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Anne and Louis V: A Virginia to Paris American-French Love Story

Is 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony "Bold, Audacious . . . and Risky"?

“Now, the organizers of next summer’s Paris Olympics want to make the Seine the star of their Games with an audacious plan to host the Opening Ceremonies not inside a stadium as other Olympics have done but on the river itself,” writes The Washington Post.

Anne explains why nothing, except maybe an earthquake, will keep France and the Arnault family from overcoming all obstacles in delivering a July 26 Opening Ceremonies spectacle that will have us weeping with its beauty and inspiration.

Louis Vuitton 2024 and 2023-2

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Louis Vuitton's Nicholas Ghesquiere and Rianne van Rompaey for W Magazine China
Louis Vuitton's Nicholas Ghesquiere and Rianne van Rompaey for W Magazine China

Louis Vuitton French-Belgian creative director Nicolas Ghesquière carried the celebration of his 10 years in the role into the April 2024 Archives issue of W Magazine China [IG]. Vuitton muse and Ghesquière’s close friend Rianne van Rompaey joins him in a fashion story highlighting the iconic looks from more than 30 collections.

Marie-Amélie Sauvé styled the spare and crisp presentation lensed by Alasdair McLellan [IG]./ Makeup by Hiromi Ueda; hair by Damien Boissinot

Sailing to Paris 2024 Olympics with Louis Vuitton Nautical Summer Capsule, Crewed by Women
Sailing to Paris 2024 Olympics with Louis Vuitton Nautical Summer Capsule, Crewed by Women

Louis Vuitton is in Olympic Games Paris 2024 countdown, as a lead brand in LVMH’s role as a top sponsor of this summer’s games.

Dropping the new Louis Vuitton Nautical Capsule 2024 this weekend reminds us that some fashion trends truly possess heritage status — in the way that the Olympics are heritage.

Women, Sailing and the Olympics

The world has changed almost beyond recognition since the summer of 1924 — the last time Paris hosted the summer Olympics. One simple statistic grabs our attention immediately: 2954 men competed in the 1924 games and 135 women. AOC digs deep into women in competitive sailing a century ago.

Louis Vuitton's foray into the prestigious realm of sailing and its premier position in the LVMH sponsor umbrella of the Paris 2024 Summer Games spills next into Barcelona, where Louis Vuitton hosts in late August 2024 the America's Cup Challenger Selection Series. Hosting the event since 1983 and subsequently renamed the Louis Vuitton Cup, it culminates in the race for a new America’s Cup Winner.

Rumor: Louis Vuitton Is At Bat for Beverly Hills Cheval Blanc Property
Rumor: Louis Vuitton Is At Bat for Beverly Hills Cheval Blanc Property

WWD shared the unconfirmed rumor that Louis Vuitton hopes to take over the defeated proposal for a 109-key Cheval Blanc hotel on the 50,000 sq foot property on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

LVMH thought they had a deal going last spring for the Cheval Blanc in Beverly Hills. AOC knew LVMH had the wrong team negotiating on their behalf, long before we wrote the end of the very close vote story.

Weekend Paris Protests at New Louis Vuitton Hotel Site

The circumstances of the 2023 Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills no-vote is even more relevant today, after protesters took over the Paris construction site of the new Louis Vuitton hotel and store in Paris this weekend.

LVMH Reports Record 2023 Financial Results Adding $30 Billion to Market Value
LVMH Reports Record 2023 Financial Results Adding $30 Billion to Market Value

Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon and Hennessy [LVMH] reported 2023 year-end sales of 86.15 billion euros [$93.46 billion], representing a 10% organic increase in fourth quarter and a 13% organic growth yearly increase against 2022.

Profit from recurring operations stood at €22.8 billion for 2023, up 8%. The current operating margin remained stable with respect to 2022. In addition, LVMH has advised the markets that it anticipates no further price increases across its business units in 2024.

Now that he is back to being the richest man in the world, thanks to a 12% rise in LVMH’s stock price on Friday, Arnault’s practice of engaging his children in collective conversations around every aspect of the entire LVMH business over Zoom lunches — early breakfast in New York — reminds us that the family is not a Rupert Murdoch-like clan of cannibals.

