launch on 9/30.

Collabs with musicians are not new to the Jordan Brand. Nor are collabs with women — although men rule. AOC took a deep dive on the Jordan Brand a few months ago, learning that black women are taking over the footwear industry.

On Monday, September 20, Billie Eilish was center stage for the Jordan Brand, designing two styles of Air Jordans for the collab: a pair of Air Jordan 1 KO and a pair of Air Jordan 15. "I am SO excited to finally share my two Air Jordan silhouettes with you!!" Billie wrote. "I've always loved @jumpman23 and it was such an incredible and surreal experience getting to create these."

Each pair of Billie’s Air Jordans is made with 100% vegan leather instead of the traditional leather and contain more than 20% recycled materials. The shoes feature Billie's logo, one she drew up at age 15, and her name next to the iconic Air Jordan logo. You can read more about Billie’s beauties on Sneaker News.

AOC didn’t know that the performance basketball shoe market peaked in 2015 and has experienced double-digit declines since then, according to NPD.

Sales fell a massive 23% in 2020, enough to crush companies not prepared for it. Nike was prepared, and the “retro” or lifestyle business has more than made up for the declines. When I read the words “retro’ and lifestyle business in new business articles about Air Jordan and Jordan Brand, I knew we were talking about ToiletPaper Magazine shoes.

Jordan is the dominant player, with 96% of the market including Jordan and Nike brand sales, writes Sportico. “The retro product has done phenomenal,” Cowen & Co. analyst John Kernan told the website. “Nike is doing a lot of different colorways now, and they are launching product in very smart, very creative ways. They have done a masterful job managing the marketplace.” [That’s the example I just gave you of arty sneakers in Toilet Paper Magazine,]

Enter Nike’s new Air Jordan Collab with Billie Eilish. Is this Nike’s first Air Jordan collab with a white woman? Our inquiring mind wants to know. The answer appears to be yes, but we could be seriously embarrassed. AOC has never purported to be the work of sneakerheads.

Meet Dunina Dosh by Janne Rugland in Costume Magazine October 2021

Meet Dunina Dosh by Janne Rugland in Costume Magazine October 2021 AOC Fashion

Scandinavian model Dunia Dosh [IG] is one to watch. AOC’s initial response to her IG besides “absolutely gorgeous” is wide range, an actor’s persona and eyes to drown in. The rising model covers the October 2021 issue of Costume Magazine, styled by Afaf Ali in images by Janne Rugland [IG].

Emma Raducanu Is 'Court Favourite' by Scott Trindle in British Vogue October 2021

Emma Raducanu Is 'Court Favourite' by Scott Trindle in British Vogue October 2021 AOC Fashion

18-year-old Emma Raducanu is the ‘Court Favourite’ in British Vogue’s October 2021 issue. Poppy Kain styles Britain’s tennis darling in images by Scott Trindle./ Hair by Syd Hayes; makeup by Laura Dominique

The 18-year-old from Kent captured hearts at Wimbledon, as the first British woman in 42 years to get to the fourth round. Not referenced in the British Vogue interview published online on September 7 — when Raducanu was in the quarterfinals of the US Open as noted — is the fact that she WON the US Open.

The win put the warm-spirited, humble Raducanu in a record-breaking spot in tennis world as the first qualifier to ever win a Grand Glam at age 18. She was the first Brit to win the US Open since Virginia Wade in 1977.

Kenza Safsaf, Ylang Messenguiral by Senta Simond in M Le Magazine du Monde September 2021

Kenza Safsaf, Ylang Messenguiral by Senta Simond in M Le Magazine du Monde September 2021 AOC Fashion

Models Kenza Safsaf and Ylang Messenguiral are styled by Marie Chaix in ‘Corps Impatient ‘, lensed by Senta Simond for M Le Magazine du Monde September 2021./ Hair by Akemi Kishida; makeup by Anthony Preel; creative direction by Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet-Napoleone

Lorde Talks 'Solar Power' Album in Vogue US October 2021 by Theo de Gueltzl

Lorde Talks 'Solar Power' Album in Vogue US October 2021 by Theo de Gueltzl AOC Fashion

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, who makes music under the name Lorde, covers the October 2021 issue of Vogue US. Camilla Nickerson styles the “pop iconoclast”, as the Vogue headline calls her, in Schiaparelli couture for the cover. Photographer Theo de Gueltzl captures Lorde in Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Celine by Hedi Slimane, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Marni and more. / Hair by Jimmy Paul; makeup by Fara Homidi

Writer Rob Haskell interviews the New Zealander about her third album ‘Solar Power’, described as “a celebration of the natural world” and “a meditation on the hazards of a plugged-in existence.”

