Jean Shrimpton

Though Carine Roitfeld rarely admits to style influences, she does admire the style of one icon: "I love the looks of Jean Shrimpton. I love the 70s. That was my period. Jean Shrimpton is everything I want to be." Shrimpton was an English model and actress that represented the transition in fashion of the British Invasion of the 1960s. By age 18, Shrimpton was internationally recognized having made the covers of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's Bazaar and was considered an icon of Swinging London. She starred in the 1967 film Privilege with Paul Jones. Shrimpton was once engaged to photographer David Bailey but eventually married another photographer, Michael Cox, with whom she has a son born in 1981. NY JS DB 62 captures the beginning of the influential collaboration between Shrimpton and Bailey, energetic yet innocent, a groundbreaking duo in their era.

Photograph of Jean Shrimpton in London of Sloane Street coat © 1964 David Bailey. All Rights Reserved.

Au Coin des Gourmets

Carine Roitfeld has a taste for Indochinois cuisine and has been seen enjoying the refined dishes prepared at Au Coin des Gourmets in Paris. With restaurants on both the Left Bank and Right, Au Coin des Gourmets has been in business for more than thirty years and is renowned for its subtle, unique, and flavorful culinary delights. They offer an array of savory choices ranging from soups to skewers that draw on the cultures of the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to satisfy the saveurs de indochine of any patron. Not to be missed: Amok, a classic Khmer dish of cod steamed in coconut milk, accented with lemongrass and curry, and presented in a sheet of banana leaf. Au Coin des Gourmets has branches at 5 rue Dante and 38 rue du Mont Thabor; the interiors are small but charming.

Image of Amok © 2008 Adrian Moore. All Rights Reserved.
Interior and exterior photographs of Au Coin des Gourmets courtesy of restoaparis.com.

Tom Ford

I had been reading rumors lately that when Carine Roitfeld outgrows Vogue Paris she hopes to move into filmmaking next. Bonne idée ! Then I read in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche that Carine stated specifically that were she to leave Vogue Paris, she wants to make “a well-made film about fashion. It’s a world that’s a lot more fun than the one Robert Altman painted in Prêt-à-Porter.” Perhaps this is related to the fact that her cohort and chum Tom Ford just released his debut film, A Single Man, at the Venice Film Festival. Hey, put Mario Testino in charge of cinematography and maybe they are on to something... I imagine this fashion dream team could conjure up any number of memorable and inspiring moving images.

Ford's debut as a director is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood and looks at the life of a gay English professor who must go about his life after the sudden death of his partner. Set in Los Angeles in the 1960s—a time when same-sex bonding (and bondage) was considered more controversial—Ford says that the film is "not about being gay… it’s really a film about love and isolation that I think all of us feel so it is very universal. When I see someone who sees the film who says ‘it’s a gay story,’ I don’t even know what they are thinking, it just seems to me a human story." The film opened to stellar reviews and awards; lead Colin Firth won Venice Film Festival’s Coppa Volpi for best actor and Ford captured the Queer Golden Lion for movies with gay themes.

When asked about the transition from fashion, Ford said, "Fashion is a very fleeting and commercial art… This [making films] is pure expression." C'mon, Carine—pure expression. Don't you want it? Everyone else is doing it, just try it... Another bonus: Julia has been taking acting lessons, so she and Vladimir can act in the films as well!

Tom Ford and Julianne Moore photograph © 2009 WireImage.com. All Rights Reserved.

Update on mercredi 16 décembre 2009 by kellina

Derek Blasberg recently conducted a fascinating interview with Tom Ford for V Magazine.

Update on lundi 21 décembre 2009 by kellina

Another brilliant interview with Tom Ford, this time by Gus Van Sant for Interview.

amfAR

The Foundation for AIDS Research or amfAR, created in 1985 by Elizabeth Taylor, Dr. Mathilde Krim, and a small group of doctors and scientists, began with the mission to end the worldwide AIDS epidemic by funding innovative research. With the resources in place for timely response to new areas of scientific promise, amfAR is a true catalyst—pushing forward important AIDS and HIV research to pioneer real discoveries leading to major advances in the study and treatment of the disease. Since 1985, amfAR has distributed nearly $290 million in grants to research teams worldwide to support its mission. Kenneth Cole is currently Chair of the Board of amfAR.

In 2004, Carine Roitfeld began serving as chair for amfAR’s annual Cinema Against AIDS event in Cannes and continues to do so with great style. She has galvanized the fashion community to support this important event, helping to make it one of the most successful AIDS fundraisers in the world. In 2008, Roitfeld was presented with amfAR's Award of Courage sharing this honor with Julian Schnabel and Bobby Shriver for outstanding leadership and distinguished service in furthering amfAR’s mission and for playing a vital role in increasing AIDS awareness and accelerating the pace of AIDS research.

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld believes in the great work that amfAR does as well. When he organized the show "Three Photographers" at Collective Hardware last Feburary, he donated the proceeds from the sale of one of each of the photographers’ prints to amfAR. When asked why he selected that particular charity to support, Vladimir said, "My mother has been very involved with amfAR, I know a lot about their work, and I believe in it. That was an easy choice to make."

Cinema Against AIDS afterparty at Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc Photo Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage.
Photograph of Carine Roitfeld and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld at Cinema Against AIDS in Cannes courtesy of amfar.org.

Tom Dixon

Have you noticed the striking silver suspension lamp in Carine Roitfeld's office at Vouge Paris? It's the Mirror Ball Pendant in chrome designed by Tom Dixon. Born in Tunisia, educated in London at Chelsea School of Art, Dixon played bass in a funk band before learning how to weld on his own. He began creating a line of furniture using salvage materials that he would weld together. Brands such as Cappellini began carrying his furntiure; soon Dixon created his own company named Eurolounge to produce and distribute his pieces. His early designs are now considered collectibles and are held by museums worldwide. Among the many honors recognizing his talent, Dixon was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2001.

Tom Dixon photograph courtesy of tomdixon.net