America’s Black Cowboys, As Tributed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection: Pt 1 of a French-American Cowboys Story
America’s Black Cowboys, As Tributed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection: Pt 1 of a French-American Cowboys Story

Historians estimate that in the latter half of the nineteenth century, one in four American cowboys was black. Anne of Carversville seriously doubts that this reality is taught in the history classes of American schools. Additionally, an estimated 12% of cowboys were Mexican.

Thanks to the January 18th Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection show at the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris, this historical lens of exploration is opened wide. AOC is both incredulous and excited to tell this story. But first — a look at the highly-praised, Louis Vuitton Men Creative Director Pharrell Williams Fall-Winter 2024 show.

Black Cowboys and Slavery

The history of black cowboys in America is deeply intertwined with the legacy of slavery and the Civil War. Prior to Emancipation, many enslaved African Americans were forced into labor on plantations, including working with cattle. Other African Americans went west to California as slaves of gold miners and to Utah as slaves of Mormons.

Texas became the largest home to black cowboys.

Louis Vuitton Men SS 2024 by Pharrell Williams Hong Kong Pop-Up Joins Upcoming 50 Locations
Louis Vuitton Men SS 2024 by Pharrell Williams Hong Kong Pop-Up Joins Upcoming 50 Locations

Chinese New Year arrives mid-February, resulting in the Louis Vuitton Men Pop-Up in Hong Kong being open only until February 15. Might we see an extension later in spring?

K-Pop Louis Vuitton Ambassadors LE SSERAFIM in Seoul-Exclusive Bag Campaign
K-Pop Louis Vuitton Ambassadors LE SSERAFIM in Seoul-Exclusive Bag Campaign

The South Korean girl band LE SSERAFIM were the stars at the after party following the Pre-Fall Louis Vuitton show in April, 2023. Today they are ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, the largest, most dynamic and culturally-engaged luxury brand in the world.

Their debut act places LE SSERAFIM in a campaign for a bag capsule exclusive to the South Korean market, against a visual backdrop of Jamsugyo Bridge.

Vuitton enlisted "Squid Game" director Hwang Dong-hyuk to help build the scenography for the April 2023 show, the first-ever fashion production on the landmark Jamsugyo Bridge in Seoul.

Knowing Seoul as well as Anne does, the Louis Vuitton fashion show on the iconic bridge was surely was a landmark event and source of enormous cultural pride and good will for Louis Vuitton in South Korea.

Les Gastons Vuitton Fine Jewelry by Francesca Amfitheatrof Is Not Only for Men
Les Gastons Vuitton Fine Jewelry by Francesca Amfitheatrof Is Not Only for Men

“Men used to wear a lot of jewellery, and it’s now finally turning around,” Francesca Amfitheatrof, Artistic Director for Watches and Jewellery at Louis Vuitton, tells Vogue Business. “Men are much more adventurous and interested in jewellery.”

The men’s fine jewelry market remains a fraction of the women’s business, boasting revenues of about $7.3 billion in 2023 compared to an estimated $44 billion, according to Euromonitor. Its annual growth rate is 7.3 percent, however, compared to 7.3 percent for women.

The acquisition of Tiffany & Co by LVMH in 2020 and the arrival of jewelry-loving Pharrell Williams as the new creative director of Louis Vuitton Men in 2023 created a major appetite for the spectacular entrance of Louis Vuitton into Fine Jewelry for women, followed now by the introduction of a Louis Vuitton men’s [or unisex] 18 piece fine jewelry collection called ‘Les Gastons Vuitton’.

Louis Vuitton SS-2024 Lookbook Lensed by Amit Israeli and Gabriel Moses
Louis Vuitton SS-2024 Lookbook Lensed by Amit Israeli and Gabriel Moses

The Louis Vuitton machine is in high gear for the release of the first Pharrell Williams Louis Vuitton Men collection and these new lookbook images lensed by Amit Israeli [IG] and AOC tag and also Gabriel Moses [IG]

Models include Awwal Adeoti, Dara Gueye, Ridzman Zidaine, Teo Abihdana and Thatcher Thornton styled by Matthew Henson. / Hair by Christian Eberhard; makeup by Christine Corbel

Creative Direction for the shoot is credited to Pharrell Williams [IG] and Lina Kutsovskaya [IG].

