Tina Kunakey by Xavi Gordo for Harper's Bazaar Espana December 2021

Tina Kunakey by Xavi Gordo for Harper's Bazaar Espana December 2021 AOC Fashion

Model Tina Kunakey, aka Mrs. Vincent Cassel, wears unadulterated elegance in fashion and Bvlgari High Jewelry styled by Inmaculada Jiménez. Xavi Gordo [IG] captures ‘TK’ from the Villa Necchi garden in Milan, as she extols the wonderfulness of Spanish culture, under the brim of a Cordovan hat, for Harper’s Bazaar Spain December 2021./ Hair and makeup by Harold James

In a 2017 interview with Vogue Italia, Tina Kunakey discussed her family background. “Your father is from Togo but he lived first in Morocco and then in France. Your mother is from Sicily, South of Italy. You were born in Toulouse, as well as your two brothers. You are really a cosmopolitan girl. In which ways your family heritage has influenced, and of course helped you, in your life?”

Speaking of her eclectic background, Kunakey told Vogue Italia:

I think that every person of multiple origins benefits from a much wider socio-cultural capital. It’s like a passport, the more visa you got the more you’ve discovered hahah… It has always helped me and will help me in life. It opened my mind. I consider it as great advantage.

Candice Swanepoel Drops New Tropic of C Swimwear Style and Color Update

Candice Swanepoel Drops New Tropic of C Swimwear Style and Color Update AOC Fashion

Top of the list earth goddess Candice Swanepoel travels to fashion’s fav place Puglia, Italy to pose in new Tropic of C sustainable swimwear style and color updates. Eduardo Bravin [IG] photographs Tropic of C’s new metallic shade serpentine.

Hermès Fashion Story 'Upside Down' by Oliver Hadlee Pearch with Bente and Ottawa

Hermès Fashion Story 'Upside Down' by Oliver Hadlee Pearch with Bente and Ottawa AOC Fashion

Models Bente Oort and Ottawa Kwami are styled by Charlotte Collet in ‘Upside Down’, a fashion story for Hermès lensed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch (IG)/ Hair by Ramona Eschbach

Harris Reed x Etro Collab Achieves Perfect Alignment Magic Carpet Fashion Ride

Designer Harris Reed of Harris Reed x Etro Collab via Etro IG.

All images courtesy of Etro.

A Star Is Born: Harris Reed

When the convo is focused on young, emerging, fashion designers, do not make an example of Harris Reed. Perhaps never in the future of fashion has a young designer woke on the day of his [her] first-ever runway show as the subject of a 5,000 word profile on said designer in The New Yorker.

On the morning of Harris Reed’s spring 2022 fashion show, the 25-year-old, 2020 graduate from Central Saint Martins, was living rent free in a perfectly-appointed studio suite at London’s Standard Hotel, a reward for his exceptional, creative status. Reed insists that the majority of this good fortune came in moments of serendipity, none more so than his chance meeting with celebrity stylist Harry Lambert. That encounter opened the perfectly-primed for Reed’s design-vision door to the world of Harry Styles. In the words of Vogue:

“The pop star’s 39 million followers kicked in, and just like that, a star was born. As his debut show demonstrated, Reed—who is the son of the Oscar-winning movie producer Nick Reed—thrives in the costume territory. He repurposed bridal and groom’s wear sourced from the British charity chain Oxfam into majestic hybrids of gowns and tuxedos, topping them off with enormous spherical headpieces that have become his trademark.”

Fast-forward now and who better for Harris Reed to collaborate with on a collection of genderless, sustainable, and colorful voluminous blouses than the house of Etro.

Harris Reed x Etro partnership

“When Harris Reed reached out to collaborate with us on this special project, I did not have doubts. Harris is a young and talented designer that conveys wonderful messages with his work and I was happy to have the chance to mix our textile research and archival fabrics with his innovative approach and taste. I also loved the idea of giving a new life to archival fabrics by transforming them into exclusive ‘one-of-a-kind’ creations,” said Veronica Etro, creative director at Etro Womenswear.

