Elisa Nijman in 'Private Dancer' by Laura Jane Coulson for Vogue Italia February 2022

Elisa Nijman in 'Private Dancer' by Laura Jane Coulson for Vogue Italia February 2022 AOC Fashion

Model Elisa Nijman is styled by Jasmine Hassett in ‘Private Dancer’, pure white style lensed by Laura Jane Coulson [IG] for Vogue Italia February 2022./ Hair by Sarah Jo Palmer; makeup by Crystabel Riley

Gucci x The North Face Takes A Magic Balloon Ride in Harper's Bazaar Mexico February

Gucci x The North Face Takes A Magic Balloon Ride in Harper's Bazaar Mexico February AOC Fashion

The winter 2022 Gucci x The North Face collab touches down in a corn field, a far cry away from its New Year’s drop in or near Iceland. Models Femke Bloem, Keyla Harewood and Yuna Heo find the collection perfect for ballooning, styled by Giorgio Andrea Branduardi as the ready to take flight. Photographer Alfonso Anton Cornelis captures the adventure for Harper’s Bazaar Mexico February 2022. / Hair by Erisson Musella; makeup by Greta Agazzi

Tom Johnson Flashes Ski Style in Courchevel for Vogue France February 2022

Tom Johnson Flashes Ski Style in Courchevel for Vogue France February 2022 AOC Fashion

Models Adhel Bol and Adit Priscilla pose in Courchevel, known as the world’s most famous ski resort. Laetitia Gimenez Adam styles the duo in images by Tom Johnson [IG] for Vogue France, February 2022./ Makeup by Aurore Gibrien; hair by Akemi Kishida

Nigo Brought Varsity Style Embroidered Fashion to His Debut Kenzo Collection

Embroidery: The Comeback Fashion Trend For 2022 | GANT, Bode and ALD Show the Way AOC Fashion

Kenzo’s newly-appointed creative director, Nigo added a heavy-duty dose of nostalgic varsity style to his first presentation for Kenzo hosted at Galerie Vivienne in Paris. Nigo runs in a posse that is tight with Pharrell Williams and the late Virgil Abloh of Louis Vuitton Men’s.

Ignore what a particularly self-centered rapper tells you about how the beloved Virgil Abloh was appointed to the transformational role he assumed at LVMH [Said rapper says the position was first offered to him and has actually accused Bernard Arnault of going back on his word]. Factually-speaking, it was Nigo who introduced Abloh to Michael Burke of Louis Vuitton. and he also collaborated with the late designer twice on LV x NIGO capsule collections.

Nigo’s own urban clothing line is Bape [A Bathing Ape] and he is the DJ of the Japanese hip hop group Teriyaki Boyz.

Nigo’s choice of varsity jackets and other old-school styles in his debut collection for Kenzo are part of a much larger conversation at Anne of Carversville around the resurgence of embroidered fashion. As always, we combine fashion trends with larger political and lifestyle trends — and varsity style is center stage.

Varsity Style Rising

Now that hip-hop has subverted preppy into high-fashion, luxury street style, is it time to join forces with the Ivy League — in fashion and beyond?

This idea has been on my brain for months, since writing about the makeover of GANT by its owners, Geneva-based holding company Maus Frères SA

“I think prep has made a natural return,” GANT's Creative Director Christoffer Bastin explained to Vogue Scandinavia. Noting that Ivy League attire was very much a uniform, a favored look adopted by multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams and the greater hip-hop community, Bastin concluded that “Balenciaga and Vetements came in with their streetwear influences and committed this mercy killing on prep.”

The AOC narrative goes in-depth on the topic of embroidered fashion and we concluded it with news of LVMH’s minority investor position in ALD, another varsity, old-school Queens, New York fashion brand. Not as polished as Kenzo, ALD has roots in a different immigrant experience and has a more working class vibe.

W Magazine Shares 'Tour de Force: A Sculptural Approach to Spring Fashion' Lensed by Tim Elkaïm

Models: Top row left to right Elvina Patrick and Emi Stankovic; Middle row left to right Dana Smith and Nele Visschers; Bottom row left to right Elissa Nijman and Anyiel.

W Magazine Shares 'Tour de Force: A Sculptural Approach to Spring Fashion' Lensed by Tim Elkaïm AOC Fashion

W Magazine commissions a fashion ‘Tour de Force’ on the streets of Paris featuring models Anyiel, Dana Smith, Elissa Nijman, Elvina Patrick, Emi Stankovic, and Nele Visschers. Brian Molloy styles the shoot choosing Alaïa, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Hermès, Le Vestiaie, Louis Vuitton, Missoni, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Sacai, Row, Sportmax, Tory Burch, Yohji Yamamoto and more.

Photographer Tim Elkaïm [IG] captures ‘Tour de Force: A Sculptural Approach to Spring Fashion’. See the fashion credits by model at W Magazine, and a model ID collage at end of this post.

