September 2023 Brand Analysis & News: Polo Ralph Lauren, Bruno Cucinelli the Philosopher Humanist, Burberry Pop-Ups
/ Anne Enke
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As an American — and long before I launched Anne of Carversville in 2007 — Ralph Lauren represented the American dream to me. Lauren has successfully woven America’s stories into the very fabric of his brand, creating a unique narrative like no other American designer.
Today, an older, wiser, and a more empathetic Ralph Lauren stands at the crossroads of American democracy. In the same moment, I am pouring over the details of American history on a daily basis and grabbing every creative opportunity to talk about them.
When you put Polo Ralph Lauren together with Richard Phibbs [IG] as photographer, Anne’s day is derailed as I decide what to write. Poor Phibbs. He always inspires deep thinking at AOC.
AOC totally supports taking some liberties with campaign visuals, but I also sense an obligation for AOC to share facts of history along the way. Ralph Lauren has mastered this art of visual inclusivity and Richard Phibbs has some of the keenest instincts I know about when taking this path of “how history could have been if only there were more of us and fewer of them.”
Massimo Dutti chooses Villa Cavrois as the site of its Limited Edition Fall-Winter 2023 Collection campaign.
AOC isn’t prepared to make the case for the influence of Italian futurism in the campaign. But the film supporting the Massimo Dutti campaign with models Rebecca Leigh Longendyke, Ji Shun, Ylang Messenguiral, and Cyrielle Lalande has a very self-absorbed intellectualism.
Colin Dodgson [IG] is the photographer, with film direction by MartinSalvador Studio [IG].
This campaign is fascinatingly well done in AOC’s opinion. I’ll be thinking about it. ~ Anne
Brunello Cucinelli is luxury fashion’s philosopher king, a practioner of slow fashion, quiet luxury, stealth wealth — multiple words that describe the Spring 2024 collection that emerged from the medieval Italian town of Solomeo from humanism’s bright north star.
The most important words may be Italian humanist luxury values. Cucinelli is driven by humanism, which is not a top priority among brands.
This ‘daring’ fashion story featuring model Madison Headrick is presumably heavily-funded by Tiffany, and absolutely approved by them. They have worked together previously, but this collaboration devoted to the Tiffany Lock and Tiffany Knot collections is pure brilliance. Anne will explain.
The arrival of Hector Muelas at Tiffany & Co this week, and now this very racy, divinely-sensual Madison Headrick fashion story lensed by David Roemer [IG] reaffirms my understanding of a top-level LVMH strategy in marketing to a progressive, younger, monied clientele.
My point in is not to compare Headrick Nahmad to Richie Grainge. Both young women are successful on their own.
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.
Hector Muelas is now Chief Brand Creative Director of Tiffany & Co.
Muelas arrives at Tiffany & Co with a storied resume that includes positions at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Rimowa, Apple, Creative Artists Agency, Donna Karan International, Vice Media and more. Muelas joined Expedia Group as senior vice president of global marketing and creative in 2021.
At Rimowa, Muelas held the same title of Chief Brand Creative Director and would have worked with Alexandre Arnault, who was CEO of Rimowa at age 28. The youngest Arnault — and a prodigious business talent — is now Executive Vice President of Product and Communications at Tiffany & Co.
The field of Burberry winter 2023 purple roses popping into the first floor of Seoul’s Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch is a feast for our psilocybin-loving eyes.
This new Burberry pop-up in Seoul is sophisticated, charming in a totally-modern way and also a reflection of ‘restrained psychedelic design’. There is nothing ‘flashy’ about the visual design. It beckons us, however to explore the shop — which is a key attribute of a successful pop-up.
‘Restrained Psychedelic Design’
Magic mushrooms inspired profound introspection and spiritual connections long before the rise of monotheism.
In a world where psilocybin use is coming at us in a profound and urgent way — after a Nixon-administration 50-year ban — my reaction to the Burberry purple roses display was instantaneous.
My memory was transported to my own use of psilocybin and a dark night walk I took, eventually sitting down next to a flower bed on my own lawn.
Etro reveals its Fall Winter 2023 Men and Women’s Advertising Campaign shot 1700 miles north of Italy in Inverness, Scotland. Etro’s Creative Director Marco De Vincenzo creates a dreamlike vision that is softly romantic and soothing — but also environmentally-aware in a humanist sense.
Featuring Argentina-Belgium model Nathaniël Ortiz and Israeli Sun Mizrahi, they are at one with nature and specifically water. The mood is one of great serenity and we can hear the soft ripples of the water — but there is also a disruptive undercurrent in both the images and the film.
