Will Icon Collection Pay Off for Victoria's Secret? Adriana, Candice, Gisele, Naomi to the Rescue

Will Icon Collection Pay Off for Victoria's Secret? Adriana, Candice, Gisele, Naomi to the Rescue

The new VS campaign is excellent and has some real VS icons featured. Bringing back past VS models is a terrific idea for a brand trying to find safe ground to stand on. Shop the new collection at the VS website.

If I read the VS copy carefully, I’m sure we are all icons somewhere in it, so let’s just cut the AOC analysis short here and say “good job, VS.”

The Icon by Victoria’s Secret Collection models includes VS greats Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel.

The Icon cast campaigns expands to include Adut Akech, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser and Sui He. I’m pleased to say that every woman listed here has archives on AOC.

Oyadeas!

Oh dear goddess Oya. I tried . . . I tried . . . I tried so hard to step carefully, but I just fell down the “we’re all icons” rabbit hole, and I did not see it coming.

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Madame Germany's 'Tableau VIVANT' Fashion Story and the Bloomsbury Artists

Madame Germany's 'Tableau VIVANT' Fashion Story and the Bloomsbury Artists

The Bloomsbury Group, widely known for their boundary-pushing approach to art, literature, and culture, found inspiration in the intricate beauty and meticulous detail of Flemish floral painting.

One of the key artists influenced by Flemish floral painting was Vanessa Bell. As a founding member of the Bloomsbury Group and a prominent painter, she adapted the Flemish technique to create her own unique style.

Flemish floral painting provided a departure from the formal academic art conventions of the time, just as the Bloomsbury artists, sought to break free from traditional norms, inspired by the freedom and creativity exhibited in the Flemish works. They recognized that flowers possessed a profound energy and vitality that could be unleashed through artistic expression.

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Georgia Fowler in Luxe Bodywear & Tiffany Jewels Lensed by Daniella Midenge for Numero NL

Georgia Fowler in Luxe Bodywear & Tiffany Jewels Lensed by Daniella Midenge for Numero NL

Model Georgia Fowler radiates French Riviera glamour, perched high over the Mediterranean in Cannes for Numéro Netherlands [IG]. Photographer Daniella Midenge [IG] adds Fowler to the lineup of well-known, glamorous women she shot in Cannes.

In my dreams, I think we should unleash Daniella on the US Supreme Court, because if anyone can whip into shape those Federalist Society guys living in the 1660s vision of the patriarchal world order — it’s Daniella Midenge.

She would have them hiding in the justices cloak room, begging her to stand down.

Think about it, dear Daniella — for our country and the future of the free world. ~ Anne

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Gisele Bundchen in 'Dream On' Arezzo Footwear and Bags for Winter 2024 by Lufre

Gisele Bundchen in 'Dream On' Arezzo Footwear and Bags for Winter 2024 by Lufre

Gisele Bundchen returns as the face of Brazilian brand Arezzo’s winter 2024 campaign called ‘Dream On’. The uber-supermodel finds herself again in an aquarium, but this one is without water.

In this delicious new Arezzo campaign, lensed by Lufre [IG], Gisele reminds us that barriers are sometimes transparent — bigger in our minds than they are in reality. And while we reference an aquarium, there are no breathing bubbles in the water. No one will drown.

In stepping into a prism of new light in our ever-changing, modern world, it’s often our very selves who put the dead weights around our ankles, when we can drift upwards into the light, if only we permit ourselves to fly.

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Chanel Les 4 Ombres Byzance Beauty and Jewelry for Vittoria Ceretti by Elizaveta Porodina

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Byzance Beauty and Jewelry for Vittoria Ceretti by Elizaveta Porodina

Chanel shares an inspired new eyeshadow collection Les 4 Ombres Byzance with design and color roots in the rich history of Byzantine jewelry, and several pieces in the archived collection of Gabrielle Chanel herself.

Chanel muse Vittoria Ceretti is the face of the campaign, with an image style that is a perfect expression for the creative mind of photographer Elizaveta Porodina [IG].