First Louis Vuitton Hotel Will Open in Paris on Avenue des Champs Élysées
First Louis Vuitton Hotel Will Open in Paris on Avenue des Champs Élysées

The world’s largest luxury brand Louis Vuitton is opening a hotel in Paris in 2026. Located at 103-111 Avenue des Champs Élysées, the 6,000 square metres property will be located next to — and will absorb — the brand’s largest shop on the world-famous boulevard.

Instead of an ugly scaffolding construction site, the new Louis Vuitton’s hotel’s façade will be disguised as one of the brand's legendary trunks during construction. That is SO Louis V.

Louis Vuitton Expands Monogram Vernis and Monogram Denim Y2K Updated Classics
Louis Vuitton Expands Monogram Vernis and Monogram Denim Y2K Updated Classics

Four Louis Vuitton faces — ‘Bridgerton’ actor Phoebe Dynevor, Congolese-Belgian singer and rapper Lous and the Yakuza, Taiwanese singer, musician and actor Nana Ouyang and Shay Mitchell of ‘Pretty Little Liars’ — will launch a new Louis Vuitton digital campaign on January 1.

Louis Vuitton is reviving its Monogram Vernis and Monogram Denim designs with a range of leather goods, shoes and accessories targeted towards Gen Z consumers who shopped the Monogram Vernis collection launched in 2000 and Monogram Denim, following in 2005.

Louis Vuitton Resort 2024 Story with Ronja Berg by Emil Pabon in ELLE Netherlands December 2023
Louis Vuitton Resort 2024 Story with Ronja Berg by Emil Pabon in ELLE Netherlands December 2023

Rising Dutch model Ronja Amanda Berg covers the December 2023 issue of ELLE Netherlands. Misha Kratina styles Berg in a Louis Vuitton Resort 2024 cover story lensed by Emil Pabon [IG].

Louis Vuitton Winter 2023 Ski Collection Delivers Big Style Statement
Louis Vuitton Winter 2023 Ski Collection Delivers Big Style Statement

Five models Ahmadou Gueye, Angelina Kendall, Dana Smith, Indiana Van’t Slot and Victoria Fawole convey just how important the 2023 Campaign ski campaign is to Louis Vuitton.

Marie-Amélie Sauvé styles the quintet for the winter 2023.24 campaign, with art direction by Veronica Ditting. Ethan James Green [IG]. / Hair by Damien Boissinot; makeup by Christelle Cocquet

HTSI Magazine Celebrates Nicolas Ghesquière and 10 Years at Louis Vuitton
HTSI Magazine Celebrates Nicolas Ghesquière and 10 Years at Louis Vuitton

As Louis Vuitton artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière [IG] celebrates his 10-year anniversary with the brand, as well as the renewal of his contract for another five years, HTSI Magazine [IG] launches a huge celebration around the designer, the label and the muses.

Ethan James Green photographed Ghesquière himself for a HTSI [Financial Times How to Spend It] interview with the designer ‘First, we have fun’: Nicolas Ghesquière on a decade at Louis Vuitton.

Bibi Cornejo Borthwick with WeFolk [IG] agency photographs the 10 models, talents and ambassadors for these remaining images, styled by Isabelle Kountoure.

Models and talents expand on HTSI’s IG comments quoted on AOC in a separate online article. They appear in chronological order of their first project with Nicolas Ghesquire for Louis Vuitton.

Ida Heiner Covers Vogue France December 2023/January 2024 by Theo De Gueltzl
Ida Heiner Covers Vogue France December 2023/January 2024 by Theo De Gueltzl

Vogue France celebrates the communion of art and fashion in its December 2023/January 2024 issue. Underscoring the increasingly critical pairing of these two dominant influences in global culture, Vogue France puts model Ida Heiner on the cover, wearing a superheroine-worthy cape, custom-created for the magazine.

Celebrating a decade as artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s Women’s, Nicolas Ghesquiere’s [IG], contract was just renewed for another five years. In this cape project, Ghesquiere worked with contemporary artist Philippe Parreno [IG].

Louis Vuitton Spreads a Contagious, Human Joy for the 2023-24 Holidays
Louis Vuitton Spreads a Contagious, Human Joy for the 2023-24 Holidays

Louis Vuitton delivers smile-worthy holiday cheer in its first episode of a multi-segmented campaign lensed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch [IG] with video by Lope Serrano.

The Maison’s Mascot Vivienne and her friend Teddy arrive to explore all the Maison’s creations. As regulars, they might become treasured ornaments as the years go by — and we are eager to keep track of them.

