Dusan Jaukovic | Alter Native for Morfium, Jewel of a Brand

Note | Nudity When Dusan Jaukovic contacted me on Thursday with this new set of Morfium images and brief thanks for my understanding of and support for the Morfium brand, I responded that absolutely, I will write about this new series Alter Native featuring Alex. (See earlier images.)

As Morfium expands their range of fashion, iconography and message, I am clear now that probably no brand so represents my own goals around the intersection of Smart Sensuality style, women’s ancient history, and the incessant global drive to control female sexuality.

When I look at Dusan Jaukovic’s magnificent images of Alex — here representing all women and the essence of the complicated cultural and religious terrain that women face worldwide — I am inspired on a deeply personal level.

A brand becomes a fashion warrior — I believe with intention, given Dusan’s comments to me — leaving me feeling that — for once — I have a fashion brand covering my back, a brand I can trust to elevate and express with complete authenticity women’s stories.

Morfium fuses female sensuality and intelligence with perfection, especially now that I see they are not stuck in a single interpretation of style for the season.

The Zen-like bong is gone on Morfium’s website today, but replaced by an equally relevant sound to women’s history and inner psyche. I don’t care that I sound a bit astral (or crazy!) with these comments. I am 100% certain of my words.

In a recent IndieGoGo fundraising campaign for the making of Max Dashu’s ‘Woman Shaman | The Ancients’ film. Max is astounded over not only significantly beating her goal of $7500, going over $10,000. She is shocked and probably quite emotional over the reality that this is the first time in 40 years that she has financial support from strangers for her goal of telling women’s ancient history, and especially before monotheism.

Now I am committed to fundraising for AOC and using our growing influence on behalf of women’s causes. In Thursday, we were at New York’s Foundation Center, getting an interesting education on the resources and opportunities available to us as maverick fashion publishers like Morfium.

Dusan Jaukovic’s images of Alex for Morfium are not only deeply sensual, beautifully erotic, spectacularly lensed — they are inspiring and political for women. For me these gorgeous photographs become a political weapon, a vehicle for helping women see their own beauty and understand that our history is made on a pedestal of beauty and authenticity, and not immorality and an inherited responsibility for the downfall of the human race. That’s a bunch of clever guys talking for centuries.

Beyond Fashionistas

The AOC audience isn’t just women, 18-25, no kids, logging on from work with a love of fashion. Unlike so many style websites that are female dominated, our audience is 35-40% men, depending on the week.

We have our fair share of young fashionista readers, but we have a vastly bigger story to tell, because my interest in fashion is in its message to women, the views of the designer(s) behind the brand, the brand’s relationship to global art and culture, the relationship to consumption patterns generally and the planet in particular.

Many young people want these connections to be part of the world of fashion.

These are also topics of interest to the Smart Sensuality woman, who is growing exponentially in numbers. Gucci understands her particularly well. Make no mistake, this woman has money to spend and at every age. We are alone in having significant style readers in the 35-55 bracket.

Returning to Morfium, I see it as a small jewel of a brand concept. I know nothing of its financial success or distribution network. I only know its marketing and the brand DNA and the clothes. I say they are spot on in understanding the depth of soul, spirit and sensuality that women like me are looking for in a brand.

Morfium has intelligence, heart and a soft seduction involvement with its audience. I’ve liked Dusan Jaukovic’s previous editorial work for Morfium. In the case of Alter Native, I’ve now connected with a broader message and the big picture mission of Morfium. 

I’ve used the term Phoenix Rising to describe what I see as a revitalized women’s movement that has a great nucleus here at Anne of Carversville — and major support among men, who also want to see seismic changes in our world.

As political as we are, I treasured the compliment from a new friend (in high places?) who told me last weekend “Anne, this is the best fashion website out there.” He’s Italian, so of course, he appreciates our approach.

Ours is a battle to the finish for women, and it will heat up dramatically in the coming years. Thank you Dusan and the entire Morfium team for giving us imagery that fortifies us for the good fight, images that helps women in every country of the world — liberal, liberated, conservative and yes — even under burqas — find courage and more importantly, self-respect and self-love. We have many of those women reading us.

I am inspired to be part of a brand that isn’t trying to remold and redefine women into the self-imposed standards of a patriarchal society that knows what’s best for her, including in fashion.

Rather Dusan and the folks at Morfium have gone to the essence of femaleness itself, to the reality of female sexuality and with an expressed understanding of the price that women have paid worldwide for being born female — a gift and a curse at the same time.

That’s one hell of an offering, and I thank Morfium for taking this artistic and commercial risk with a vision that is so right-on and desperately needed. Let me know what more I can do to help this precious concept. Best, Anne