Beauteousness Charlotte Casiraghi

It took me a while to decide wether or not I want to write about the Gucci campaign with Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi (fifth in line to the throne of Monaco). I have a lot of respect for her and her family. There were too many blow of fates, too many tragedies this family had to overcome - but they did it and look at this strong and beautiful lady Charlotte has become.

I (re-)discovered this ad in the french magazine Vogue Paris back in April 2013. The Gucci 'Forever Now Campaign' made its debut in 2010, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. I barely speak french but the sub line 'Une célébration éternelle de la grâce féminine.' spoke out loud what I was thinking (...in german). If there is a dynasty of gracious women, the House of Grimaldi bears them:

Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, mother to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

Grace Kelly

Caroline, Princess of Hanover

…and thank god they are still working on it - hopefully baby Raphael is just the start!

Charlotte has already done four 'Forever Now Campaigns' for the Italian label, all of which have been conceived by her close friend Frida Giannini (Gucci's creative director). The two horse lovers met in Paris with François-Henri Pinault (CEO of Kering - Gucci's mother company) back in 2009 and they launched the new campaign, featuring Charlotte and her horse...shot by my adored photographer Peter Lindbergh.  The first three campaigns were in honor of the classic red and green stripes, the horse bit and the flora print, the latest one is a celebration of the Bamboo bag.

On a side note - for the fans of Bruce Weber - while searching the internet to find out more about this Gucci campaign I found this very touching video that was shot for the Forever Now Campaign.

But this campaign is much more then just image, more then just beauty, it is history, heritage and understanding of true values. 

I am sure some people up there are very proud of you, Charlotte.

Jeff Koon's Vintage Only or a Gummybear to the rescue

As you have read on a side note in one or the other posts of mine…Champagne is what I want, what I love to drink and what makes me happy. My favorite of all times is the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003.
I am more about the taste than the look when it comes to a good drink but I get the marketing idea behind a nice gift wrap or packaging. When it comes to driving sales or selling at a higher price point you need to be creative. I get that…
Dom Perignon cooperated with Jeff Koons, as seen in the February 2014 issue of the W magazine, and he was inspired by the Venus - no unfortunately not the Sandro Botticelli one...

… BUT by the Venus of Willendorf.

But where ever you get your inspirations from…

Jeff Koons, one of the most important, influential, popular and controversial artists of our time, reinvented the idea of 'the more the merrier' in collaboration with Dom Pérignon. He created a limited edition of sculpture packaging (or maybe more a 'holder' as Mr Koons calls it) that is so unique and one of a kind - The Balloon Venus.

Each piece of art is handcrafted, made-to-order and with only 650 pieces worldwide (approximately $25.000) something to celebrate the truly special days of the month. Don't you think so!?

BTW - If you are interested in the artist the Whitney Museeum of American Art will have a retrospective June, 27th until October 2014. This exhibition will be his first major museum presentation in New York. It will also be the last exhibition to take place there before the Whitney will move to the Meatpacking in 2015. Check it out - I will!

This is truly 'booking' funny!

I never thought that a product so boring as an online platform to book vacations could come up with something really funny. Booking.com did it! I don't know exactly how they did it - btw this very entertaining spot was created by the Agency Wieden & Kennedy (Amsterdam).

Maybe it is the honesty with all the prejudice or the naked truth they use in their commercial to under and outline the small fights we all have to fight when it comes to family vacation. Maybe it is just the simple mechanism of exaggerating all the emotions we go through when we have to deal with all different kind of characters and wishes in one family or in a group of friends?

First of all, how crazy it is anyway to go on a vacation TOGETHER with someone? David McCandless and Lee Byron said it in 2011 - vacation time is peak break up time.

A friend of mine based in London, a married mother of two did for the first time in her life an experiment. She and her husband sent each other alone and separate from each other on vacation to Thailand. This Metropolitan mum was so proud to really do something so unusual and unbelievable. I guess most people will say she is crazy and selfish and not a lot of people (besides moms) will actually understand. But the truth is that it is more dangerous to go on a family vacation with actually the whole crowd.

But after seeing this spot on abc I might consider taking my crazy loved ones with me. If we can share just some emotions of what those people experience then it was all worth it. But you have to see it for yourself - it will make you smile and maybe book.

What is your last most intense vacation remembrance?

Is Roger Federer saying Goodbye or Hello?

What a truly nice weekend - some running in the park before breakfast, MoMa to get the brain some food too, awesome dinner with hubby and friends and a relaxed brunch on Sunday at home in PJs and with The New York Times Magazine on my lap.