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Ralph Lauren's 2023 US Open Collection Is Courtside August 28 in Queens/NYC

Ralph Lauren's 2023 US Open Collection Is Courtside August 28 in Queens/NYC

Ralph Lauren’s 2023 US Open collection is courtside on Monday, August 28 thru Sunday September 10 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.

Skirts and/or Shorts for the Ball Crew

Ball girls made their debut at the US Open in 1977, an encouraging factoid until you learn that ball girls first ‘worked Wimbledon’ in 1920.

Ah yes. It’s a long road to women’s emancipation, even when you’re chasing balls around the tennis court in a grand slam event.

AOC finds the French much more emancipated for women than America these days. But the French Open didn’t get ball girls until 1984; and the Australian Open was also in the early 1980s.

Ralph Lauren, Team USA and the Road to Paris 2024

AOC expects LVMH to help deliver another spectacle for the ages, as a premium partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

I’m not sure how they will top the June 20, 2023 Pharrell Williams debut for Louis Vuitton Men — a night that rocked Paris with sounds of ‘Joy’.

Ralph Lauren will again be outfitting Team USA for the Paris 2024 games— giving us two global citizens companies, who share Anne of Carversville’s values.

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Aylah Peterson, Water Goddess, by Ben Hassett for Numéro Magazine 239

Aylah Peterson, Water Goddess, by Ben Hassett for Numéro Magazine 239

Aussie model Aylah Peterson is one of two cover models for the summer 2023 issue of French magazine Numéro 239, an issue devoted to water.

Hence the sensual water drops all over Peterson’s body, otherwise adorned in Bulgari, Chanel, Prada and other high jewelry brands, styled by Charles Varenne. Photographer Ben Hassett [IG] is behind the lens.

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Ferragamo New Renaissance Fall 2023 Campaign by Tyler Mitchell Spotlights Uffizi Gallery

Ferragamo New Renaissance Fall 2023 Campaign by Tyler Mitchell Spotlights Uffizi Gallery

Today’s release of a new Ferragamo Fall 2023 campaign, conceived by Ferragamo creative director Maximilian Davis, takes a spin on the Louvre’s success, confirming a new and very important, global-culture role for Ferragamo and Italian culture, via the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

The partnership between the Ferragamo brand and the Uffizi Gallery is not a one-off ad campaign. Details of its depth and reach will emerge in the coming months.

Lensed by American photographer Tyler Mitchell [IG], who was named to the TIME 100 list in 2023 and has a cameo in the images, the Ferragamo Fall 2023 campaign features top models including Anok Yai, Jessica Stam, Lina Zhang, Mona Tougaard, Paul Hamline, Taemin Park, and Vittoria Ceretti.

I asked my AI partner Lulu to research the history of the Uffizi Gallery, and she has delivered in a major way. Read on in AOC link top of post.

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Kate Moss | Mert & Marcus | W Magazine September 2008 | 'Hammam'

Kate Moss | Mert & Marcus | W Magazine September 2008 | 'Hammam'

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, known as Mert & Marcus, are top fashion photographers celebrated for their bold and provocative style. The duo remains very busy and relevant in fashion world in 2023, 15 years after their collaboration with W Magazine in 2008 for the editorial ‘Hammam’, featuring Kate MoKate Moss and Mert & Marcus at Charleston for British Vogue 2021

AOC revisited this 2008 Kate Moss by Mert & Marcus editorial Saturday for refreshing with large images, after The Guardian linked into AOC’s 2021 feature on ‘Charleston’ in Sussex, England. Kate was photographed by Mert & Marcus wearing Fendi Couture for British Vogue.

‘Charleston’ was home to the Bloombury set of writers, artists and members of the creatives set in England. While we write our own new article about ‘Charleston’ and the artists associated with this important place in European history — and also in America — you can visit the ‘living museum’ online.

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Nike x Billie Eilish - Nike Air Alpha Force 88 Drops a Major LIVING INK Black Breakthrough

Nike x Billie Eilish - Nike Air Alpha Force 88 Drops a Major LIVING INK Black Breakthrough

Billie Eilish and Nike made sustainability news again this week, with the Tuesday [Aug.8] drop of the Nike x Billie Eilish - Nike Air Alpha Force 88 in Chicago Bulls colors.