Bryan Durante Flashes Major Bling Dazzle' in 'Cuore Dolomite' for L'Officiel Russia

Bryan Durante Flashes Major Bling Dazzle' in 'Cuore Dolomite' for L'Officiel Russia AOC Jewelry News

Photographer Bryan Durante [IG] captures model Beatrice Parozzi as a fashionista ice queen with a passion for bling. Stylist Aurelio Comparelli chooses bold and modern silhouettes fashion backdrop for larger than life statement jewelry in ‘Cuore Dolomite’ for the current issue of L’Officiel Russia. Hair and makeup by Christian Manzoni; video by Davide Pirotta

“Cuore Dolomite” was created among the majestic, snowy mountains of Trento in northern Italy. It was captured through the three lenses of IPhone13 pro: Wid, Ultrawide and 3x.

In 2018, the New York Times shared a feature ‘36 Hours in the Dolomites’.

Dolomite crystals are also used in jewelry, although they are considered to be fragile with a low and variable of hardness of 3.5 to 4. “Faceted dolomites would appeal most to collectors of unusual gems or aficionados of the art of gem cutting,” writes the Gem Society. AOC has tried unsuccessfully to validate the stones used in this fashion story.

Tim Elkaïm Flashes Binx Walton in Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2022 Campaign

Tim Elkaïm Flashes Binx Walton in Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2022 Campaign AOC Fashion

Top model Binx Walton is styled by Brian Molloy in Proenza Schouler’s Spring/Summer 2022 Campaign, lensed by Tim Elkaïm [IG]

Vogue Portugal's Intellectual 'Sete Magnificas' by Nicola Delorme with Nina Marker

Vogue Portugal's Intellectual 'Sete Magnificas' by Nicola Delorme with Nina Marker AOC Fashion

Model Nina Marker is styled by Joana Dacheville in ‘Sete Magnificas’, a beautiful fashion story with a very intellectual foundation. It’s so AOC!!! Photographer Nicola Delorme [IG] is behind the lens for Vogue Portugal December 2021/January 2022./ Hair by Nicolas Philippon; makeup by Caroline Fenouil

I have much to say about these translated words, as they reflect my philosophy about the desire of modern humans to triumph over others — and to triumph over death.

Fashion plays a role in this absurd pursuit of triumph, as Vogue Portugal notes. One of the most profound books that I’ve read — as a Jungian — is Ernest Becker’s book ‘Denial of Death’.

The premise of this book is addressed in Vogue Portugal’s commentary as it explores the rise of Western civilization and our attachment to possessions that we don’t need in ‘Sete Magnificas’. You can enjoy it as a beautiful fashion story, but it’s intended meaning and desire for dialogue goes far deeper.

Via Google translator, Vogue Portugal writes:

The year has four seasons, but our time on Earth has seven: the introduction to life, which is genesis; childhood, narcissist, adolescence, that centaur of transformation, adulthood, adulthood, which comes as a claim to our own power; motherhood, tree of life and knowledge; old age, which contains all possible wisdom; and, finally, the epilogue -- death.

The human being, aware of his mortality, is consumed by two conflicts: being and nothingness. Denial and acceptance. Fight or surrender. Because humanity is nothing more than the generosity of time. It is not by chance that the painting Saturn devouring a un hijo, by Francisco de Goya, shows Cronos (or Saturn, in Roman mythology). god of time, to eliminate his offspring for fear of being dethroned.

An allegory about the passage of time where it is implicit that, however inexorable this defeat may be, man will always try to fight his dark star: death. That is why human vanity appears, in everything we do, as the promise of the eternal return of a triumphant self, which never fails to overcome itself.

Amber Witcomb in Nature's Extravagance by Josh Skinner for Harper's Bazaar UK March 2022

Amber Witcomb in Nature's Extravagance by Josh Skinner for Harper's Bazaar UK March 2022 AOC Fashion

Photographer Josh Skinner makes fashion magic in ‘A Turn Around the Grounds’, starring Amber Witcomb. Cathy Kasterine is in charge of styling some truly spectacular images for Harper’s Bazaar UK’s March 2022 issue. Slow down and stroll through these images carefully. Surely 2-3 are worth assorted wows. /Hair by Paul Donovan; Anita Keeling

Candice Swanepoel Fronts DL1961 X Recover™ High Performance Circular Jean

Candice Swanepoel Fronts DL1961 X Recover™ High Performance Circular Jean AOC Fashion

Supermodel and uber-committed eco-activist businesswoman Candice Swanepoel, founder of sustainable lifestyle brand Tropic of C, is the perfect face of the new DL1961 denim capsule campaign. Chris Colls [IG] captured Irina in the fall 2021 campaign, and he returns to the studio with Candice in this just-dropped DL1961 five-piece capsule collection.