Veronica Etro and Harris Reed backstage at the spring 2022 Etro show in Milan Photo: Saskia Lawaks / Courtesy of Etro

House of Etro: Medici Mindset Meets Hippie Counter-Culture

Founded in 1968 by Gerolamo “Gimmo” Etro and his antiques dealer wife Roberta, the then textile company had amassed a collection of 300 antique shawls — a treasure that remains one of the largest private collections in the world today.

Etro was born in a global counter-culture moment, a configuration of now-aging minds capable of connecting well decades later with a human like Harris Reed. Gucci’s Alessandro Michele would easily have navigated the beards and long hair of the late ‘60s hippie movement.

The sexual revolution was in full bloom at the moment of Etro’s birth, and Yves Saint Laurent was hardly the only man to be found wearing a caftan. As some young people became global vagabonds, design inspo ran rampant in the streets and cafes. Young people were learning about different cultures — yes, defined by the colonial confinement of minds — but still with deep roots in ancient cultures like Mesopotamia, a region that includes parts of present-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, only men wore caftans and related flowing robes.

Young designers always fancy themselves inventing a new look, rather than circling back through history to reinvent, refresh, reintroduce in updated fashion styles for a new era. Harris Reed is no different in knowing when the moment is ‘right’ to plunge into what suddenly seems like a fresh and revolutionary new look and way of dressing.

Amer Mohamad Captures Retro Sophistication with Ludmila Vasilyeva for Harper's Serbia

Amer Mohamad Captures Retro Sophistication with Ludmila Vasilyeva for Harper's Serbia AOC Fashion

Model and former tennis player Ludmila Vasilyeva is styled by Anastasia Arabchikova in ‘Klasika je uvek u modi’ [Classics are always in fashion]. Photographer Amer Mohamad [IG] captures the sophisticated, retro elegance and digital cover for the November 2021 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Serbia. / Makeup by Zimin Anton; hair by Anya Tokareva; costume hata by Lia Gureva

Hannah Motler's Spirited Style for T Magazine China November 2021 by Emon Toufanian

Hannah Motler's Spirited Style for T Magazine China November 2021 by Emon Toufanian AOC Fashion

Model Hannah Motler covers the fashion supplement to the November 2021 issue of T Magazine China. Motler works the fashion angles styled by Gaultier Desandre Navarre for images by Emon Toufanian [IG]./ Hair by Chiao Chenet; makeup by Mayumi

Stéphanie Volpato Flashes Adual Akol for Harper's Bazaar Brazil November 2021

Stéphanie Volpato Flashes Adual Akol for Harper's Bazaar Brazil November 2021 AOC Fashion

Rising model Adual [Jok] Akol covers the November 2021 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Brazil. Sarah Cazeneuve styles the cover story ‘A Visionária’, lensed by Stéphanie Volpato [IG].

Sophia Roetz by Dominique Issermann Honors Actor Emmanuelle Riva for Numéro 226

Sophia Roetz by Dominique Issermann Honors Actor Emmanuelle Riva for Numéro 226 AOC Fashion

The ‘Spleen’ fashion story starring Sophia Roetz hits all the high notes with reverential, sober styling by Rebecca Bleynie in an embrace of French actor Emmanuelle Riva. Photographer Dominique Issermann [IG] is behind the lens, capturing the white roses tribute for Numéro 226, November 2021./ Hair by Ed Moelands; makeup by Lloyd Simmonds

The New York Times wrote in-depth in January, 2017 about Riva’s career in Emmanuelle Riva, Star of ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’ and ‘Amour,’ Dies at 89.

