May 2023 Analysis: Brands, Trends, Values, Style, Activism, Interviews
/ Anne Enke
Featured
Miu Miu new fragrance Fleur de Lait Eau de Parfum, a floral-fruity scent, is inspired by the iconic Asian dessert Mango Pomelo Sago — a memory I have of Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel.
The campaign uses the notes of the fragrance itself to create a visual recipe for Mango Pomelo Sago and the joy of making it in the kitchen with dear friends. It’s the nose of the human wearing it, as well as the fragrance itself that recreates the joyful memories, emotions and — in this case — pleasurable associations.
Honoring the spirit of poets of the Tang Dynasty and the numerous references to Proust generated by the Miu Miu campaign, AOC shares a 2020 Harvard panel discussion “What the Nose Knows: the science of smell and how scent, emotion, and memory are intertwined — and exploited.”
Supermodel Gigi Hadid fronts a new campaign breaking Thursday for Miu Miu’s matelassé in two styles — the already-iconic Wander, and the newly-debuted Arcadie — lensed by Steven Meisel. [The photographer now has a very quiet Official IG page posting older images.]
For the first time — after taking a huge leap on Lyst’s hottest brands list in 2022, over their mini skirt — Miu Miu has the second place position. Mothership Prada has the top slot in first quarter 2023, after replacing Gucci in fourth quarter 2022.
The Wander [pouch] and the newly debuted Arcadie [rectangle] style in the signature matelassé series offer great promise to become new “pillars” of the Miu Miu bag category, following the iconic history of Miu Miu’s Pocket.
Beloved powerhouse designer with the jet set Donatella Versace chose a sprawling villa overlooking the French Riviera to showcase her ‘La Vacanza’ summer getaways and pre-fall 2023 collection. Château de la Croix des Gardes famously hosted the masquerade ball in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 thriller To Catch a Thief.
The debut was intense, given the influence of pop star Dua Lipa, who co-designed the collection laden with so many butterflies that the see-now-buy-now collaboration could have taken flight at a moment’s notice.
Butterflies Galore
All those polka dots are symbols of one of humans most beloved motifs. Butterflies have been a symbol of transformation, hope and faith for thousands of years. Add the models walking along an infinity pool and all say it was one of the most breathtaking fashion shows in many years.
Dua Lipa addressed the butterflies, specifically, saying they are a great symbol of freedom for her.
Frequent Versace photographer Carlijn Jacobs [IG] was on hand to capture the endless magic of a perfect May evening in Cannes, France, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Jacobs also shot the advertising photography with Dua Lipa featured here, with styling by Jacob K.
Fresh off Marni Creative Director Francesco Risso’s collaboration with Erykah Badu and Vogue’s March 2023 deep dive into the twosome, AOC turns our focus to another Marni Jam series Marni x No Vacancy Inn.
Both collabs are on Marni’s Instagram now, but we will also pull them in their entirety onto AOC for archiving. Forgive me, but Virgil Abloh is on full blast today, and is probably just driving my brain and I’m along for the ride.
AOC may not be hip, but I am chill, so it all works out.
In the same spirit of low-tech, color-saturated Ghana-inspired images, Marni x No Vacancy Inn rolls in with campaign images shot in Accra, Ghana by Derrick Ofosu Boateng [IG], who calls himself “a Ghanaian photographic hueism artist and designer.’
Like Prince Gyasi, Boateng is shooting with an iPhone and then whipping up his techno-colored image souffle.
In Spring 2021, AOC made a mistake, not posting this summarized archive Naomi Campbell by Prince Gyasi post that controls all the tags into our complex system of Models and Photographers Archives into their summary pages.
Bad Anne!!!!
Mistakes happen, but this was was a big miss, given AOC’s commitment to all matters related to Africa and Africa-connected creatives, history and also political issues.
Naomi’s Madame Figaro narrative references the ALÁRA Lagos Africa luxury concept store [IG], designed by the pre-eminent architect David Adjaye, who describes his vision for West Africa’s first signature and lifestyle store.
