Giving Swarovski a Whole New Shine
Having just taken over as creative director of Swarovski, Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert wanted to totally change the perception of the brand. After casting Julia Garner, we filmed a hero video that showed her character reimagining her life after putting on various pieces of Swarovski jewelry.
Drumroll, please. Suddenly, you’re shimmying through Midtown in a pair of classic clip-on earrings, trés ladies-who-lunch but with a pop of punkish purple for a twist. Where’s that yellow taxi taking you, babe? Perhaps you’d like to dance on tables in your illusion choker—the kind of versatile item a daring gal can wear with a T-shirt or a gold Grecian gown. A snap of the fingers—now you’re queen of the night, sashaying down hotel hallways with Swarovski’s tiara-like Stella headband perched on your royal head. The world is your stage.
If Burberry Were An Animal…
Burberry needed help reaching American customers with their new ethos. Specifically, personifying the themes within the collection in a way that felt cool and authentic. We cast an array of “real” people with strong social followings and truly singular fashion POVs to answer the question, “If you were an animal what animal would you be?” (This was loosely inspired by a popular British parlor game.)
When Burberry’s Riccardo Tisci decided to introduce a new animal kingdom-inspired house code for the Spring 2020 Collection, he turned to none other than Thomas Burberry—the man who founded the quintessentially British brand back in 1856. It was he who originally chose the charging horse as the house’s emblem, and chose a unicorn to symbolize his own family. In Mr. Burberry, Tisci found the perfect entry point through which to layer his own youth-quake-inflected, animalistic aesthetic. Specifically it was Mr. Burberry’s Victorian era—the ideas and interests of the times, including a particular fascination with the animal kingdom—that dovetailed with Tisci’s own long-standing interest in the people and peccadillos of Queen Victoria’s reign.
A Color Diary for
The Color Collection
By Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs’ vibrant new casual accessory and apparel collection calls to mind the vibrant palette of the city that never sleeps.
These days, every outing—no matter how magnificent or mundane—seems to have the lush charm of an old Technicolor film. Naturally, this moveable feast for the eyes has made getting dressed a more colorful affair as well. Enter The Color Collection by Marc Jacobs, which combines vivid hues with casual cuts for everything from adding a splash of color to tackling full-on tonal dressing. For a glimpse of just how easily the rainbow of city life can come into focus if you know where to look, read on for a diary of NYC comings and goings in living color.
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I’m running late for lunch at Tavern on the Green and maybe it’s just the name of the restaurant ringing in my head, but every corner of the city is looking particularly verdant—from the moss-covered walls and cracked paint on the benches along Central Park West to the jewel-toned velvet banquettes that I slide into, apologetic and sweaty with my aloe-hued Marc Jacobs tote bag in tow. Over spring pea and bacon risotto, the conversation turns to the subject of aura photos and before you know it, we’re wandering through Chinatown in search of Magic Jewelry to get a reading. On Centre Street, a viridescent door beckons to us—of course, our auras show up green, too. Daylight lasts longer these days, so I ride down to my companion’s subway stop just for the opportunity to see the sights. Hopping off the F at West 8th Street in Coney Island, the wavy, Lady Liberty-green architecture cuts a striking figure, even at dusk.
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The glory of a summer Friday leaves me with time to spare and nowhere in particular to be, so I settle on an impromptu tour of the city with a focus on all things fun and fancy-free. First up: a visit to Tribeca’s Balloon Saloon, where there’s a display of blushing hues floating happily on West Broadway. Popping in to Barnes & Noble for a fun beach read, it turns out the greeting card aisle is equally abloom with rosy paper goods. Feeling peckish after a long and leisurely walk east, I find I’m in the mood for the pink pancakes at Pietro Nolita—along with its Memphis-inspired pink-on-pink decor. For dessert, there’s only one way to round out the day: a towering serving of fluffy cotton candy and a couple of cupcakes get stashed inside a tote bag that looks like it was made to match.
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The forecast predicts a brilliantly sunny day ahead, which seems to shine especially bright on the lemons at the Canal Street fruit market. Lunch hour calls for dumplings atop the school bus-yellow tables at Wo Hop on Mott Street; afterwards, the cheery exterior of Molly’s Cupcakes acts as the perfect primer for the bakery’s delicious lemonade. After work, the ’70s citrus shades of the subway provide a bit of subterranean cheer before eventually emerging aboveground, where I hop out at the end of the line to catch the sunset over the ocean.
