Elsa Peretti Scorpion Pendant

Carine Roitfeld is renowned for her style, classic with a twist, and her beloved Elsa Peretti scorpion necklace suits her aesthetic perfectly. The elegant metallic scorpion collar pendant is crafted of articulated segments with the menacing claws encircling the neck and the tail poised on the chest in a dangerous flick, so Carine… Designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. in 1979, the curious necklace resulted from her obsession with the scorpions living near her home in Catalonia. The artist shares her inspiration: "While working in Sant Martí Vell, I came across a lot of scorpions. The animals are incredibly attractive, with fascinating mechanics. Strangely they are never around when I need to review something in my design. I have to confess that I had to sacrifice a few. I feel sorry."

Carine acquired this treasured piece years ago and stored it in her bank vault for safekeeping until recently when she retrieved it so she could wear it again. One reason she loves the scorpion is because it reminds her of her partner, Christian Restoin, as Scorpio is his astrological sign; I adore her sweet sentimentality. Carine refers to herself as a collector of the designer's work and also among the treasures in her jewelry box is the Elsa Peretti bottle pendant.

Carine met Elsa Peretti once and remembers her as an amazing woman with an amazing (albeit masculine) voice, she considers the jewelry designer a big talent and one of her big icons. Carine also thinks of Peretti as a muse for the first issue of CR Fashion Book, she styled the editorial "Elsa" in her likeness, casting Catherine McNeil as Peretti as shot by Kacper Kasprzyk in a New York apartment that formerly belonged to Halston. I wonder if McNeil is wearing Carine's own Elsa Peretti scorpion pendant for the editorial… Tiffany & Co. continues to produce the scorpion necklace but in a slightly different variation, it now hangs on a 15.5" inch chain and is cast in either gold or sterling silver. Be sure to view "Scorpion Queen" on CR Fashion Book in which Carine Roitfeld discusses Elsa Peretti and her scorpion pendant.

Elsa Peretti scorpion collar pendant photo courtesy of Tiffany & Co. Carine Roitfeld photos courtesy of Fashion Spot. "Elsa" editorial image by Kacper Kasprzyk for CR Fashion Book.

Alvar Aalto Stool 60

Carine Roitfeld has an eye for the classic in modern design and even the stools in her kitchen nook are a fine example of her aesthetic. The timeless and innovative stool that Carine prefers is the vision of Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto, one of the most influential artists in Scandinavian modernism. Designed in the early 1930s, the Stool 60 is an icon in modern furniture, a simple stackable piece constructed of solid natural birch and coated with a thin veneer to accent the beauty of the wood grain. Carine has selected a black laminate finish for the seats of her stools; other color choices are birch, red, and grey. The Alvar Aalto Stool 60 is also part of the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Alvar Aalto Stool photos courtesy of alvaraalto.fi. Carine Roitfeld and Christian "Sisley" Restoin apartment photo © 1998 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Gilson

The last issue of Vogue Paris with Carine Roitfeld at the helm was the March 2011 issue, the one that featured the Dutch, (of course), short haired classic beauty Saskia de Brauw. Among the fashion brands represented in the issue, our Carine featured the lingerie of another Carine — Carine Gilson. La Roitfeld has reverently described Gilson’s work as “the most refined lingerie in the world.”

Ms. Roitfeld is not exaggerating. Carine Gilson lingerie is the most refined lingerie that you can get. Dedicated to artisanal fashion, Gilson uses the most luxurious silk on the market: silk with a luster that illuminates the complexion and a sumptuousness that caresses the skin. The silk is made in Lyon, in the same mill that Hermès uses. The lingerie is handcrafted with the finest Chantilly lace.

Carine Gilson’s start in the lingerie business is a testament to her dedication to quality as well as her own personal tenacity. In 1990, Gilson graduated from the acclaimed Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts , and intent on starting her lingerie business, she quickly found a small lace factory in Brussels. Upon further evaluation, however, it became clear that the factory owners did not know how to produce her lingerie the way she wanted it. No one at the time was making couture-grade lingerie. What was Gilson’s solution? It was to save up, buy the factory, and spend the following four years learning the art and trade of making lingerie by hand, using all the subtle techniques for manufacturing traditional lingerie.

In 1994, Gilson produced her first collection of artisanal lingerie. The result was refined, unique, and although the lingerie was made in the traditional way, it was contemporary in spirit. Barneys picked up the line right away. Gilson has stuck to this formula with great success and her business has since expanded. In 2004, Gilson opened up her own branded shop in Paris and today her lingerie is carried in the most exclusive boutiques across the globe. Gilson produces three collections a year: Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, and Cruise/Swimwear. 