There is no debate that in 2023 Adjaye and associates is one of the most influential architectural firms across the world.
Naomi’s Madame Figaro photographer Prince Gyasi doesn’t have a strong presence in fashion photography but the artist’s Instagram is a big wow!
Gyasi shoots on his iPhone and is very color-driven — as is AOC.
When we first wrote in 2020 about the LVMH plans for a Cheval Blanc Hotel in Beverly Hills, it seemed to be on cruise control, a fait accompli. Now the fight is all but over and LVMH conceded probable defeat on Friday.
Labor union Unite Here Local 11 and a local residents group garnered enough signatures to put two referenda on the ballot in Beverly Hills that would ask voters to overturn the City Council’s approval of the Cheval Blanc hotel and the development agreement for the project in September 2022. They got signatures from 10% of Beverly Hills voters which triggered a vote to override the City Council’s approval.
"Although some votes remain to be counted, it now appears that Measures B and C have fallen short by a narrow margin, overturning the results of a comprehensive, years-long review and approval process," said Jessica Miller, a LVMH spokesperson. "We are proud to have worked with so many residents, civic leaders and business owners who supported this once-in-a-generation investment that would have delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in city funding and a beautiful gateway project for the Golden Triangle. If the final vote count confirms the voters' rejection of our project, we will respect the outcome, and will not bring the hotel project back in any form."
Late in 2022, Serena Williams launched her wellness brand ‘Will Perform’, with an initial focus on recovery essentials for pain relief and sore muscles. The clean, cruelty-free, topical pain relief and daily muscle-care solutions are designed to reimagine recovery from demanding exercise routines.
Today Serena and her tribe are headed to 3000 individually-selected Walmart stores with an offering of three key products also available at Walmart’s online platform. These products include the “Will Relieve Lidocaine Pain Relief Roll-On“, and the “Will Relieve Lidocaine Pain Relief Spray“, both priced at $13, along with the “Will Rest Nightly Muscle Recovery Lotion“, which is also priced at $13.
“Recovery has played an integral role in my performance and professional success. It’s a practice that can benefit anyone with an active lifestyle. That belief is what inspired us to develop a line of products that targets your muscles and can be incorporated into your daily self-care routine,” Williams said in a written statement.
Chloé’s Gabriela Hearst has two earth-friendly collaborations in play this summer. In this post, AOC focuses on the Chloé x Eres Summer 2023 Collection.
These images were shot by Leigh Johnson [IG] at Tenerife, Canary Islands. Models include Athena Wilson, Giedre Dukaiskaite and Mercy [Pophouse].
Creative Director Gabriela Hearst sought to create swimwear with the highest savoir-faire and instinctively chose to collaborate with Eres and the brand’s Creative Director Marie-Paule Minchelli.
When my new IA assistant Lulu spit out “Crafted with innovative second skin material Peau Douce from castor oil-based polyamide, Peau Douce boasts elasticity, resistance, shape retention and comfort characteristics for maximum summer fun,” my reaction was a big wow!
Note that I prompted Lulu to address the sustainability of Peau Douce, because I was skeptical.
Castor oil, which is obtained from a plant that is not used as human or animal food, was first marketed in 2009 as an alternative to petroleum-based fabrics.
"We will use only curated quality vintage material and deadstock," Jolie wrote under her Instagram post, which revealed a rustic brand logo [see collage] designed by Peter Miles, an art director who has collaborated with such fashion brands as Celine, Gabriela Hearst and Repossi. "You will be able to repair or upcycle a piece from your closet you wish to revive, perfecting fit, breathing new life into what could have been thrown away, and creating quality heirloom garments with personal meaning."