And A Rebranded Nightlife Hotspot
For Marc Jacobs Monogram
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On a crisp evening about a week and a half ago, a tourist couple approached the entrance of Lower East Side hotspot Scarr’s Pizza. It was their last night in the city and for days they had been looking forward to filling up on New York’s most sought after slice. So, you can imagine their dismay at being told the shop was closed for a private event. Luckily they milled about long enough for the Marc Jacobs’ team to jump up from their outdoor-dining booth, and discreetly slip them a few slices quickly fetched from atop the old-fashion counter inside.
Scarr’s has a narrow entrance, so it might have been hard for them or other passers by to see, but beyond that counter a real scene was playing out. As an informal marking of the end of fashion week, Vogue and Marc Jacobs partnered up to throw what can only be described as a pizza party. (Or was it a photoshoot? Maybe let’s say both.) With photographer Tyrell Hampton at the center of the mayhem, characters like Coco Gordon Moore, Deon Hinton, Ella Snyder and Jazzelle lived it up: a Marc Jacobs The Tote swinging here, a pepperoni slice there, and the Marc Jacobs Monogram everywhere.
The fact that these were “invited” guests, most of them pre-dressed and camera ready, somehow took nothing away from the sheer exuberance of the evening—these were respectable hours but the vibe was definitely friends kicking back at the afters. “Eating some of the best pizza in New York, hearing all the tea from my friends, the trials and tribulations of our most recent fashion week endeavors,” raved Ella. It was her kind of night. In fact, according to Scarr’s manager, this was almost no one in attendance’s first time getting lit in the Scarr’s back room. Regulars each and every one, she already knew them all by name, by drink order, by pizza order, and now by bag preference.
Ella carried the American Snapshot, in snorkel blue. As the name might suggest, it’s a handy little pocketbook, about the size you might stuff a camera in, and its multi-color, interchangeable strap recalls that of a throwback point and shoot. Meanwhile, her pal Jazelle toted the tote that’s taken over the world, Marc’s The Americana Small Tote Bag. Between bites of jalapeno pie—“my favorite”—she pretty much owned the night, instigating a full-on runway moment. “We were all just hyping each other up,” she laughed after.
Monogram is of course Marc Jacobs’ runway-inspired exploration of genderless, expressive pieces—capital F fashion silhouettes and materials, but made more inclusive. You can rock it on the street every day (or in the club every night). “You can dress it up or down,” agreed Coco, her J Marc Shoulder Bag in red denim swinging from its chain strap. “Honestly I’m just a big fan of the boxy’ish and oversize look of this jacket.”
Maybe it’s the custom woven Italian denim the pieces are made of (developed for Marc’s Fall 2021 runway collection), or the svelte design of the typefaces, but the Monograms were really popping under Hampton’s rapid fire flashes, set off against the wood paneling of Scarr’s, a sexy sea of blues and grays and bobbing bucket hats.
To those milling about outside, these hijinks and goings on were only hinted at by the occasional strut outside for air. Our aforementioned out of towners couldn’t have cared less though; they pulled aside their benefactor (she too wore Monogram) to express thanks for the pizza. To anyone else who may have had to let a hankering go unsated that night, we deeply apologize, but if it’s any consolation, we left behind a huge stack of limited edition Marc Jacobs + Vogue pizza boxes, so on your next visit to Scarr's maybe you’ll nab one. Feel free to ask for your box on the side as we did—keep it grease free and trophy wall worthy.
Dior 30 Montaigne
How does a modern Dior woman wear the brands pillar 30 Montaigne collection?
In this play on BTS at a photoshoot styleout, Vogue stylist Max Ortega builds eight looks that take the brands permanent collection pieces into cool girl territory.
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Stylist Max Ortega’s 30 Montaigne Mash Up
Dior’s iconic Bar jacket, which turned 74 this year, has been reimagined and re-styled in countless iterations over the years. But when it comes to incorporating it into looks for an editorial shoot, there are still plenty of fresh ideas to explore—especially now that we’re thinking about fashion in such new ways.