Carlijn Jacobs Captures 'Island Life' in Barbados for Dazed Magazine Autumn 2021

Carlijn Jacobs Captures 'Island Life' in Barbados for Dazed Magazine Autumn 2021 AOC Fashion

AOC has praised W Magazine’s current Fall 2021 issue, and we must not neglect the Dazed Autumn 2021 issue. Ib Kamara is doing a fantastic job as the new editor in chief. I’ve read that the styling is too costumey and will just hop over that comment. Call AOC in love with the global village styling or theatrical styling direction of Kamara’s vision.

It’s through embracing some of these mixes that wearers create more relatable translations of the Dazed stories — in this case ‘Island Life’, styled by Imruh Asha and shot in Barbados by Carlijn Jacobs [IG].

I will never forget my partner grabbing his daughter’s life preserver and putting it on his head as he started a Conga line with his son and daughter in a very posh resort in Trinidad. It was amazing how they brought strangers together as more and more people joined into their musical celebration of evening.

I hate to tell stuffy white people that the creative celebration of joy that is the bedrock of Black and Brown life is just getting started. You don’t have to jump on this train, but I am positive that we are looking at a long run.

Dan Beleiu's Egyptian-Based 'Party in the Desert' for CR Fashion Book Fall 2021

Dan Beleiu's Egyptian-Based 'Party in the Desert' for CR Fashion Book Fall 2021 AOC Fashion

AOC takes great pleasure in seeing photographer Dan Beleiu [IG] shooting for CR Fashion Book’s new issue — in the Egyptian desert, no less. Dan manages to create ‘Party in the Desert’, styled by Alba Melendo with creative direction by Carine Roitfeld herself and Edouard Risselet as art director under the hot sun. Models include Adhar makuac Abiem, Eya Mariam, Iman Eldeeb, Paula Anguera [partial list]./ Makeup and hair by Kate Mur

Jasmine Tookes, Nadine and Noel by David Lipman for NAKED CASHMERE Drop 2 Fall 2021

Jasmine Tookes, Nadine and Noel by David Lipman for NAKED CASHMERE Drop 2 Fall 2021 AOC Daily

Top model Jasmine Tookes is joined by Noel Berry and Nadine Leopold in NAKED CASHMERE’S second October 2021 drop of its fall collection. David Lipman captures Jasmine, Nadine and Noel in the Hudson valley at Ghent House, designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners. The property sits on 80 acres and is available for events, short term rentals, interior and exterior location shooting.

Zara Debuts 'Origins' Unisex Menswear Collection Lensed by Tyler Mitchell

Zara Debuts 'Origins' Unisex Menswear Collection Lensed by Tyler Mitchell AOC Fashion

Fashion behemoth Zara set out in 2019 to evaluate and revamp the process of designing its menswear collection. Enter Origins, a minimal collection of a premium mix of selvedge denim, cashmere, leather and wool wearables that are designed to last. The fabrics are promoted as being traceable, and the actual garments are manufactured to “the highest standards of expertise and craft.”

Straight out of the gate Zara’s Origins is promoted with a globalist, unisex vibe— giving it strong of-the-moment street cred. Photographer Tyler Mitchell [IG] produces a sampling of the 205 items in the Zara Origins wardrobe.