Speaking personally, Anne thinks Jolie will get help from women like Gabriela Hearst and Maria Grazia Chiuri. She has deep roots into the luxury brands community — brands with excellent deadstock. Jolie wears Gabriela Hearst frequently. And don’t forget Stella McCartney, who two years ago was in charge of deadstock across all the LVMH divisions. The only one not in the LVMH fold now is Hearst.
Oh please, I love this!!
LVMH Luxury Ventures, the fund created to assist young and promising brands, acquired in 2019 a minority percentage of Gabriela Hearst. The investment of the French conglomerate will allow the brand to develop all over the world. I just checked, and that investment remains on May 18, 2023.
Prada CEO Andrea Guerra was smiling last week, flying high on the wings of Prada’s first 1 billion euros revenue quarter in history. “The brand is agile with drops and novelties but also a patient developer of iconic products that are paying off well,” Guerra said in a press announcement.
A prime example of Prada’s iconic products is the Galleria bag, designed and produced in 2007, and named for Miuccia Prada’s grandfather’s first shop in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
The Galleria is beloved because of its signature Saffiano leather. Defined by its loosely crosshatched texture, Saffiano is the product of a patented, hot-pressing process that renders the calf leather scratch- and water-resistant and ready for a long and properous life.
The importance of reimagination is a key component to success in today's fast-changing, visually-dominated global fashion culture. This concept lies at the heart of Prada’s Summer 2023 ‘The Glass Age’ Campaign celebrating Prada’s iconic Galleria handbag.
Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson and Venezuelan-American conceptual artist Alex Da Corte collaborate on an unconventional examination of how the Galleria uses the power of color and modern art to connect us to Johansson as both herself and the bag in full emotional color.
“I want to explore what contemporary essentials are, from denim to eveningwear,” designer and creative director Maximilian Davis said about his Ferragamo 2023 Pre-Fall Collection. “To take classic pieces in the everyday wardrobe and twist or subvert them with textures and materials that make them feel more modern, more playful and more unexpected.”
Yes, former president Ronald Reagan absolutely advanced Hollywood as having a western soul but with glamour.
South Coast Plaza is the largest luxury shopping destination on the West Coast and an updated Ferragamo boutique resides there — in Republican country. Also, don’t think that Beverly Hills, where Davis went to present a small, spring 2023 capsule ‘The New Dawn’ collection for 17 stores before the holidays, doesn’t have major Republican donors.
Then we have the Silicon Valley technocrats, often political independents and libertarians. They should love the rich modernity in Davis’ Pre-Fall 2023 Ferragamo.
Exquisite quality has defined Loro Piana’s luxury brand DNA for six generations, anchored by its commitment to vertically-integrated manufacturing.
The Italian brand’s 2023 Resort [summer] collection is a summary of a brand DNA platform that’s among the most inspiring in the world of luxury fashion.
Linen, in crêpe or in Loro Piana’s exclusive Solaire fabric, is used abundantly for resort, as is silk georgette. Prints reflect ancient, global trade routes in and around the Mediterranean. Clients embrace the reality that a print might appear to be Moroccan-inspired . . . no, no it’s from India . . . no, no it feels more like today’s Marseilles.
Recent discoveries in Egypt suggest that Indian trade routes back and forth were as prolific as the famous Silk Road trade route. The world was not sleeping 10,000 years ago, waiting for the rise of whites-dominated business savvy. The true historical story of global commerce is far more eclectic and interesting.
Massimo Dutti shares its summer getaway collection “Sul Mare” with a focus on surface interest fabrics like raffia and crochet and angular cuts. The sophisticated collection modeled by Nikki McGuire is heavy with a rough elegance vibe through its use of natural fabrics including linen.
Styled by Delphine Danhier, the collection is photographed by Misha Taylor [IG], who captures the watery tie-dye prints and classic stripes.
Focus on Linen
Linen is both linen as we know it [which is better than most fabrics] but also 100% European grown linen. This linen is grown without artificial watering and no GMO seeds and defoliants are used. It is produced in Western Europe and complies with the EUROPEAN FLAX® standard of the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC). Also this item is made in Portugal.
