Ralph Lauren Corp revenues for quarter ending Sept. 26, 2026 rose 9% to $2.2 billion, beating Wall Street estimates. Net income rose a staggering 43 percent to $296.6 million, or $4.87 a diluted share. Adjusted EPS hit $4.64, coming in 38 cents ahead of the $4.26 analysts forecast, according to WWD.

The Ralph Lauren performance in Asia is stunning. Checking for China only, Ralph Lauren’s quarter ended with a 35% increase, writes ‘Morning Star’.

AOC believes that in Asia, in particular, Ralph Lauren now paces itself in revenue comparable to — perhaps more than — the revenue of LVMH brand Christian Dior.

Rather than just reporting cold numbers, Anne of Carversville is turning a new and fresh lens on brands of similar revenues and scale globally. The success of Ralph Lauren in Asia is a growing threat to Dior in Asia. In fact, AOC sees Dior as caught in a three-way pincer with Chanel bearing down on Dior from the top and Ralph Lauren putting competitive pressure on Dior from the bottom up.

The third pincer is the expected move of designer Chemena Kamali from Chloé to Kering brand Saint Laurent, to fill the vacancy of departed designer Anthony Vaccarello. All information we have about Dior is that the VICs are on the move. LVMH denies this alleged reality, maintaining that the VICs are loyal to the Dior brand, and not a specific designer.

Anne of Carversville just does not see the situation through this lens. And every time we launch a search into new data to support the argument that Dior is rolling, we come up with the opposite reality. This week we looked at the global resale markets, where Ralph Lauren Purple and Ralph Lauren Collection have a strong resale value. Dior, on the other hand, is considered to be a high risk purchase by women in China, especially. As for Chanel, it’s off the charts.

I imagine that the Arnault family LVMH executives scoff at the idea that Dior is caught in a pincer between Chanel and Ralph Lauren. The chatter runs like this:

“How can that silly Anne make the point that Ralph Lauren brands are a threat to Dior in China and across Asia. It’s a stupidly American idea. In France, we do not utter Ralph Lauren and Christian Dior in the same breath.”

“As for Chemena Kamali at Saint Laurent acting as an exciting, third pincer, with nothing to do but drive around Shanghai picking up confused Dior customers who are unclear where they want to land after their Anderson exodus — doesn’t Anne ever stop with her fantasy futures? We used to like her writing in the good ‘ol days. Today, Anne has gone rogue. What a turncoat.”

Jennifer Matias in 'Second Nature' by Aliocha Wallon for CR Fashion Book AOC Fashion

Brazilian model Jennifer Matias is styled by Andrea Ottaviani in ‘Second Nature’, a fashion story featuring Alaïa, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Chloé, Dior, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Prada, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Simone Rocha, Tom Ford and more.

Aliocha Wallon [IG] photographs Matias for CR Fashion Book [IG] #29 Fall/Winter 2026, The Punk Issue, with creative direction by Emmanuelle Levesque./ Hair by Hiro Furukawa; makeup by Kamila Vay

Sora Choi Welcomes Baby Girl, in Mok Jung Wook Story for Vogue Korea October AOC Fashion

Superwoman, supermodel Sora Choi covers the October 2026 issue of Vogue Korea [IG], styled by Eunyoung Sohn in two Prada covers.

Choi is lensed by Mok Jung Wook [IG] before the birth of her daughter on October 11, 2026.

Sora Choi and Kove Lee’s Baby Daughter

Sora Choi has been married for seven years to photographer Kove Lee and this is their first child. Choi first confirmed their pregnancy in late May 2026, when the supermodel debuted her baby bump on the runway at the Chanel Métiers d’art 2026 show in Seoul.

Jacqui Hooper's Sober Mood in Harper's Bazaar Italia Lensed by Alasdair McLellan AOC Fashion

Models Jacqui Hooper, Gabriel Noah, Kristian Krieg, Sarah Isaksen & Max Stenzel are styled by Brian Molloy in no-frills austerity for the November 2026 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Italia [IG].