“I feel like my approach to fashion is different now. There’s definitely been a shift,” says stylist Max Ortega, who was tasked with styling the Bar jacket for Vogue’s Eight Ways shoot. The styling versatility of the jacket, as well as the other essential items from Dior’s seasonless and permanent 30 Montaigne collection, make them ideal foundations for a wardrobe—especially in moments like the current one when many of us are revamping our closets for our slow returns out into the world. “There’s a youth movement—more skin and a more defined silhouette. Things we weren’t thinking about a couple years ago are suddenly very much at the forefront of how people want to dress now.”
How people want to dress is always at the forefront of Ortega’s mind. The New York-based stylist—who grew up in Mexico and studied in London—mines inspiration from reality as often as the runway. “There’s room for fantasy, but there’s so much more room for practicality and logic,” he says of his approach. “I ask myself, ‘Who is this girl? What would she do in these clothes? Where is she going?’ Then I try to build out a character and a world.”
For this shoot, the character he’s built is playful and fresh—or, as he puts it, “classic with a twist.” To get there, starting with the house’s emblematic Bar jacket was a logical first step. “The jacket is iconic, it’s timeless, it’s snatched—all the clichéd words people use to describe clothes actually apply here,” he says. “It’s the kind of piece that makes me love fashion.”
And it doesn’t hurt that the Bar jacket’s signature wasp-waist silhouette also happens to feel especially current right now. “The women I’ve been talking to in the last six months are really into corsets and this idea of tighter dressing; the Bar jacket has that silhouette already built-in,” Ortega explains. “Knowing that you’re going to get that shape whenever you wear it opens up the possibilities.”
In this case, the possibilities include everything from a suit-inspired culottes-and-sneakers combo to a peek-a-boo bralette look—unfussy options that can be altered with the switch of a bag or the undoing of a few buttons. “The key to the Bar jacket is understanding the power it wields,” Ortega says. “You can throw it on with some pants and get on with your day or you can open it up and make it a little sexier, but either way you’ve got that built-in shape. That’s the beauty of the Bar—you already have what you need.”
Its power translates to more casual looks, too. In one denim mash-up, Ortega references two seemingly disparate genres—’90s hip hop and Ivy League prep—by adding a bralette, a cashmere sweater, pointed flats, and a pair of briefs emblazoned with the words Christian Dior at the waistband to Dior’s boyfriend jeans and an ivory Bar jacket. “Showing the brief’s waistband is such an American notion,” Ortega says. “But adding the Bar jacket, pointy flats, and tying the sweater around her neck keeps it in a Dior-esque world.”
Not that the ever-versatile Bar jacket is the only way to style a pair of boyfriend jeans—or any of the 30 Montaigne pieces, for that matter. In another twist on a classic, Ortega updates a traditional white shirt-and-jeans look (“very American Vogue”) by simply tying another white shirt around the waist. Later, he layers the bralette over that same button-down to create a cinched silhouette. “I like to think about how people are adopting the traditional menswear codes," he says. "Often, as a stylist, you have to think about how items will look when cropped in as a portrait. The bralette adds some romance to the button-down, especially when viewed from the waist up.” Considering how many of our daily interactions take place from the waist-up on Zoom and Instagram, it’s an idea you’d be wise to steal for real life, too.
“It’s a way of layering that works—it doesn’t look forced,” Ortega says when reflecting on the looks he created from the 30 Montaigne pieces. “That’s because these clothes are all in one language. It all makes a lot of sense.” In the final looks, that easy layering becomes even more playful, more defined. An edgy black logo T-shirt finds kinship with a leather mini skirt and a delicate Swiss dot shirt—“an extra bit of texture to bring the T-shirt into a romantic world.” Then a swishy black Swiss dot tulle midi skirt gets teamed with a supersoft cashmere logo sweater. “It’s cool to be able to mix it all together,” Ortega says. “You know, it’s such a fashion cliché, the idea of mixing old with the new; contrasting soft with the hard; pairing leather with lace. But it’s a cliché because it works.”
And making it work is something Ortega doesn’t take lightly. “The process of coming into a room with a rack full of clothes and trying to build out a character can be very different depending on what you’re working on, but this one was really fun. The best part about being in the Vogue closet are these moments: throwing things on and stripping it all down and then building it all back up again,” he says. “When the clothes are good and you’re letting go and enjoying the process, things just happen on their own.”
