'Superfine' Met Exhibition Catalogue May 2025 Dandy Images by Tyler Mitchell
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Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio's Spirit Surely Enjoyed the Chanel Show at His Villa d'Este
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Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio's Spirit Surely Enjoyed the Chanel Show at His Villa d'Este
The Cardinal who originally built Villa d’Este in 1568 with architect Pellegrino Tibaldi — home of Chanel’s recent Resort 2025/26 show was Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio. The Cardinal was a self-made man by all reports, a thinker deeply influenced by the movement AOC continually calls out, thanks to Brunello Cucinelli. The philosophy is called ‘humanism’ and even ‘Christian humanism’.
As AOC noted in Anne’s recent post examining the religious views of the controversial US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his embrace of Christian Nationalism and the Crusades, Arab world universities were instrumental in translating and preserving ancient Greek and Roman texts, which would later be transmitted to Europe and spur on the Renaissance.
Anne of Carversville works really hard to find new twists and turns in historical stories for which we believe we have the facts. The role of the Arab world in intellectual discussion and debate about Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and more in Europe’s most valued and prominent universities in the early Renaissance is one of those stories.
Read MoreA History of Courtesans Thru the Lens of Louboutin Beauty's 2025 Rouge Stiletto Vinyl Gloss Campaign
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A Global History of Courtesans Thru the Lens of Louboutin Beauty
Today we return to Mesopotamia, asking about the rise of courtesans. Was it a worldwide role for select women, a role crossing many different global cultures but with compatible definitions?
In Mesopotamia Temple priestesses, often referred to as "sacred prostitutes," were involved in religious rites, highlighting a blend of the sacred and the secular that involved sexual service as part of worship. . . These practices are mentioned in the Code of Hammurabi, which provides one of the earliest written references to women who engaged in such roles.
In Greece The concept of the courtesan emerged more distinctly in Greece. . . In India Ancient texts in India also offer early textual evidence of courtesans, with references in ancient texts such as the Arthashastra and the Kamasutra . . . In China The origins of courtesans can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty, which lasted from approximately 1046 to 256 BC . . . In Italy The origins of courtesanship can be traced back to a complex interplay of social, economic, and cultural factors that emerged during the Renaissance.
In America Yes, there is a record of courtesans in America. But AOC needs to catch up with the facts. After reading about white women courtesans in urban cities like New York and Chicago, we queried the story in New Orleans.
The findings were borderline extraordinary, and we will explain in our next deep dive into red lips women.
Read MoreLouis Vuitton MIRAGE Capsule Collection 2025 | Sara Caballero by Quentin Saunier
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Rising model Sara Caballero is styled by Florent Buonomano and Marie-Amélie Sauvé in Louis Vuitton’s [IG] MIRAGE Capsule Collection 2025, released in conjunction with Ramadan. Rising photographer Quentin Saunier [IG] has been shooting consistently in smaller LV campaigns for several years now.
Read MoreGustav Klimt Painting of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona Forces Reflection on Human Zoos
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Gustav Klimt Painting of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona and ‘Human Zoos’
A potentially lost forever, early artwork by renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, missing since the 1930s, is now being exhibited after its recent recovery. The painting portrays Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona, a leader of the Ga people from what is now known as Ghana in West Africa. Created in 1897, the portrait shows the prince in profile set against an abstract floral backdrop. Measuring just over 2 feet in height, the compact artwork is being showcased by the Viennese gallery Wienerroither & Kohlbacher (W&K) at the TEFAF Maastricht art fair in the Netherlands, with an asking price of €15 million (approximately $16.3 million).
The Rise of Ethnographic Showcases or ‘Human Zoos’
According to W&K, the painting was created by the artist amid the 1897 Vienna Völkerschau. These Völkerschau exhibitions were ethnographic showcases — also called human zoos — from the colonial era. These widely-attended exhibitions across Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries were often businesses created for financial profit.
Read MoreGigi Hadid Covers Vogue April, Inspiring a Jazz Age Dive into the Harlem Renaissance
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Gigi Hadid Inspires a Jazz Age Dive into the Harlem Renaissance
Supermodel Gigi Hadid graces the cover of American Vogue’s April 2025 issue, styled by Alex Harrington in ‘Jazz Age’ inspired, fashion opulence. Annie Leibovitz [IG] captures the story in the buildup to the 2025 Met Gala’ on Monday, May 5.
A Fusion of Talent, Creativity and Extraordinary Financial Wealth
The Harlem Renaissance was a time of rich cultural exchange and collaboration between African American artists and intellectuals and their white counterparts. While it was fundamentally rooted in the celebration of African American culture, the period was also marked by significant interracial interactions, particularly in the realms of art, literature, and music.
Those white counterparts were other artists themselves. And white patrons also played a crucial role in the movement's development by providing financial support and exposure opportunities for Black artists, in particular.
Read MoreHotel Stories: The Ritz Paris Founders César and Marie-Louise Ritz Pt-1
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Hotel Stories: The Ritz Paris Founders César and Marie-Louise Ritz
From the outset, the Ritz Paris, one of the most iconic luxury hotels in the world, set new benchmarks for luxury and hospitality, drawing an elite clientele that included royalty, politicians, artists, and writers. The hotel's origins are deeply intertwined with the vision and standards of César Ritz, whose legacy continues to influence luxury hospitality today at Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide.
AOC is exploring the history of Ritz Paris, the lives of people staying at the hotel and also its founders. I’m struck writing the first words with the idea of forming a timeline around great luxury brands.
We have Louis Vuitton arriving in Paris as a young man with little money in 1837 and César Ritz arriving 30 years later. The Ritz Paris opened in 1898, the year after Guccio Gucci arrived in London in 1897, finding work as a bellhop at the Savoy Hotel.
Read MoreTyler Mitchell's Three Beauties -- Anok, Awar, Mona on Jekyll Island, Ga -- in Vogue Magazine
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Tyler Mitchell's Three Beauties -- Anok, Awar, Mona on Jekyll Island, Ga -- in Vogue Magazine
Top models Anok Yai, Awar Odhiang and Mona Tougaard surely had a deeply emotional experience, working with stylist Camilla Nickerson in this ancient roots fashion story for Vogue, shot by Tyler Mitchell [IG] in Jekyll Island, Georgia.
Key Points About Jekyll Island
1] the human and ecological history of Jekyll Island, which now dates back to 2500 BC and the indigenous Native American tribes, predominantly the Guale people who lived there; 2] the arrival of the Europeans and slavery on the island; 3] the rise on Jekyll Island of an aristocratic cafe society getaway culture in the 1920s that parallels the same rise in Europe
Read MoreBlame WWD: If Daniel Lee Is Taking a Final Burberry Bow Monday, AOC Is All In for Kim Jones
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