Photographer Alasdair McLellan [IG] captures sobriety looks from Celine, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Issey Miyake, Loro Piana, Prada, Tom Ford and more. Hooper wears a Burberry trench on the cover. Fashion direction by Sissy Vian with art direction by Mathias Augustyniak & Michaël Amzalag. / Hair by Tom Wright; makeup by Dick Page

Raw and Classic Beauty Lives in Loli Bahia by Tyler Mitchell in M Magazine AOC Body

Loli Bahai covers the Special beauty issue of M, Le magazine du Monde [IG], out this weekend. M focuses on her “look that is both raw and classic, a delicate but androgynous face, an appearance as tender as butte.”

The Lyon born and raised daughter of a Spanish father and an Algerian mother, these days Bahai is a companion to singer Rosalía. Her M Magazine beauty story is styled by Alice Goddard and lensed by Tyler Mitchell [IG], with creative direction by Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet-Napoleone./ Hair by Claire Grech; makeup by Yadim

Amanda Grey Evokes Femme Fatale Style by Steven Klein for Vogue France November AOC Fashion

When the sexy pendulum swings back to bold, confident women, photographer Steven Klein [IG] is in his element. Klein has always employed a much more sophisticated eye for capturing raw carnality and female power.

In these images, Paul Sinclaire styles Amelia Grey wearing Givenchy on the cover, while striking fiery, femme fatale poses for Vogue France [IG] November 2026.

Gigi Hadid As 'Queen of Couture' by Szilveszter Mako for WSJ Magazine November 2026 AOC Fashion

Gigi Hadid is experiencing her own renaissance, even though Hadid has lived at the top of the high-fashion industry for a decade. In her new fashion editorial ‘Queen of Couture’, envisioned by fashion director Willow Lindley for WSJ Magazine [IG], the IMG star steps into the world of Old Masters, recreated by the photographer of the moment — Szilveszter Mako [IG].

Gabriella Karefa-Johnson styles the fashion story, choosing Jean Paul Gaultier for the digital cover. Other couture houses featured are Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Georges Hobeika, Gucci, Schiaparelli and more. Edith di Monda creates the set — or “my boxes”, as Mako calls them./ Hair by Pablo Kuemin; makeup by Cecile Paravina

Kayako Higuchi Wears Avant Garde Extreme Fashion in ELLE US November 2026 AOC Fashion

Rising model Isa Nilwik covered D Repubblica [IG] October 10, 2026 The Accessory Issue, styled in Emporio Armani by Katie Burnett. Photographers Inez and Vinoodh [IG] were on location in the Hamptons, capturing Nilwik wearing Chloe, Dior, Fendi, Hermes, Givenchy, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier by Duran Lantink, Prada, YSL and more. / Hair by Mustafa Yanaz; Fulvia Farolfi

Xia Yuancen Lensed by Vadym Yatsun for Vogue Portugal October 2026 AOC Fashion

Chinese model Xia Yuancen is styled by Florian Sudres in ‘Stage of Shadows’, a visual fashion meditation on structure and the body. Photographer Vadym Yatsun [IG] captures the modern mystery luxury from Acne Studios, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino and more for the October 2026 issue of Vogue Portugal [IG]./ Hair by Tiziana Di Marcelli; makeup by Nency

'Giverny at Night' Dior Autumn Winter 2026-2027 Collection by Tanya & Zhenya Posternak AOC Fashion

Christian Dior famously stated:

“After women, flowers are the most divine creations.”

There is no explicit historical record confirming that Christian Dior ever visited Claude Monet’s house and gardens at Giverny, which is not far from Paris. The property, which is now a world-famous museum and living work of art, had fallen into a dreadful state of disrepair.

However, Dior was deeply enamored by Impressionist art and the parallels between his and Monet's artistic philosophies are well-documented.