Calling Out Ramie
Massimo Dutti is also using ramie, an eco friendly fabric and the highly sustainable fiber, that is airy and beautiful. Ramie is made from the stalks of flowers and plants and is a chic vegan silk alternative or very lightweight linen which is lighter and airier, while obviously tailoring well.
Actually, I just did a ramie search on MD, and all these items are made with the fiber. It appears that most or all of the Massimo Dutti ramie products are also made in Portugal, which has a better chance of eco-friendly dye processes and positive worker welfare.
Supermodel Kendall Jenner wears Miu Miu favorites styled by Max Pearmain and Miuccia Prada in this fashion story lensed by Alasdair McLellan [IG].
Read W Magazine for all the vintage Miu Miu fashions and also an interview with Eric Wilson titled “Miuccia Prada Talks 30 Years of Miu Miu, Her Greatest Experiment.”
Mrs. Prada is troubled with the idea of presenting post-pandemic fashion as a form of “escapism or entertainment during difficult times”.
“I really don’t like this idea that ‘Fashion is a dream,’ ” Prada says. “First of all, if I have a dream, I want to achieve it, so it’s an objective or a direction. Something that has a strange beauty of who-knows-what-it-is, I really detest.”
In 2002, the movie “Blue Crush” depicted women competing at Hawaii’s Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu. In reality, very few women surfed the seven-mile mecca. Surfer Keala Kennelly was one for-real woman surfer, who joined the “Blue Crush” movie with an understanding that if you can’t see it, you can’t be it.
Actor Kate Bosworth was also in “Blue Crush” played Annemarie Chadwick, a native of Oahu’s North Shore, training to compete in Hawaii’s Pipe Masters, a surfing competition where “you don’t just get worked—you die.”
That descriptor comes from Vogue, who also got clever in writing about Bosworth’s new “Blue Crush” style collab with ROXIE, the women’s surf brand that is credited for designing the first women’s board shorts in 1990.
“Blue Crush” was a movie about the future — 20 years into the future — and that future is now.
An Equity Drive for Women Surfers That Took Half a Century
Surfing has long been associated with hyper-masculinity; now changes are finally underway decades later in gender equity policies within its ranks.
British luxury house Burberry unveiled its Summer 2023 Swimwear Collection channeling the brand’s signature code of adventure.
It was Jacqueline Dillemman - a buyer in Burberry’s Paris store, who had a flash of inspiration in 1967, while preparing a presentation for the British ambassador Sir Patrick Reilley.
Dillemman removed [cut out] the check lining from a coat lining and wrapped it around luggage and an umbrella. Voilà. The Burberry Check was reborn for today’s world.
There’s zero politics that I see in the campaign. But there’s much about the ‘60s and early ‘70s that did embrace a revolutionary optimism among open-minded young people worldwide.
This early concept of the global citizen was not universally shared in America or Britain or in most countries of the world. But the idea took root in the minds of millions of young people, who never dreamed that it would be so difficult to get to the promised land 60+ years later. ~ Anne
The LVMH brands collaboration with the NBA takes another bow this morning as Moët & Chandon taps streetwear designer Don C for a capsule dropping today, May 8, 2023.
Moët & Chandon is the official Champagne of the NBA and the brand has a rich modern history working with the sports francise and the culture that surrounds it.
Chicago’s own Don C [IG] understands that “the fusion of sports and luxury is here now, and it's here to stay." The drop consists of a custom-designed Moët & Chandon champagne bottle and a hoodie.
Italian luxury brand Gucci unveils its latest fine jewelry 'Link to Love' campaign with a focus on self-expression and individualism but through connection.
The ‘Link to Love’ collection’s signature octagonal shape channels religious symbolism worldwide. Octagrams formed from overlapping squares often emphasize duality: yin and yang, male and female, spiritual and material, while having a major place in global religions from Christianity to Hindualism, including also a significant place in Jewish mysticism.