Polo Loves New York
Over the course of a few months, Polo aimed to really connect its brand identity with that of young, creative, cool New Yorkers. Starting with a piece of simple fashion writing, we then cast Cassi Naomda, Hailey Benton Gates, Mikyako Bellizzi and Sade Lythcott to star in 3 pieces of content.
Coach Quiltie
Influencer campaign with Beverly Nguyen, Frank Ayzenberg & Alessandra Garcia.
Fendi Coats For Fall
A straight forward set of fashion images meant to show the easy wearability of this early Kim Jones for Fendi collection, acting as an accessible (more commercial) counterpoint to the brand campaign.
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In Artistic Director Kim Jones’s debut ready-to-wear womenswear collection, luxurious details and heritage-inspired pieces take center stage, all tailor-made for women of discerning taste.
If fashion can be seen as an everyday armor of sorts, then this season of tentative reopenings and cautiously returning to some semblance of normalcy means that we’re choosing our fall wardrobes more carefully than ever. Selecting pieces that will carry us from the office to lunch dates to dinner parties and back again is at once thrilling and nerve-wracking; our clothing needs to possess a blend of structure and softness, function and form. Enter Fendi’s fall 2021 collection, the first from Artistic Director Kim Jones. Defined as a “palate cleanser” bridging the transition between Silvia Venturini Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld’s storied contributions to the brand and his own work, the description of the collection is also apt when it comes to how we’re thinking of slotting its lush yet versatile offerings into our seasonal style line-up. “I’m taking the amazing, strong women who I both know and work with, and listening to their needs,” Jones says of his spot-on creations. “There’s a usefulness to the collection, explored in a chic, timeless way.”
Inspired by the rich treasury of leather goods within the Fendi archive, the fall 2021 collection is predicated on craftsmanship and a rich spectrum of neutral hues. “Fun isn’t always just about bright colors,” says Jones. “It can be about really luxurious self-indulgence, which pleases the person wearing it more than anyone else.” From the distinctive stitching on the signature Selleria bag to the plush double-face cashmere apparel, the collection’s details aren’t designed to turn heads—though they will—so much as to become soothing elements that act as a protective barrier between you and the rest of the world.
When it comes to Fendi’s coats in particular, that shield-like quality is especially apparent. A key component of getting back into the swing of things is getting from point A to B, and the brand’s outerwear is sure to make every commute and chilly breeze an occasion worth dressing up for. A crisp white oversize shearling jacket is slouchy enough to accompany a thick sweater once temperatures drop, and warm enough to top off an ensemble featuring a woolen bra top. A high-waisted pencil skirt and slick, knee-high boots round out a cozy-chic dinner look, but this coat’s aviator-inspired silhouette is just as suited to elevating a simple, weekend brunch-ready tissue-thin T-shirt and rigid denim.
For getting to and from work this fall, a classic double-breasted topcoat feels refreshed in a blushing pink camel wool with split seams at the sleeves and sides—perfect for folding back to show off a chunky knit and allowing for fluid movement, respectively. The subtly feminine hue is offset by the powder pink leather on the Fendi First bag, a new design that uses the brand’s monogram to serve as the frame and closure mechanism that creates an asymmetrical pochette shape. For those who want to add this bag to their daily go-tos but need something hands-free, a detachable strap turns this sculptural clutch into a stunning shoulder bag.
The elusive pursuit of the perfect camel coat meets its conclusion in the form of an ultra-soft, double-breasted wool caban with leather buttons—a true hero piece that’ll complement just about everything in your closet. We’re looking forward to pulling together head-to-toe earth-toned ensembles like Fendi’s matching cashmere skirt and bra to make a splash when we’re stepping out with the goal of making a statement.
No matter what the months ahead may hold—from everyday excursions to one-of-a-kind outings—we all deserve to drape ourselves in materials and silhouettes that make every day feel like an occasion and are, above all, wearable. Kim Jones’s timeless Fendi creations tick all those boxes for this season and beyond. While we’re excited to see what he does next, there’s no doubt that his heritage-focused debut will have a lasting presence in our wardrobes for years to come.
The Party Collection
Valentino wanted to portray the Alcove bag and their Holiday “Party Collection” in a manner that was a little more punk and sultry than they felt they were normally perceived.