The designer famously designed haute couture dresses directly inspired by the painter, such as translating Monet's The Artist's Garden at Giverny into an iconic 1952 gown covered in cascading chiffon petals.

Convergence was in the air when Jonathan Anderson showed his Fall 2026 collection on March 3 in the Tuileries Garden. “It’s a promenade, the idea of people dressing up to walk in the park,” the designer said, just before his models traversed a bridge over a water-lily pond.

“The sheer grandeur of the vistas from the glasshouse—views of the Louvre in one direction, the obelisk of the Place de la Concorde in the other—spoke to “the idea of the city,” said Anderson, the Tuileries’ history as royal pleasure gardens, and Dior’s power and ownership of its place at the pinnacle of Parisian luxury culture. And the water lilies and bridge? Monet’s garden at Giverny, of course—his famous paintings residing just over the way in their gallery at the Orangerie . . . ”

Last Week in Paris, The Night Belonged to Claude Monet

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The spirit of Claude Monet was far more important to Christian Dior than it is to Jonathan Anderson. A week ago in Paris, a little-known, never exhibited Monet painting called ‘Iris’ became the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction in France.

Six bidders competed for nearly 45 minutes before it went to a private collector in Asia, who bid by phone through Jen Hua, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Asia. A jubilant Sotheby’s executive summed up the situation. “Tonight, Paris belonged to Monet”, wrote Town & Country.

The nearly six-foot wide canvas was painted in 1924 and 1925, in the final years of Monet’s career as a painter. It’s the largest of the Iris paintings, numbering about 20, to remain in private hands. By contrast, more than 250 paintings were dedicated to water lilies [‘Nymphéas’].

If only there was a way for Christian Dior Couture to ride that wave, the tie-in would have been fabulous!

Isa Nilwik Holds Close Fall 2026 Accessories Lensed by Inez & Vinoodh for D Repubblica AOC Fashion

Rising model Isa Nilwik covered D Repubblica [IG] October 10, 2026 The Accessory Issue, styled in Emporio Armani by Katie Burnett. Photographers Inez and Vinoodh [IG] were on location in the Hamptons, capturing Nilwik wearing Chloe, Dior, Fendi, Hermes, Givenchy, Jacquemus, Jean Paul Gaultier by Duran Lantink, Prada, YSL and more. / Hair by Mustafa Yanaz; Fulvia Farolfi

Zara Studio Collection A/W 2026 Campaign Stresses Individuality in Styling Oneself AOC Fashion

Models Elodie Guipaud, Frauke Nijs and Imane Benkaddoue pose in the Zara Studio Collection [IG] A/W 2026 Campaign, which dropped on Thursday, October 22. Karl Templer styled the shoot with long-time creative partners, photographer Steven Meisel [IG] and creative director Fabien Baron.

Creators Templer and Baron & Baron worked with Zara’s in-house design team on the biannual Zara Studio drop.

Their goal with the new Zara Studio drop seeks to make the familiar feel more personal and less fashion-prescribed. AOC agrees. Two other words that come to mind are sumptuous but styled with nonchalance.

Zara Is Repositioning Its Stores As Luxury World Doorways

The Inditex strategy of positioning Zara to step up as a rich fashion resource for luxury lovers who simply must scale back spending is designed to help them feel nourished. Zara is doing an excellent job of executing this story. Simultaneously, Inditex is expanding their Lefties brand — not Zara — to compete with Shein and fast-fashion retailers.

In recent years Zara CEO Marta Ortega Pérez, interviewed recently for Vogue, has beautifully and successfully evolved Zara’s mission to offer a more democratic vision of designer-level interpretations of runway-looking clothes. Their proficiency is paying off in truly impressive ways. Read on in AOC Fashion at link top of page.