On page five a full page ad from my favorite champagne brand Moët & Chandon (shot by Patrick Demarchelier) showing Roger Federer in a tux and holding a Salmanazar (9 liter) or maybe a Balthazar (12 liter) bottle in one arm waving his hand?!? To say hello, good by…?!?

And the slogan 'To making an entrance' didn't help me understand. Into what? Retirement? Or a party? OK, a party would work - the best parties I attended always started with a nice very cold glass of champagne. There is also this slightly visible tennis net behind him. For me one more hint that he is saying good by to the court!? What ever the current #6 in the tennis world will do with his future in addition to being the house's brand ambassador (announced in November 2012) I hope that he will play a bit more tennis and after he retires I only would have one small request - Roger, choose your engagements wisely and don't follow the road some of your colleagues went. It might be possible that wrong decisions will even make you loose partners (Mercedes Benz and Boris Becker).
So please stay who you are.

J'adore - Picture Perfect

Even though the spot had its premier already in 2011 and the perfume it self was originally launched in 1999, it has not lost any of its magic and power.

While watching the Golden Globes 2014 last Sunday night I was already in a Hollywood glamor kind of mood and with my glass of champagne handy I was very critical about dresses, hairdos, make-up,…
But the second the Dior commercial was on air I had to sit up straight and had to stop with the gossiping. TBWA Paris had done something magical. When you watch the spot for the first time you will only notice the powerful song (#Gossip 'Heavy Cross') and the product - Dior's j'adore. When you coincidentally see the commercial a second, third or when you are lucky even a fourth time you will be drawn into a real but unrealistic world of stars from now and then…which brings on the magic.

The spot was shot in the glamorous Versailles Grande Galerie or Galerie des Glaces (the Hall of Mirrors).

The very sexy Charlize Theron not only glides through almost every sequence changing her elegant suit and slides into this one of a kind Dior couture dress - btw there was only that one made, so don't even bother with looking it up online…I tried everything - but Dior also presents special guests. You really have to look twice, but Charlize is in good company in this commercial. Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe and even Grace Kelly are part of the runway show.

In addition to the creative clue to work with A-class stars from the former Hollywood days, the camera work, the theme colors, the storyline, especially the alignment of all movements and steps of Charlize with the beat of the music have set a very high standard for all agencies out there. All of this was chosen very wisely and with passion for the brand and I have never seen such a perfectly executed, energetic, exciting and moving commercial.

RickyRickyRickyRickyRickyRickyRickyRicky

What is going on with Ralph Lauren?
I don't mean the man, btw one of my husbands favorite designers (especially when it comes to his Purple Lable line), no...I am talking about the brand.

After the first advertising I saw in the New York Times Style Magazine 'T'

I thought - OMG really, she passed away? Then I thought - OMG really, he passed and she has now taken over? After it was clear that neither of this had happened, thank god, I still couldn't stop thinking about the way the campaign spooked (sorry a typo) spoke to me.

My thoughts spun around the idea that maybe the brand, which already has a lot of different labels and sub brands - I think its diversity is beyond healthy - will maybe pull everything together again? Then I remembered that Ralph Lauren's wife Ricky always was his muse so this campaign must have been some kind of tribute to her! Right? Or he will step down and she will become the new designer behind the brand 'Ralph Lauren'? What ever the reason was behind this product launch and this campaign, it certainly made me talk about it - so marketing mission acomplished.

But there is one other delicate issue about the name of the bag… so back to The Ricky Bag.
Can you really name a bag in the same way Hermès named its famous Kelly Bag (formerly known as the Sac à dépêches)? Do you really want to compare them - the two ladies, the two bags?

I have to admit, that Ricky's style is inspiring and classy. I just love the way she combines sporty, casual and chic in a way that it looks stunning.

Marc Jacobs and Miley Cyrus - the unavoidable

We all new it - there was something in the bushes.

But maybe they should have left it there.

I absolutely adore Marc Jacob, and usually what ever he wraps his arms around will be golden. But in this case he wrapped his arms around Miley Cyrus on several parties, introduced by his friend Robert Duffy (President of Marc Jacobs Intl.).

So she already promoted his designs and supported his brand in the past as seen at the Met Ball in New York or the Fashion Group International's Night of Stars.

Was it really necessary to make her the icon of his new campaign? Maybe there is a good reason behind Juergen Teller's decision, the photographer that usually shoots all of Marc's campaigns, to not work with the "Adore Me" singer?

Marc, are you sure this will pay off - two strong personalities/names in one campaign?

But the problem here is that one brand is visible...