The denim brand has partnered with Recover™ to create “the first high-performance circular jean.” Using recycled water and solar energy, Recover breaks down old clothing and weaves it with eco-friendly tech fibers such as Tencel or Reprive (recycled polyester stretch fiber).

Running our usual greenwashing check before writing on eco-initiatives, AOC finds truth in the assertion that: “Recover™ is the lowest impact recycled cotton fiber in the world and is third party certified (OCS, GRS, Oekotex Standard 100). According to the Higg MSI, Recover™ fiber outperforms virgin equivalent fibers, conventional and organic cotton, across all 5 impact categories: Global warming, Eutrophication, Water scarcity, Fossil fuel depletion and Chemistry.”

Lara Angelil Flashes Hi-Style Accessories for ELLE UK March 2022

Lara Angelil Flashes Hi-Style Accessories for ELLE UK March 2022 AOC Fashion

Photographer Lara Angelil [IG] captures an excellent series of fashion accessories shots of model Els Wright for ‘What To Wear & How To Wear It’. The strong images beg the questions around decreasing budgets for high-impact photography.

At the risk of being unpopular in my comments, Angelil’s approach — enhanced by stylist Georgia Medley’s presentations for ELLE UK’s March issue — proves that we can sell fashion without having a sign that says ‘low budget production’.

In an increasingly global digital world where engaged fashionistas see the repetitive content — in contrast to print magazine viewers lest inclined to see it — a fashion story like this one speaks volumes and doesn’t need an expensive model, frankly. They can be portfolio-building stories. Very nice./ Hair and makeup by Marlene Andersson

Latin Icon Christina Aguilera Covers ELLE Mexico, February, Lensed by Benjo Arwas

Latin Icon Christina Aguilera Covers ELLE Mexico, February, Lensed by Benjo Arwas AOC Fashion

Latin pop star, entertainer Christina Aguilera covers the February 2022 issue of ELLE Mexico. Chris Horan styles the legendary star, who dyed her hair for the occasion, in images by Benjo Arwas [IG].

Christina Aguilera’s ‘La Fuerza’ , a six-track EP, has put the legendary entertainer back on Billboard’s Latin albums charts after two decades. Almost 22 years have passed since Aguilera released "Mi Reflejo," her only album in Spanish.

Aguilera, who is of Ecuadorian descent and born in New York’s South Bronx in 1977, tells press that as a mother now, she relishes the chance to share her Spanish music with her kids.

[It's] "a big part of them and who they are. And so, they can see mommy do her thing in Spanish, they can hear it and feel it from a musical level," Aguilera said.

Gigi Hadid's Joyful Wisdom and Spring Fashion for InStyle US March 2022

Gigi Hadid's Joyful Wisdom and Spring Fashion for InStyle US March 2022 AOC Fashion

Supermodel Gigi Hadid projects a magnetic, joyful persona on the cover of InStyle US Magazine’s March 2022 issue. EIC Laura Brown describes Khai’s mom as “unselfconsciously animated”, as Hadid follows up her spectacular “sisterhood” images from the Versace Spring 2022 campaign with another announcement.

Netflix announced Hadid would be joining Tan France as co-host of the second season of ‘Next in Fashion’, a perfect next step in Gigi’s public life.

Julia Von Boehm styles Gigi in Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Gucci, Isabel Marant, Prada, Valentino and more, with jewelry galore lensed by Yulia Gorbachenko [IG] . / Hair by Bob Recine; Makeup by Erin Parsons

Chopard's Caroline Scheufele Will Bring Zambia's 'Insofu' Emerald to a Life of Luxury

Chopard's Caroline Scheufele Will Bring Zambia's 'Insofu' Emerald to a Life of Luxury AOC Jewelry News

The Chopard ‘Insofu’ Emerald weighs in the size of a champagne bottle. It’s named for elephants in Zambia’s Bantu language.

“The size and quality of the crystal make it a rare find indeed,” stated Sean Gilbertson, director of Gemfields, noting that it was also “setting a historic milestone for traceability back to the mine-of-origin, a holy grail for consumers” seeking reassurances on the credentials of their stones as it is the first emerald of this size and purity to meet traceability requirements.

“By purchasing a raw stone, we are able to follow its entire journey through to final creation. Chopard will cut the raw emerald and collect all the cut gems emerging from it….We ensure a complete chain of traceability, which is rare for [such] stones,” said Chopard’s copresident and artistic director Caroline Scheufele who noted that a “fully integrated supply chain” was what made “these treasures of nature so valuable to our clientele,” who despite the COVID-19 pandemic had shown “strong resilience and loyalty” to the house.

AOC has followed Chopard’s Caroline Scheufele for years, and we value deeply her leadership mission in the arena of sustainability, workers rights, and transparency of Chopard stones from discovery to individual ownership. Scheufele recalled her feeling at the discovery of the Insofu emerald as “surpassing any emotion [she] had ever known.”