Josefa Santos in Fall Layers Lensed by Antoni Ciufo for Harpers Bazaar France October AOC Fashion

Rising Brazilian, New York-based model Josefa Santos strikes a fierce face — so ‘do not f### with me’ that AOC was jolted to see her smile on her IG. Anne went looking. Got it. Josefa Santos can walk one of those joyful Chanel shows Matthieu Blazy produces.

Pauline Charriere styles a mix of retro and modern, patterened classics for Santos, layered up very Chanel-like, lensed by Antoni Ciufo [IG] with creative direction by Franck Durand for Harper’s Bazaar France [IG] October 2026./ Hair by Stephane Lancien; makeup by Mayumi Oda

An Elegant, Seductive Gabbriette Covers Vogue Mexico-LATAM October 2026 AOC Fashion

Model, influencer and woman of many talents Gabbriette Bechtel covers the October 2026 issue of Vogue Mexico and Latin America [IG]. Valentina Collado styles the fashion story with a strong boudoir, lingerie influence for images by Pia Riverola [IG] shot at The Oviatt, an Art Deco Wedding & Event Venue in LA. / Hair by Hikaru; makeup by Anna Kato

Reflections on Chanel Coco Neige 2026 and Blazy's WSJ Fashion Innovator Award AOC Fashion

WSJ Magazine’s Fashion Innovator Honors

Matthieu Blazy is the man of the hour, officially named WSJ. Magazine’s [IG] Fashion Innovator of the Year. This recognition by the Wall Street Journal underscores commercial vitality and real innovation, rather than insular, friends-rule industry pageantry. In the case of Blazy, this award matters and he alone deserves receiving it in 2026.

“Chanel Coco Neige 2026 Creators

Lensed by Julien Martinez Leclerc [IG], Chanel's Coco Neige 2026 Collection [IG] delivers modern, snow-style Chanel luxury for snow bunnies. I may be clueless about all the performance fabrics in the collection, but to me Chanel Coco Neige 2026 is winter getaway clothes, Aspen style. Coco Neige models include Elodie Guipaud, Geng Jiao Long and Lia Marie Mielke.

Brunello Cucinelli Projects 12% 2026 Growth; FW 2026 Campaign-2 AOC Fashion

Brunello Cucinelli Raises Forecast

There are luxury brands doing well in an increasingly treacherous luxury landscape. Italy’s Brunello Cucinelli group, known for its cashmere classics, raised the forecast for its 2026 business to 12% growth off its 2025 actual of $1.57 billion.

“We believe that the brand’s image around the world reflects what we have always aspired to: a belief in absolute luxury,” the company’s eponymous founder and executive chairman Brunello Cucinelli said.

Models Alain Gossuin, Alicja Tubilewicz, Heather Diamond Strongarm and Liam Kelly are styled by Lorenzo Mariucci and Michaela Buratti in the Fall/Winter 2026 Brunello Cucinelli [IG] Campaign, lensed by Aussie photographer Daniel Archer [IG].

Returning to Brunello Cucinelli’s performance, which rose 17% in the third quarter on new store openings [six so far in 2026] and positive organic traffic, including more time customers spend in boutiques, it’s important to note the difficulty of analyzing of precisely why sales are moving upwards for a brand like Brunello Cucinelli — when the market itself is difficult in the luxury brand universe.

How Do We Quantify Brand Values?

Anne of Carversville contends that brand values are consistently undervalued in the financial world. In fact, brand values account for little or nothing in brand valuations. So, while AOC and Morgan Stanley are frequently in sync with our views around a brand’s performance and overall brand health, our reasons for reaching similar conclusions are different.

Perhaps that’s a good synergy, one worth discussing.

Reality is that the Brunello Cucinelli business is built on a system of values openly embraced by the Cucinelli family. You can buy Cucinelli without pledging in blood to uphold humanist values. You can be a fascist at heart but wear Brunello Cucinelli as a form of cover for those controversial values, until you get busted by social media.