I wonder how a woman lucky enough to don Carine Gilson’s beautiful lingerie feels about having to cover it up. Ms. Gilson’s perspective on this is “L’atelier, c’est mon tresor.” The first person we must seduce is ourselves. Beautiful lingerie enhances how women feel inside. Of course, Carine Roitfeld and Carine Gilson are both privy to this knowledge, we should heed their wisdom...

Images of Carine Gilson lingerie courtesy of carinegilson.com. All Rights Reserved.

Ulrika Lundgren

Do you want to look like a star? Let us examine another fashion label in Carine Roitfeld’s personal arsenal — Rika. This Dutch label focuses on seasonless wardrobe staples that stealthily transform the wearer into an ineffably hipper, more refined version of herself. Think youthful, romantic softness turned out in floaty tops and dresses with high hemlines anchored by leather jackets and you get an inkling of what the brand represents.

Rika is designed by Ulrika Lundgren, a former interior stylist for ELLE Decor and Casa Vogue. Fate had a hand in the start of her brand when in 2005, while on a photo shoot in Spain, she had a local craftsman make a leather tote decorated with stars to be used as a set prop. Lundgren got so many compliments and requests from her fashion insider friends that she immediately had 100 more bags created and sold them all in a flash. Lundgren wisely made the star decoration a brand trademark. Of the stars she says, “A star reminds us of that vintage touch-of-Hollywood class as much as of a contemporary hue of rock 'n' roll.” It was not long before Carine Roitfeld caught wind of the brand and was spotted carrying a Rika handbag, no small feat considering her open disdain for bags.

A natural progression from handbags is Lundgren's wildly successful apparel line that is sold by prestigious retailers such as Opening Ceremony in New York, Colette in Paris, and the global online purveyors of all things hip, La Garçonne. Perhaps the draw is the Scandinavian refinement that tempers the rock 'n' roll edge. The collection has a simplicity and an elegance whose strength is shown in playful details that whisper rather than shout. Call it star quality...

Ulrika Lundgren photographs © 2010 hd.se och Helsingborgs Dagblad. All Rights Reserved.

Rick Owens

Carine Roitfeld’s appearance is a study in contradiction — at once completely glamourous yet unstudied, even a bit messy to boot. Her look is luxe yet undone, detailed yet simple, edgy yet feminine. With her smudged khôl eyeliner, mysterious shroud of hair, and reckless footwear, she has elegant nonchalance down pat. And to whom does Carine Roitfeld turn for the perfect leather jacket? None other than Rick Owens, but of course. Her choice: A black wrap coat, hitting slightly above the knee, a dramatic obi self-belt gently hugging her waist, punctuated by an oversized shawl collar lined in shearling. On closer inspection one notices that the armholes are set high and that the sleeves are cut skinny and a little long, rendered in soft, supple washed leather so as to perfectly scrunch at the wrist. These subtle details make all the difference. Rick Owen’s leather concoctions are tailored to fit the body like a glove and the results are nothing short of incredible. The long sleeves, the small shoulder, the high armholes, the subtle indentation in the lower back are all crafty design tricks that make the wearer appear longer, leaner, and yes, that indentation in back does in fact make your ass look perkier. No extra lunges required.

No wonder Carine is so fond of her Rick Owens coat. But it is not only the tailoring and the incredible ass perkiness that attracts Carine to Owens' work; one cannot deny the parallels in design sensibilities between the two. Owens’ designs have been hailed as glamour-meets-grunge, avant-garde, subversive, edgy, and sexy. He makes leather jackets with rock star styling then makes them sing with couture-like sophistication. Owens himself says, "I try to make clothes the way Lou Reed does music, with minimal chord changes, and direct. It is sweet but kind of creepy. It's about giving everything I make a worn, softened feeling. It's about an elegance being tinged with a bit of the barbaric, the sloppiness of something dragging and the luxury of not caring."

Owens first attracted attention for his designs when one of his jackets appeared in Vogue Paris on Kate Moss. In 2002, he won the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America Perry Ellis Emerging Talent Award. Born and raised in southern California, Owens made the move to Paris in 2003, where he now resides. In 2007, he won the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. In terms of physique, the designer himself casts a striking presence with a hard, honed body, and long, straight, dark hair. Now who does that remind you of?

View a brief video of Carine wearing her Rick Owens jacket at the Dior show during Paris Fashion Week in March 2010.

Carine Roitfeld and Rick Owens photographs courtesy of fullissue.com, trendycrew.com, and Fashion Spot.