Ethan James Green Flashes An Eccentric, Big Street-Cred Cast For Helmut Lang Fall 2017

/

Ethan James Green Flashes An Eccentric, Big Street-Cred Cast For Helmut Lang Fall 2017

In Spring 2017 Helmut Lang's CEO Andrew Rosen announced that the brand was in a state of transformation. Rosen did not tap a permanent creative director, turning instead to Isabella Burley, editor-in-chief of London's Dazed magazine, to become Helmut Lang's first editor-in-residence, with a focus on revamping the Helmut Lang digital footprint.

In advance of New York Fashion week -- more than a month out -- it's not clothes that will give us an eye to the forward vision of Helmut Lang. The Fall/Winter 2018 ad campaign marks the beginning of the brand's 'reset'.

Shot by the talented Ethan James Green, the cast of characters includes Alek Wek, former porn star Traci Lords, transgender model Dara, the artist and director Larry Clark, and Amariyanna Copeny -- aka Mari Copeny --, a 10-year-old better know as "Little Miss Flint," who has served as the face of the Flint, Michigan water crisis. 

Isabelle Burley's first creative design pick Shayne Oliver, designer behind Hood by Air, created a special collection of ready-to-wear plus accessories, that will debut in September. Oliver, too, is in the ad campaign. Stylist Melanie Ward, a Helmut Lang 'original', appears with her brother and Anthony Ward. This fresh cast of characters strategy also includes Kembra Pfahler, Unlocking The Truth, Yoshi, Alanie Quinones, Aurel Haize, Grace Gee, Ian Isiah, Gogo Graham and Sohyun Jun.

The artistic result is a memorable cast of progressive thinkers, creative icons and a wide-range of talent that underscores not only brand identity in the digital age, but a much larger expansion of fashion's wings in the age of Trump.

When all the values held to be dear by the fashion industry are under assault, it's time for fashion to get street-smart and involved. Forget whether the season's color is pink or blue. The larger question is who are you as a brand? Are you with us or not? #RESIST! ~ Anne

Bagging Big Party, Father Honors Daughter's Wedding With Houses for India's Homeless

/

A wealthy Indian businessman had intended to celebrate his daughter's wedding with an extravagant party for which he had saved for years. But then a better idea came to fruition.

Instead of paying for the marriage ceremony, Ajay Munot, a cloth and wheat trader based in the Aurangabad district of eastern India, spent the Rs 7 million to 8 million he had saved for the wedding on building homes for the poor, the Free Press Journal reports.

Munot's wedding savings, worth around £93,000, were spent on constructing 90 houses on two acres of land. Each home was 240 square feet, had two windows and doors and had access to filtered drinking water. To insure success, the businessman carefully selected the residents of the new homes under three conditions: they needed to be poor, living in a slum and not suffering from an addiction.

The bride and groom are deeply honored by this long-lasting gift in their honor. via Elle UK

 

How Does Annie Chen's Conspicuous Consumption Fly In Cuba?

/

Annie Chen Is Drenched In Conspicuous Consumption For Vogue Taiwan June 2016

AOC has long explored consumer attitudes around consumption with a focus on three major groups: the Traditionals, the Moderns and the Cultural Creatives. Now, more than ever, the world of luxury is being challenged for its values around shopping and piling up more 'stuff'. Conversations around inequality are paramount and also supply-chain economics: ex, why do cocoa farmers make pennies harvesting the key ingredient in truffles and can cost $5 for one small bite.
Author Stephan Rabimov's new book 'Real Luxury' makes the case-- it's the case for Cultural Creative values -- that "luxury brands can best save themselves by saving the world." And don't use the term 'sustainable luxury'. Pinkhasov hates this term for two reasons:
These questions are in the news after Chanel's drop-down in Cuba for the resort collections. 

Do You Know Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type? How Does It Effect Values, Consumption & Political Beliefs?

/

Do You Know Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type? How Does It Effect Values, Consumption & Political Beliefs?

We’re just loving all the graphics coming out of MyModernMet, a favorite stop on our hunt for infographics. Most appear in our Global View Channel. In America, career paths are determined by one’s Myers-Briggs type — the first test I took at Victoria’s Secret.

In the next day or two, I’ll tie back these infographics to key attributes of the Smart Sensuality woman and a very influential and growing group of people worldwide called Cultural Creatives.

While I write a new article, you can digest where I’m going with these past AOC articles, in which my own knowledge and understanding of the Myers-Briggs system influences my interpretations of human and consumer behavior. Enjoy!! ~ Anne

PS: I’ll not publish my own Myers-Briggs type, because having readers guess it could be a great relaunch event for our new GlamTribale collection coming soon. Note that it has remained amazingly consistent over three decades and three tests. It may  be time to take it again, however. Just sayin’ …

Marloes Horst & Will Davidson Make Cultural Creative Wisdom

/

Marloes Horst & Will Davidson Make Cultural Creative Wisdom

Marloes Horst and Will Davidson have delivered one of the most stunning editorials I’ve seen in a long time — and the first we will double post in our new Apple Valley nature, ethics, sustainability, slow living, and values channel — aka home to Cultural Creatives, who are Smart Sensuality women in many cases but in others, they are people who really aren’t into style.

I built the Smart Sensuality concept in my consulting business out of data that studies the intersections of these values subsets. (Read more)

I can hear the pc crowd screaming already, but this editorial is so exquisitely expressive of true sensuality, simplicity, concern for nature and human intimacy. Wow! Stylist Jillian Davison, Marloes and Will have produced a visual feast for the eye, heart and mind with ‘Wanderlust’ for Harper’s Bazaar Australia’s March 2012 issue.

Shakira: Brainiac Smart Sensuality Activist with Curves

/

Shakira: Brainiac Smart Sensuality Activist with Curves

One of our most important AOC articles took off yesterday, moving into the top 5 after a hiatus. Originally written in 2009 when Shakira’s ‘She Wolf’ video hit the charts, Anne explains much of her philosophy about the Smart Sensuality woman: smart and sexy with heart.

Shakira | Permanently Committed to A Better World

Like their sexy gal pal, the Smarty Pants guys are concerned about the real issues of our times. Only powerful thinking and strong alliances will save the planet from the devastating effects of global poverty, women’s subjugation, lack of childhood education and environmental catastrophe.

With Howard Buffett and Carlos Slim Helu on her side, Shakira is cruising in her determined crusade to change the world.