Humanism, Brunello Cucinelli and China

It was Brunello Cucinelli’s personal website that made him a force in the world of luxury. So dedicated is the family to these values that they promoted humanism before they spun off a separate website for online purchases. That is a true rarity among brands at any price-point in the modern shopping universe.

Just In WWD News, dated Oct. 30, 2026, is that Carolina Cucinelli specifically spoke to the topic of humanism WWD x SKP Global Fashion & Beauty Summit in Wuhan, China on Oct. 22. “The values are very important to create a great connection with our clients.”

I will reinforce Carolina Cucinelli’s point by affirming the fact that not only is Anne of Carversville read in China for a year now, but China’s entry point into AOC is the New Humanism page, not the actual front page.

We call the philosophy New Humanism with an acknowledgement that Humanism was Eurocentric in nature. AOC also feels a need to acknowledge the reality that the global slave trade grew in concert with the spread of humanist ideals.

At Anne of Carversville, we want it known that this historical reality is a severe contradiction to the principles of humanism. And so is Eurocentricism. I’m surely one of the only people in fashion world, who this weekend was reading about China’s perceived Century of National Humiliation (百年国耻).

By calling this values system New Humanism, we acknowledge that the ideals of humanism are not in fundamental conflict with China’s own values system, the way we are learning the essential truths of that philosophy.

If ever there is a bridge that can identify ways that luxury brands can work in concert with governments and citizens alike, that bridge is Humanism or our bridge of New Humanism. This topic is critically important because of the unfortunate and very real emergence of a right-wing theory called Civilizationalism. In the next decade this ‘argument’ that claims Eurocentricism as the superior foundation for the world’s best civilization will be embraced by American Republicans and European nationalists with fervor. Our most important luxury brands business voices — people like Brunello Cucinelli or Ralph Lauren and their teams — must offer their expertise and insights into how we navigate these complex waters.

I’m 95% certain that I’ve over-emphasized my argument, so let’s reel in a dose of financial world pragmatism to close out this focus on the Brunello Cucinelli brand.

A Great Bag Always Helps

Brunello Cucinelli BC Duo Bag Campaign Is a New Vision for a Feminine Ideal AOC Fashion

Morningstar believes the brand’s shares are overvalued due to the brand’s lack of a strong accessories offering, and that is a valid challenge.

Is it possible that Morningstar is lagging in its knowledge of the brand’s BC Duo Tote Bag? It’s on fire from all we know, and the Brunello Cucinelli team has already expanded the BC Duo offering in key sizes.

However, the brand’s BC Duo Tote Bag — a signature of the brand and a creation by Cucinelli’s daughters is a heavy driver in the robust performance. Because the large structured BC Duo Tote became such a commercial staple for everyday professional wear, Cucinelli successfully expanded the franchise into micro and miniature charm sizes. This strategy mimics how traditional luxury houses scale their best-selling ‘it bags,’ proving that the tote has graduated to a long-term core accessory line for the house.

It seems that management is moving quickly and aggressively to sell the BC duo tote in khaki suede, and a highcraft ‘techno raffia’ version, along with new firebrick red tones for the bag.

Perhaps Humanism’s values and financial success can coexist in the same brand? This question criss-crosses today’s luxury market worldwide, whether they know it or not. AOC believes they can and do.

Robbie Lawrence Gifts Glorious Images of Great Outerwear for WSJ Magazine AOC Fashion

WSJ Magazine takes a seaside stroll in Northern England, sharing a color-saturated vision of the season’s best outerwear. Poppy Kain styles models Aaran Young, Flavie Sammartano and Gabriele Mastromarini in ‘The Scenic Route’. Photographer Robbie Lawrence [IG] is inspired by British artist L.S.Lowry in WSJ’s intensely artistic fashion story for the October issue.