Ultraboost for the Fashion Girlies
Without telling a fashion message per se, adidas aimed to connect it’s latest technical innovations in running footwear to a female audience of creative women—women who weren’t pro runners, but who took running seriously while being movers and shakers in their respective creative fields.
So we asked Christy Turlington,the ultimate do-it-all supermodel turned mom-trepeneur, a simple question, ‘What if you gave up walking and ran everywhere you had to go?’
In support of the Christy Turlington hero video campaign, we worked Vogue, Glamour, Allure, Teen Vogue, and Self to curate 11 influeners to put their own spin on all day running in the UltraBoost.
Featuring Coco Baudel, Alessandra Garcia, Emily Abbate, Annie Greenberg, Gina Danza, Mekdes, Jules Lorenzo, Brenn Lorenzo, Madelynn De Le Rosa, Ann Mazur, and Jacky Hunt Broersma.
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From Rarified to Democratic, the Classic Gucci Handbag Has Been Completely Transformed
At his fall 2020 show, Gucci designer Alessandro Michele reintroduced a beloved piece from the grand house’s past, and did so in precisely the iconoclastic manner we have come to expect from him. Wrought in new materials and new sizes—and meant to be worn by all genders and all styles, we’re talking about the once classic, now of the moment, Jackie Bag of course.
For those who may be unaware, the Jackie first came to prominence in the 1960s, at a time when the singular fashion decisions of a handful of women (often glamorous old-money socialites or political leaders or wives) would instantly ripple out as international trendsetting sensations.
Flashforward to now. We are more focused on holding those in power accountable than aping their dress style—and people we find iconic can be found in all walks of life. In re-elevating the Jackie Bag, Gucci is recognizing that the Jackie of today wouldn’t be a member of the unreachable elite. In fact the Jackie of today isn’t even a single person; they’re an idea, they’re any and all of us. Look around for the spirit and panache of ‘60s high-fashion icons and you’ll find it on the streets of every world city from New York to Beijing, on the social feeds of kids who haven’t yet bought their first Gucci bag (though they’re surely saving up), in the energy that is fighting to make the world a better place, and in the wholly new interpretations of the very idea of fashion in a world newly recognized as non-binary in gender.
In each of the composite images we’ve created here, a different character conjures that original Jackie Bag, but transposes it into their own contemporary scenario. Jackie is a rebellious Brooklyn gallerist, hailing a cab after a night out spent dancing. Jackie is the inscrutable Maitre D’ with style—and attitude—to spare, the one who can barely be bothered to show you to your table, but you don’t care one bit because they’re so fabulous. Jackie is sitting on the front row at the next Gucci show, invited not because of their tony uptown address, but because they’ve made a difference in their community or written poetic words that inspire their generation. Jackie is the performer who’s redefined a genre and found success where the powers that be said there was none to be found.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The point here is that anyone can be iconic; the power to wield out-sized influence has been democratized; and the Jackie Bag reflects this truth. It’s no accident that Sidney Prawatyotin is the artist behind these images. He captures our new world every day with his “Siduations” project, an Instagram feed through which the fashion publicist-turned-creative director conveys bitingly astute cultural commentary in the language of visual irony—by cut and pasting iconic fashion imagery into discordant, statement making backgrounds. We’re in a moment where the rules defining who can wear what are dissolving, and Prawatyotin’s work not only perfectly portrays this, he himself makes for a perfect Jackie.
So when it comes to the new Jackie Bag, let your imagination run wild; let the bag’s storied past and open future inspire you to be you, to dress more as yourself than you ever have before. If a bag like this is about making statements, then Gucci’s new Jackie invites you to write your own manifesto—and yell it from the rooftops. With the new Jackie on your arm, you’re the star of your world, no matter how big or small it may be, and that’s just the way Gucci intends it.
A Gucci It-bag Relaunch
Gucci’s iconic Jackie bag is of course named after the iconic Jackie Kennedy. To the younger generation though, while Jackie Kennedy is perhaps iconic, she doesn’t resonate. So we worked with Instagram star @Siduations (who’s known for creating photoshopped, surreal mashups of fashion personalities) to reinterpret the character of Jackie for the younger generation.
…Made Personal
Campaign extended through emotional storytelling from top industry fashion writers, connecting the Jackie bag to the full Gucci offering.