Eilish is a devoted environmentalist and leverages her reputation always to move the fashion industry forward.

Billie’s New Kicks in Chicago

The mega-watt star wore her new kicks paired with a Chicago Bulls jersey at Lollapalooza 2023 Chicago last weekend. The scene was mega-watt, authentic Billie Eilish and the much-admired singer was generous with her kicks pics on her IG.

In total, her shoe is 25% recycled, and I’m sure Billie was begging for 35%.

In a clever headline, Vogue B wrote: “Algae is the new black: Nike sneaker swaps petroleum for sustainable ink. . . Other brands can take note.” This is news to AOC and we live close to the topic of sustainability.

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Ulla Johnson Opens West Hollywood Kelly Wearstler-Designed Global Vibe Store

Ulla Johnson Opens West Hollywood Kelly Wearstler-Designed Global Vibe Store

Designer Ulla Johnson grew up in Manhattan but lived also ‘on the road’ as the daughter of archaelogists.

AOC immediately wants to know if Ulla traveled to the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa, a paleoanthropological site located about 50 km northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Gauteng province.

How about the Lake Turkana region of today’s Kenya, where the Leakey family discovered Lucy. Better yet, has Ulla Johnson been to the Omo Valley? Her clothes suggest ‘yes’.

As a mother to Soren, now 17; Asher, 13; Agnes, 11 and a vizsla named Daphne, and wife to Zach Miner, Ulla Johnson has travelled her own road out of Brooklyn and now to the opening of new store in West Hollywood.

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Angela Ahrendts Joining SKKY Partners Is Big Kim Kardashian News

Angela Ahrendts Joining SKKY Partners Is Big Kim Kardashian News

Taking a quick look at other Angela Ahrendts’ videos on capitalism and leadership, her decision to join Kim Kardashian’s private-equity firm is a stunning and inspiring score for SKKY Partners.

Kardashian formed SKKY in summer 2022, joining forces with longtime Carlyle Group consumer head Jay Sammons.

Ahrendts’ primary role with SKKY will focus on identifying and assessing high-potential brands; determining if and how SKKY can add value to them; and to coach and mentor the companies in which SKKY invests for its portfolio.

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The Greatest of All Time: Christy, Cindy, Linda, Naomi Cover Vogue US & UK September 2023

The Greatest of All Time:  Christy, Cindy, Linda, Naomi Cover Vogue US & UK September 2023

Gathering before their Apple TV+ four-part documentary Vogue US and British Vogue’s September 2023 issues honor ‘The Greatest of All Time’ models, the ‘Supersonic Supers’. The interviews and shoot predated the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Sally Singer writes about those two days in May in ‘Linda, Cindy, Christy, Naomi! The Iconic Supers Open Up About Their Fabulous Then—and Now’.

British Vogue EIC Edward Enninful styles the fashion story with supers Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Naomi Campbell.

Enninful will be changing his role within Condé Nast, where the March 2024 issue of British Vogue will be his last as EIC, while simultaneously overseeing the editorial content of Condé Nast-owned European issues.

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Zara Creates THIRTEEN PIECES for Self-Discerning, Arts-Loving Women

Zara Creates THIRTEEN PIECES for Self-Discerning, Arts-Loving Women

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.

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The Power of Sport on Fashion: Vogue China September 2023 with He Cong by Leslie Zhang - 2

The Power of Sport on Fashion: Vogue China September 2023 with He Cong by Leslie Zhang - 2

Part 1 The Power of Sport on Fashion: Vogue China September 2023 with He Cong by Leslie Zhang - 1

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.

Part 2 The Power of Sport on Fashion: Vogue China September 2023 with He Cong by Leslie Zhang - 2

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

  • Brands, Self and Community

  • The Savvy Margaret Zang, EIC Vogue China

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Tapestry to Acquire Capri Holdings in $8.5 Billion Deal in Consolidating Luxury Sector

Tapestry to Acquire Capri Holdings in $8.5 Billion Deal in Consolidating Luxury Sector

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.

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