This symbolism seems particularly relevent to Gucci’s embrace of a modern, androgynous, sleek design in the ‘Link to Love’ campaign. AOC just discovered major ties to the earliest deities — a transition period between goddesses were worshipped exclusively and patriarchy where God is male and women got the boot.
For example, Old Kingdom Egyptians recognized a group of eight deities, four male and four female, with the female bearing feminine forms of the male names: Nu, Nanet, Amun, Amunet, Kuk, Kauket, Huh, and Hauhet.
Saint Laurent, the renowned French Maison, has recently unveiled its first-ever fine jewelry collection. Look at those ladybug nails!!!
Though jewelry accessories have always been part of the seasonal YSL collections, "Saint Laurent Haute Joaillerie" is the first to source fine metals.
The campaign for Saint Laurent's debut jewelry line artfully juxtaposes the elegance of the pieces with the re-potting of a plant, as seen in the campaign photos by Juergen Teller.
People abuse the word ‘chic’ today, and I rarely use it, but this collection is unadulterated French chic to the max. It’s fabulous!
Okay, AOC friends. Tell me this isn’t kismet!!!!!!
Florence Pugh, the talented English actress known for her roles in ‘Midsommar’, ‘Little Women’, and ‘A Good Person’, is the new face of luxury Italian fashion brand Valentino. The 27-year-old actor stars in a new campaign lensed by Steven Meisel called "An Encyclopaedia Of Feelings.”
Pugh showcases a range of emotions while posing with Valentino Garavani Rockstud23 bag, styled by Joe McKenna.
Piccioli chose Pugh as the new Valentino DI.VA (DI.fferent VA.lues) ambassador because of her authenticity, vulnerability, and fearless self-expression both on and off-camera. This collaboration is about sharing values and standing for the same things, rather than just focusing on aesthetics or numbers of social media followers.
AOC has written about the growing importance of a brand’s values for years now. In a recent discussion about Valentino, we spoke about the HENRYS with Heart: Luxury Brands Selling Democratic Values [[High-Earners-Not–Rich-Yet].
Valentino Vintage, an initiative by the luxury fashion house Valentino [IG], has expanded its presence by partnering with vintage stores in seven cities around the world, including London, Milan, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, and New York. This innovative program allows customers to exchange their pre-loved Valentino garments for vouchers that can be used to purchase new items from the brand, extending the life cycle of luxury fashion.
Each participating vintage store was carefully selected based on its unique identity and cultural relevance within its respective city. For instance, London's Rellik, which opened in 1999, was chosen for its collection of vintage 1960s garments. The updated program now features a variety of Valentino's famous archival apparel in these partner stores.
Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, BFC 2022 Designer of the Year
The goal of ‘democratizing fashion’ in the luxury market is sincere at Valentino from all we know. AOC focused on Valentino’s brand values and how they fit in with the HENRYS: [High-Earners-Not–Rich-Yet] in a recent April 2023 post.
Sharing these fabulous images of Winnie Harlow lensed by Daniella Midenge [IG] at California’s Joshua Tree National Park, Winnie is just the most beautiful, articulate, focused and inspiring warrior-woman, love goddess on our precious Earth.
It’s a challenge to do her justice with words, although Jeannine Amber does a great job of explaining Winnie’s impact on the general population in her Women’s Health April 2023 interview Winnie Harlow Wants To Be More Than Just Your Role Model. Amber and Winnie go deep into how she maintains her extraordinal physique and warm spirit.
Between Daniella’s unique persona as a photographer/model and Winnie in all her glory, we’re damn lucky this duo and their team didn’t cause a major earthquake in the desert.
I hope Winnie won’t be cross with me for saying this, but when I saw her images, I thought they were primordial. We know that humans lived in Joshua well over 15,000 years ago — a group of hunter-gathers known as the Pinto Culture. The park's oldest rocks, Pinto Gneiss among them, are 1.7 billion years old.