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The Romance of Milan
Milan. The Jackie bag, reissued from a classic 1961 design, takes me back to my long-awaited first trip there fifteen years ago as a greenhorn fashion writer from the casual Midwest. Milan seemed to me the perfect paradox of restraint and exuberance—a place where a woman could tote a proper purse and still be wild at heart. I studied these women as I sipped bittersweet Negronis at Bar Basso, struck by the way their expressive femininity made traditional codes of dress (silk blouses, gold hardware) seem provocative, even radical. I slipped into reverie while eyeing the leather goods at the vintage shops near the Navigli; who might I be, I wondered, if I moved about the world bearing that culture, that tension between rigor and romance on my shoulder? What was it about the weight of the suede, the glint of the piston closure, that held the promise of a richer emotional life? It’s a mood I still carry with me.
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Laugh. And Laugh Some More
When he was four, my little brother taught himself to read by scouring TV Guide for episodes of Disney’s “Duck Tales.” The show played at the same time I got home from school, and everyday I’d watch with him, feeling his giggles as he snuggled up against me on the sofa. Culture was our medium of communication. In college, he’d mail me tapes of music he recorded on his primitive four-track. Later, he’d send books—Charles Portis was a favorite—and forward memes I barely understood, but LOLed at anyway. The LOL was for his laughter; it was like I could still feel his giggles. His glee was infectious. We took a road trip through the Southwest a few years ago, picking up crystals and oddball souvenirs along the way, and I remember how, as we drove, his laughter seemed to fill the endless desert.
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Warm Cocoa and a Coat
The weather’s turning and I’m forced to wear a coat outside—I can see my nan. Her fragrant hands are knotting me into a sleeve-y blanket right up to my neck so we can go outside. To the park, to run off steam; and then to somewhere that does scones, one of those little tearooms where the jam and cream come separately. She nurses her bagless tea; I wait for the magic moment when my chocolate is still hot but not too hot; our coats are hangered on the backs of our chairs. Nowadays, my coat is armor, my tortoise shell, protecting against the elements en route to dinner with my lover, on a night at the opera with binoculars, or on out-out nights when I lose my keys and my phone and my all-important coat-check ticket. But back in that tearoom, I know nothing of my future life. I am still an unwritten book. I am unfolded origami. We put our coats back on. We’ll be back home in time for Countdown.
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Money Bag
Green is the color of money, but it’s also the color that you can feel in your hands. It’s visceral, and smooth, and a little too bright to look at sometimes. It makes me think of crumpled dollar bills in a purse on a long night out, and pulling out a few for chips at the bodega and then more for drinks at a bar; this purse’s ridged green, next to a chain strap, also makes me think of the communal energy I sense mounting as spring ascends into full momentum. I feel my ambition, and my desires to both be in the world and to master it, all returning — we call it “getting the bag” nowadays. I like to call it remembering my worth. What purse displays that better than this green concoction with enough swagger to show that I’m not playing around?
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To Be Bold Is To Be Born Again
I had spent months alone in Brooklyn, wearing the same comforting clothes again and again until they fit like a second skin. So halfway across the world in Seoul, unpacking my things in a sunlit room, I was surprised, lifting one musty black top after the other, how ill-fitting they seemed. Wandering through the streets, sitting in a cafe. Those once ordinary activities were strange and thrilling. The people around me dressed in a way that I had forgotten and suddenly craved. Jeans without stretch that sat stiff on the hips. Heels that pinched my toes, just a little, after a few minutes walking uphill. A smart leather handbag, cobalt blue and jade green, like the rivers and trees of my homeland. It’s a terrifying feeling, starting over. Yet it’s exhilarating to strip everything away. The thought that even now I could still become someone new.
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The Bold and the Beautiful
What does it mean to be bold at this moment in history? It certainly doesn’t mean being brash and bossy, the loudest voice on the Zoom call. It has to do with a different sort of courage—to speak up, even if your voice is as soft and as it is firm, to fight fearlessly for what’s right, and to bravely flaunt your own highly individual personal style. This Gucci Beloved handbag—cranberry and pink! Tiger head closure! --could be worn of course with a sober suit or a pair of jeans and a tee, but not by me. For me, style has always been about embodying my wildest fantasies and translating them into fashion—a shimmering tutu, a vintage smock, a pair of glittery slippers—and then this scrumptious Gucci confection, dangling from a bold shoulder as I go off to meet the world.