These darling little creatures pop up everywhere in a distinct statement that whimsy is part of the holiday season and we are quietly encouraged to get “out of ourselves” and into the world of humanity.

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2024 Campaign Delivers Modern Mermaids in Italy's Isola Bella
Louis Vuitton Cruise 2024 Campaign Delivers Modern Mermaids in Italy's Isola Bella

British actor Emma Laird has attended multiple Louis Vuitton [IG] shows, including the women’s Cruise 2024 show, held on the picturesque island of Isola Bella in Italy.

The ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ star stepped into the lens of photographer Jamie Hawkesworth [IG]for the Louis Vuitton 2024 Cruise Collection campaign.

Laird joins models Chu Wong, Ida Heiner, Mica Argañaraz and Valentina Castro in the campaign ads styled by Florent Buonomano and Marie-Amélie Sauvé. Creative directors Charles Levai and Kevin Tekinel made a marvelous contribution to this campaign concept.

Louis Vuitton Nurtures Poetic Connections Past and Present in Grazia International October 2023
Louis Vuitton Nurtures Poetic Connections Past and Present in Grazia International October 2023

Grazia International’s October 2023 issue shares a gorgeous and rather poetic Louis Vuitton-sponsored story with Dutch-Spanish model Kristel van de Kamp. AOC has never seen a greenhouse — functioning or delapidated — that failed to entice us. Stylist Anna Castan chooses wisely from LV world past and present in exquisite ‘haute culture photography’ by Pierre Turtaut [IG]. Beautiful.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2023 Women's Fashion Campaign in Paris by Ethan James Green
Louis Vuitton Fall 2023 Women's Fashion Campaign in Paris by Ethan James Green

Indian actress Deepika Padukone reclines against Palais Galliera in a lightweight dress and cropped denim jacket, clutching Louis Vuitton's GO-14 handbag. ‘Squid Game’ star Jung Ho-Yeon rides a bike around Paris in a bedazzled top and straight-cut denim, slinging the lattice-printed bag over her shoulder on Pont Alexandre III. Finally, Léa Seydoux and Elaine Zhong complete the campaign and they love their Capucines.

Louis Vuitton Taps Pharrell Williams As First Guest of Podcast 'Louis Vuitton Extended' Out Now
Louis Vuitton Taps Pharrell Williams As First Guest of Podcast 'Louis Vuitton Extended' Out Now

Louis Vuitton is launching a podcast with popular French fashion journalist, documentary maker and YouTuber Loïc Prigent. Called ‘Louis Vuitton Extended’, the podcast will dive deeper into the scenes of what’s happening behind the scenes at one of the world’s premier luxury houses. That Prigent-guided conversation includes the house’s cultural codes, values and activism.

In the case of Louis Vuitton Men’s creative director Pharrell Williams, the dialogue will focus on the June 20, 2023 show and all the decisions made around its structure and content.

Actor Maude Apatow in Louis Vuitton by Elizaveta Porodina for POP Magazine #49
Actor Maude Apatow in Louis Vuitton by Elizaveta Porodina for POP Magazine #49

Elizaveta Porodina [IG] morphs her image artistry yet again with painterly, personal images of American actor Maude Apatow. Stephanie Waknine styles Apatow, best known for playing Lexi Howard in the HBO drama series ‘Euphoria’, in the all Louis Vuitton fashion story for POP Magazine #49 FW 2023. / Hair by Claire Moore; makeup by Janeen Witherspoon

Louis Vuitton Mens FW 2023 Campaign Images | White Americans in Paris 1923
Louis Vuitton Mens FW 2023 Campaign Images | White Americans in Paris 1923

Louis Vuitton Men’s has released images from the FW 2023 collection, co-created by Colm Dillane [IG], aka Kid Super, and the Louis Vuitton Men’s studio design team.

Marq Rise styled the shoot with images by Paul Kooiker [IG].

Preparing to write these words, I scrolled my Apple News for any event connected to this post.

The Universe Dials In

You may or may not have read my recent post about American jazz musicians seeking refuge in the French Riviera — and not only to perform.