Models in the new campaign include Babacar N’doye, Kwaku Kufuor, Mika Schneider, Moustapha Sy, Ottawa Kwami, Sacha Quenby, Takfarines Bengana, and Yura Nakano. The models ensemble is styled in the neutral colors that define the Zara Origins style vision by Marq Rise./ Hair by Louis Ghewy; makeup by Lucy Bridge

RIMOWA's Great Sustainability Story Is Untold in 'Never Still' Fall 2021 Campaign

Rihanna Headlines RIMOWA 'Never Still' Fall 2021 Campaign by Gray Sorrenti AOC Fashion

Rihanna Photographed by Gray Sorrenti

Getaways were on Rihanna’s mind when she hit the road earlier for RIMOWA’S latest ‘Never Still’ campaign. The journey is lensed by Gray Sorrenti, Davide’s 18 year old niece and daughter of photographers Mario Sorrenti and Mary Frey. Gray captured Rihanna in September 2020 on 26 Harper’s Bazaar editions worldwide.

‘Never Still’ People

The rising-star photographer is more concerned about people than must-have fashion. The campaigns that thrill her the most properly make fashion the prop of people and not vice-versa. Example: Gray Sorrenti Revs Up LOEWE Paula's Ibiza SS Campaign with Loads of Love

A short film includes more RIMOWA campaign stars Patti Smith, LeBron James, and Roger Federer. Smith narrates a poem over the video’s cinematic clips — one that strikes a chord with today’s creative, activist-oriented thinkers. and also the LVMH powerhouse stable of brands.

“No one Builds a Legacy by Standing Still”

The message of the RIMOWA ‘Never Still’ campaign resonates deeply at AOC. The modernization of the centuries-old luggage manufacture was born from the mind of then CEO Alexandre Arnault, now charged with the rebirth of Tiffany & Co.

LVMH is investing significantly in the travel and hospitality sector,. The RIMOWA brand campaign prompts AOC to plead once again to Bernaud Arnault and now Alexandre Arnault, to save our beloved elephants.

Tiffany has supported elephant conservation for several years now and leads the jewelry industry in ethical manufacturing and transparency principles and practices.

Update: AOC is working on the LVMH conservation update and especially elephant conservation. This recent September 2021 article LVMH and UNESCO join forces again to safeguard biodiversity at IUCN World Conservation Congress documents the top-level facts about the LVMH Initiative.

Adit Priscilla and Tara Halliwell in Versace for The Face Magazine September 2021

Adit Priscilla and Tara Halliwell in Versace for The Face Magazine September 2021 AOC Fashion

Danielle Emerson styles models Adit Priscilla and Tara Halliwell in Fall 2021 Versace, a geometric mix of ‘70s geometric patterns. London-based Will Scarborough [IG] captures the fashion story with the Italian fashion house’s updated La Greca pattern for The Face Magazine.

A new graffiti Medusa smiley is also making its Versace debut this season, a graphic that’s said to “champion the brand’s sense of humor and rebellious character”.

He Cong and Artist San Yu Paintings by Trunk Xu for Marie Claire October 2021

He Cong and Artist San Yu Paintings by Trunk Xu for Marie Claire October 2021 AOC Fashion

He Cong’s fashion story for Marie Claire China October 2021 juxtaposes art work by the late artist Sanyu against elegant fashion looks styled by Austin Feng. Photographer Trunk Xu [IG] creates the visual masterpiece. / Makeup by Yooyo Keong Ming; hair b Minghu Zhang

See full size fashion images w/o paintings.

The artist Sanyu’s paintings are represented by Sotheby’s who writes that the artist was: among the first wave of Chinese artists of the Paris School during the 1920s. Picasso, Miró and Dalí arrived from Spain, Brancusi came from Romania, joined by Chagall from Russia and Kandinsky from Germany. From across the globe, creative immigrants took up residence in the world’s art capital of Paris.

The stories of the Chinese artists like Sanyu, Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-Chun is of particular interest because their ancient cultural traditions were vastly different from those of the European painters.

Four Beauties in Dreamland Style by Hein Gijsbers for JAN Magazine September 2021

Four Beauties in Dreamland Style by Hein Gijsbers for JAN Magazine September 2021 AOC Fashion

Models Isabel Scholten, Loulou-Day O'Kelly, Noortje Haak, and Sara Dijkink are styled by Valérie Ntantu in fragile beauty fashion for ‘In Dromen Land’ [In Dreamland']. Photographer Hein Gijsbers [IG] captures the sleeping beauties for JAN Magazine [link] September 2021./ Hair by Monique Brinkhorst; makeup by Resy Ramaekers