Stellar photographer Zhong Lin [IG] is known for creating images that are both dreamy and simultaneously unsettling. Her January 2022 fashion story for Vogue Taiwan called ‘Heat Wave’ remains one of AOC’s most read and shared stories.
For the Fall 2023 collection Marco De Vincenzo worked diligently to mine and better understand the irreplaceable Etro archives. He is digging deep until he’s satisfied that he understands the very roots of the Etro vision.
In today’s world, such a search becomes a Radical Vision and the Fall Campaign is called ‘Radical Etro’.
What a superb new Valentino Fall/Winter 2023 Black Tie campaign! It soars sky high in creativity and self-assurance with Kaia Gerber playing a role that defines the very concept of je ne sais quoi.
Kaia’s acting lessons are having huge impact on her self-expression in the last year.
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s vision of luxury for rebellious rule-breaking, smarty-pants fashion lovers with unbridled confidence and positive spirit is unmatched.
Gerber is boss as she struts around Huntington, Long Island’s Oheka Castle. Even the fact that the film is shot in New York and not Europe is a rebellious gesture that succeeds.
There’s so much going on in this film, and yet it does not feel overdone. We don’t lose our way because a confident clarity rules this audacious, beautiful, inspiring Fall 2023 Valentino Black Tie campaign.
Supermodel Bella Hadid returns to the spotlight in Heaven by Marc Jacobs [IG] fall 2023 campaign. The futuristic images with a transmutation undercurrent were lensed by Carlijn Jacobs [IG], with styling by Danielle Emerson.
The Heaven by Marc Jacobs campaign is focused on new ‘Kiki Group’, a group of 2000s-era ready-to-wear and accessories that meld Y2K nostalgia with a dominant futuristic vibe.
Carlijn Jacobs did explore the idea of multiple selves in the recent Kylie Jenner for Acne Studios campaign, as noted by Fashionista. Beyond that fact, the two campaigns are speaking to visually very different imagery and context.
It’s also truth that Carlijn’s images of Kylie are garnering a lot of praise and — let’s see —this one has 2, 951, 012 IG likes. They average 1.2 million.
Many people believe that Jacobs visually amplified Kylie Jenner in a major new way. AOC is in that group.
In-transition luxury house Gucci presents its Fall Winter 2023 campaign featuring Vittoria Ceretti, Aboubakar Konte and Brando Erba, lensed by photographer David Sims [IG].
Alastair McKimm styles the cast with hair by Paul Hanlon and makeup by Thomas De Kluyver. “Brakhage” by Stereolab is the music in the campaign video.
I noted a few months ago that we didn’t even post the new Gucci Valigeria campaign video, thinking it was just a stop along the way of Gucci’s reinvention. But that mistake was AOC’s.
The video is exactly in sync with the Fall 2023 campaign.
Many luxury brands — Louis Vuitton immediately comes to mind, but also Dior — are redefining luxury in more humanist terms. This branding does not prevent exclusive salons for best customers. But our common humanity — or ubuntu — is part of the luxury brand story.
Look at the new RIMOWA campaign, as a good example.
Stockholm-based fashion brand Acne Studios [IG] sees double in its Fall Winter 2023 denim campaign. Put Kylie Jenner [IG] and her 399M IG followers in the campaign mix; hire Dutch photographer and director Carlijn Jacobs [IG], schedule the meet up in Los Angeles and let the good times roll.
Jacobs explains the double-trouble pleasure of having Karlie in the campaign. “The campaign sought to showcase Kylie as a woman who is in control, has love for herself and is unafraid to embrace her desires,” Jacobs said in a statement. “I aimed to celebrate her individuality by doubling her. She loves herself and is not afraid to show it.”
Reading the Acne Studios’ new sustainability report, which includes very specific information on its denim made in Italy, the report says that in FW22, 70% of the 5-pocket denim had 70% low-impact. I just wish that if these fantastic finishes are in the 70%, that someone would tell us in the product info.
Balmain’s [IG] Fall/Winter 2023 campaign borders on momentous. All five models are women of color — for a global luxury brand selling to all women. The five models Akuol Deng Atem, Anyier Anei, Naomi Apajok, Nyaduola Gabriel and Nyakong Chan are all women from war-torn South Sudan.
The creative fusion of Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing [IG] and star photographer Rafael Pavarotti [IG] is sublime. Apparently this is their first outing together.
Multiple people have commented on the visual, intellectual and downright spiritual synergy between Rousteing and Pavarotti, and Anne agrees. ‘Spiritual’ synchronocity is me alone, but several people I respect are wowed here by the collaboration of the two mega talents.
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