Katy O'Kane by Sam Spence for Vogue Portugal November 2021 Sustainability Issue

Katy O'Kane by Sam Spence for Vogue Portugal November 2021 Sustainability Issue AOC Fashion

Vogue Portugal releases their November 2021 ‘No Comments’ issue, centered around sustainability and the recent climate change global summit in Glasgow, Scotland — COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference. The words ‘No Comments’ are to be taken literally in an issue devoted to images without text in the form of commentary. .Within the pages, it’s the reader feeling the power of these images and also the one empowered to comment on them.

In these images model Katy O’Kane is styled by Carlee Wallace in ‘“Quarteto Fantástico’ lensed by Sam Spence [IG].

Malika El Maslouhi Holiday Moves by Giampaolo Sgura for Sunday Times Style UK

Model Malika El Maslouhi puts some serious energy into the weekend’s Sunday Times Style Magazine UK cover story featuring ‘Bring it on!’ . The spirit is joy and movement with a focus on “272 luxury gifts you’ll really, really want.” Verity Parker styles El Maslouhi in bold-colors clothes lensed by Giampaolo Sgura [IG]. /Executive producer Leila Hartley; hair by Franco Gobbi; makeup by Cosetta Giorgietti

El Maslouhi’s poses reminds us that scientific evidence is mounting around the ways that moving our bodies changes our brains and helps enormously with stress management, both short-term and long. If joy is in fashion’s current mindset, the science around possessions and well-being or happiness remains murky. In fact, science delineates between well-being and happiness, on the topic of material wealth.

The reasons why body movement and exercise improve brain health and positivity are not definitely clear either. But all science agrees that movement is attached to joy and a positive mental outlook, whether resulting from stress management, that elusive endorphin-rush you read about or both.

Andreas Ortner Captures Nature's Sublime Beauty on Maria Rosa for Vogue Portugal

Andreas Ortner Captures Nature's Sublime Beauty on Maria Rosa for Vogue Portugal AOC Fashion

Vogue Portugal’s November 2021 ‘No Comments’ issue continues with exquisite images of model Maria Rosa’s nature-inspired beauty looks. Gianluca Mandelli creates hair and makeup splendor captured by photographer Andreas Ortner [IG]. .

“The time has come for more action and fewer words,” writes Sofia Lucas, 'Vogue Portugal’s editor in chief, about the new issue, which includes no commentary.

These images are so inspiring and Lucas’ words resonate so deeply that perhaps everyone quoting her profundity will eliminate the word “flawless’ from our vocabs — when the topic is new year 2022 beauty editorial in December fashion issues. LOL.

AOC won’t count on it. You will never find the word ‘flawless’ here — except to critique it for all its negativity. I haven’t noticed that we’re particularly influential in our efforts. Now if Vogues took on the word in its total essence — good and bad — now THAT would bring results.

No more flaw-fixing. Free at last!!! ~ Anne

Betty Schupp, Precious Kevin by Max vom Hofe to Vogue Portugal November 2021

Betty Schupp, Precious Kevin by Max vom Hofe to Vogue Portugal November 2021 AOC Fashion

Models Betty Schupp and Precious Kevin are styled by Sophia Schwan in ‘From Seed to Table’, lensed by Max vom Hofe [IG] for Vogue Portugal’s ‘No Comments’ issue.

With no written words to speak to the topic of ‘Seed to Table’ farming in Vogue Portugal, we share an earlier post about Arizona muse, now living in Ibiza, with farming defining her life: Why Is Arizona Muse So Passionate About Biodynamic Farming in Ibiza? AOC Sustainability

Osma Harvilahi Captures Normandy Life for Vogue France November 2021

Osma Harvilahi Captures Normandy Life for Vogue France November 2021 AOC Fashion

Vogue France November 2021 rolls out a new perspective under the editorial content vision of Eugenie Trochu, who has deep ties to Normandy. Models Janina Maidorn and Lauren Ernwein are styled by Imruh Asha in playful bright colorblocks and bold monochrome looks lensed by Osma Harvilahti [IG]. / Hair by Yuji Okuda; makeup by Satoko Watanabe

Trochu takes readers on her own tour of Normandy.