Apple News just shared one of those “on this day 100 years ago” articles from yesterday — as if it fell into this post. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued this statement on August 2, 1923:

“Some foreign tourists, forgetting that they are our guests and that they, therefore, owe respect to our customs and our laws, have lately, on several occasions, violently shown their disapproval when they have found men of colour from French colonies sitting near them in public places. They have even gone so far as to demand their expulsion in insulting terms. If similar incidents recur measures of redress will be taken.”

The Racists in Paris Were White American Tourists

The foreign tourists not respecting French customs and laws were Americans. Follow the link at top of post to the entire story of the ugly [and presumably rich] Americans in Paris.

Louis Vuitton FW 2023 Campaign with Emma Stone and Haim by David Sims
Louis Vuitton FW 2023 Campaign with Emma Stone and Haim by David Sims

Actor and brand ambassador Emma Stone headlines the Louis Vuitton Women’s FW 2023 Collection. American rock band Haim also joins the campaign, lensed by David Sims.

A Collection of Unbelievable Details

The most consistent and prevailing compliment to the Louis Vuitton FW 2023 collection is that one had to see it up close and personal, because the construction and fabrications in the collection are among the most luxurious and intricate techniques Nicolas Ghesquière has ever employed.

Vogue called the details “mindboggling”.

LVMH posted a 20 percent revenue increase in the first six months of 2023, with a profit from recurring operations of 14 percent among its fashion & leather goods division.

Dan Beleiu Shoots Dara Gueye, Hedi Ben Tekaya and Jay Jang for Louis Vuitton Men Pre-Fall
Dan Beleiu Shoots Dara Gueye, Hedi Ben Tekaya and Jay Jang for Louis Vuitton Men Pre-Fall

Models Dara Gueye, Hedi Ben Tekaya and Jay Jang are styled by Marq Rise in select pieces from the Louis Vuitton Men Pre Fall 2024 collection.

Photographer Dan Beleiu [IG] is behind the lens with set design by Sophear Van Froment and art direction by Lucie Matussiere. / Hair by Christian Eberhard; makeup by Adrien Pinault

Basquiat Graffiti Will Remain at Atelier Jolie's NYC Home at 57 Great Jones Street
Basquiat Graffiti Will Remain at Atelier Jolie's NYC Home at 57 Great Jones Street

Angelina Jolie’s new purpose-driven collective has its first location at 57 Great Jones Street in New York City. In the IG video showing off the new headquarters, Jolie’s children, Shiloh, 17, and Pax, 19, are also visible spray painting the collective’s logo onto the building.

This has got to be an exciting time for Angelina Jolie and her children as they enter a space where Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat lived and worked for several years.

The interior features 6,600 square feet of space across three floors. The exterior of the building is adorned in street art, and Jolie will keep it that way as a public tribute to Basquiat. who started his career as one half of the graffiti art duo SAMO.

More Basquiat News

In Los Angeles, the show “JEAN-MICHEL-BASQUIAT: KING PLEASURE©” has been extended through October 15, 2023. Location is 100 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, Ca 90012. Self Parking is located between W. 2nd Street and W. 1st Street on S. Olive Street.

At the same time, in Paris the Jean-Michel Basquiat x Andy Warhol exhibit, organized by the Louis Vuitton Foundation, runs through August 28, 2023.

Louis Vuitton 'Deep Time' High Jewelry Ode to Earthly Evolution with Ana De Armas
Louis Vuitton 'Deep Time' High Jewelry Ode to Earthly Evolution with Ana De Armas

Louis Vuitton revealed the fifth creative session of the Maison’s high jewelry collection called ‘Deep Time’, choosing the Odeon of Herodes Atticus under the Acropolis, one of the oldest open-air theatres in the world for the presentation.

Louis Vuitton Ambassador Ana De Armas is photographed wearing select pieces from Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Watches and Jewelry Francesca Amfitheatrof’s ‘Deep Time’ collection.

Probing the evolution of the Earth and the history of our planet for millions of years before the first spark of life joined unmined geological riches, Francesca Amfitheatrof weaves geographical, philosophical and mythological references into each magnificent piece of ‘Deep Time’ high jewelry.

In fact, on Thursday, writing about a fashion story with Jessica Stam in Vogue Greece set in Santorini — but not knowing until now that Stam is wearing ‘Deep Time’ necklaces on two covers — Lulu took us on a historic tour of the volcano that erupted in Santorini and wiped parts of pre-historic Greece and also late Minoan civilization off the face of the Earth for hundreds of years.