Lily Vander Meeden by Julien Vallon for Numéro October 2026 #264 AOC Fashion

Sydney, Australia model Lily Vander Meeden — with Dutch and Sri Lankan background — made her runway debut, walking the Spring 2024 runway exclusively for Gucci. Heading for Paris that season, Vander Meeden went on to walk for Chanel and Givenchy.

Fast forward to 2026, where Lily Vander Meeden appeared in the Louis Vuitton Fall 2026 Campaign and the new Polo Ralph Lauren Blaze Bag Campaign.

In these images, photographer Julien Vallon [IG] captures the camera-friendly model, styled by Rebecca Bleynie in ‘Sur Les Docks, a largely Bottega Veneta story, for Numéro France [IG] #264 October 2026 issue./ Hair by Simon Chossier

Victoria Fawole and Jiahui Zhang by Toby Coulson for Vogue UK October 2026 AOC Fashion

Models Victoria Fawole and Jiahui Zhang are styled by Honey Sweet Elias in ‘Brighton Breezy’, a casual, free-thinking fashion affair made of vintage finds and “runway pieces with street smarts.”

Photographer Toby Coulson [IG] captures the boho vibes from Balmain, Burberry, Chanel, Chloe, Erdem, Fendi, Free People Europe, Miu Miu, Polo Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Ulla Johnson and more for British Vogue [IG] October 2026./ Hair by Maki Tanaka; makeup by Marie Bruce

Artist Betye Saar, the Aunt Jemima Revolution, and a New Humanism AOC New Humanism

Artist Betye Saar passed at the age of 99 on Sunday, July 26th, 2026 — just four days shy of her 100th birthday on July 30th. As a central figure of the Black Arts Movement, the artist transformed racist memorabilia into powerful symbols of resistance with her Assemblage Art.

The Los Angeles Times interviewed her for a story that ran on July 15, 2026. Visiting Saar at her home studio in Laurel Canyon, where she’s lived in since 1962, writer Tara Anne Dalbow detailed the artist’s homage to human history:

Saar’s studio is packed with relics gathered from sidewalks and swap meets in L.A., and from trips to Marrakesh, Mexico, Nigeria, Haiti and Brazil. Antique globes are mixed with model boats, window panes, wooden masks and painted watermelons. Mercantile scales and rusted bird cages are scattered across crowded shelves. Neatly labeled drawers hold hand fans, plastic snakes, buttons, buckles.

A Landmark Artwork: ‘Liberation of Aunt Jemima, 1972’

Watching the video ‘Betye Saar: Drifting Toward Twilight’, we learn that the shadow box below titled ‘Liberation of Aunt Jemima, 1972’ was Saar’s first artistic assemblage offering.

Protest piece: Saar explicitly designated the work as her very first political protest, born out of rage and helplessness after the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Female warrior figure: She described turning the subservient image into a militant fighter for Black liberation and women's rights.

Symbols of empowerment: Saar referred to the inserted rifle and hand grenade not as an endorsement of actual violence, but as attention-getting tools of personal power.

True light / Transplant: The artist later reflected that she saw Aunt Jemima in her “true light” as a “transplanted African Queen, a survivor, a nurturer, a free spirit, a warrior.”

The historical exhibition ‘Los Angeles 1955-1985: Birth of an Art Capital’ took place at the Centre Pompidou in Paris from March 8 through July 17, 2006.

From Prada to New Humanism

My first deep dive into Saar’s work was covering her 2016-2017 exhibition sponsored by Prada in Milan—the first time her ‘Black Life’ work was shown in Italy. Hosted at Fondazione Prada in Milan from September 15, 2016 to January 8, 2017, ‘The Liberation of Aunt Jemima, 1972 ‘ was one of 80 works in the show, and the one always most in demand, according to curators and gallery-owners.

Looking back at my original article, a key word blinked loudly from the text. I described Betye Saar as a "humanist." Today I call the high-impact artist a “New Humanist”, a distinction based on an intense period in recent years of wanting to make sense of my beliefs in a coherent structure or philosophy for Anne.