10 Years of Strong Balmain Women by Mert and Marcus for Spring 2022 Campaign

10 Years of Strong Balmain Women by Mert and Marcus for Spring 2022 Campaign AOC Fashion

Balmain’s Spring-Summer 2022 Campaign assembles fashion’s top names in a lineup that includes Adut Akech, Carla Bruni, Lara Stone, Mariacarla Boscono, and Naomi Campbell. Stylists Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall meld svelte bodies and bodycon dresses, plenty of metallic elements in bags and strong shoulders lensed by Mert & Marcus [IG]. at last season’s Balmain show.

Olivier Rousteing has been Balmain’s Creative Director for a decade in fall 2021. He has also made a scarred, yet inspiring recovery from the terrible fireplace explosion in his house. "I woke up the next morning in Paris’ Hôpital Saint Louis. The talented staff at that famous hospital, which was dealing with an incredible number of COVID cases at that same time took amazing care of me. I cannot thank them enough,” the designer wrote about his private journey to recovery.

WSJ Magazine recently sat down with Olivier Rousteing in its My Monday Morning series.

Frances Coombe in 'Color Of Dreams' by Enrique Vega for Harper's Bazaar Vietnam

Frances Coombe in 'Color Of Dreams' by Enrique Vega for Harper's Bazaar Vietnam AOC Fashion

Model Frances Coombe is styled by DaVian Lain in ‘Color Of Dreams’, a surreal vision of female success on the world stage in ‘Color of Dreams’. Photographer Enrique Vega [IG] captures the strong, bold woman fashion statement for Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam February 2022./ Hair by Erol Karadag; makeup by Christyna Kay

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