Piscine Pontoise

Piscine Pontoise is one of the best-loved pools in Paris and Carine Roitfeld counts herself among its admirers. Famous as a distinctive backdrop as well as a cozy retreat, the picturesque pool lends its ambiance to a memorable sporty-chic editorial for the second issue of CR Fashion Book, “Dive Right In.” Carine describes the inspired setting: "The shoot was done at the Piscine Pontoise, which is one of the most exceptional swimming pools in Paris. I first found out about it from Hedi Slimane years ago. It's great because it is open late at night and they play classical music while you swim."

Located on rue de Pontoise in the Latin Quarter of Paris, the stunning Art Deco landmark was designed by Lucien Pollet and built in 1931. The wrought irons ribs and the opaque glass of the ceiling mesh in a dramatic canopy overhead and mosaics decorate the lobby, giving the pool its unique character. The pool itself is in the basin style and measures 33 meters by 15 meters, divided into six lanes. Surrounding the pool on two levels are 160 private changing rooms and the luxury is enhanced by a personal attendant to open the room for you. Note that in all public pools in Paris, proper swimming costumes are de rigueur: bathing caps or bonnets du bain for everyone and Speedo-style briefs for men. Be sure to bring towels and proper footwear.

Among the illustrious moments in the history of Piscine Pontoise: Juliette Binoche seeking tranquility in the hallowed waters in the film Blue by Krzysztof Kieslowski, Jacques Cousteau testing his first scuba suit before heading for deeper waters, Issey Miyake showing his men’s collection on a catwalk spanning the pool, and Johnny Weissmuller perfecting his trademark Tarzan yell against the Art Deco tiles. Take in a late night swim under the stars at Piscine Pontoise and perhaps the sexy woman winking at you from under her bathing cap in the next lane will be Carine Roitfeld…

Piscine Pontoise photos © Franck Bohbot and L’Internaute Magazine/Agathe Azzis and courtesy of crfashionbook.com, justacote.com, metrofrance.com, flickr.com.

Maryam Kaba

Leave it to Carine Roitfeld to find a sexy form of exercise: Afrovibe, developed by her amazing coach sportif, or trainer, Maryam Kaba. On 17 December, Kaba posted on her Facebook page, "Carine Roitfeld quitte vogue mais ne quitte pas sa coach préférée!!!! au contraire elle aura plus de temps à lui consacrer et les cours seront moins tôt le matin!!!" or in English, "Carine Roitfeld left Vogue but did not leave her favorite coach!! On the contrary, she will have more time to devote to it and the courses will be less early in the morning!"

Kaba's technique consists of two parts: Echauffement Afrovibe to warm up and stretch your head, shoulders, and pelvis before moving into Cardio Afrovibe, a choreographed cardiovascular routine that lasts for a minimum of 40 minutes. While you enjoy moving to the rhythms of the music following Kaba's lead, you are actually targeting various muscle groups to draw on your fat reserves and improving your coordination and rhythm at the same time. Incroyable ! A former French gymnastics champion, Kaba especially likes helping her clients stay focused on the particular goals they envision such as losing weight, quitting tobacco, and building confidence.

Engaging, dynamic, powerful, Afrovibe will have you working out and loving every minute. Try it yourself in the brief videos that Maryam Kaba has kindly shared on YouTube:

Echauffement Afrovibe
Cardio Afrovibe I
Cardio Afrovibe II
Taille/Hanches/Abdos
Renforcement des Bras

Unfortunately we cannot see Carine in the videos but Kaba's style is infectious whomever she is teaching. Even if you do not understand French, simply imitate her movements and you will be working out like a Roitfeld.

Maryam Kaba images courtesy of her Facebook and Youtube pages

Hôtel De Crillon

What is Carine Roitfeld's favorite bar in Paris? She is often seen relaxing with family and friends in the luxurious surroundings of the Hôtel de Crillon. With the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to its right, the Jardin des Tuileries to its left, and the exclusive Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré just behind, few hotels are better located than the prestigious Hôtel de Crillon. Fashion, culture, and the hotel of dreams converge, you really cannot go wrong spending time here.

In addition to hosting a constant stream of guests amidst the luxurious splendor in the style of Louis XV, the Hôtel de Crillon is the spot for some of the hottest parties in Paris including the annual Bal des Débutantes and the Vogue Paris Covers 1920-2009 soirée. Given that the Vogue Paris offices are located just behind the Crillon, it is no surprise that as the magazine's former rédactrice en chef, La Roitfeld would take meetings there if her office was "too mess" — another indication of her strong problem solving abilities.

Clearly the relationship that formed between Vogue Paris and the Crillon during Carine's reign at the magazine has been a positive one. Fashion Week parties are hosted at Hôtel de Crillon now and include a special "Vogue Bar" created just for the week. Complete with cocktails named in honor of VP editors, lucky guests enjoy refreshment in truly fashionable style. My friends and I have scheduled an afternoon tea at Hôtel de Crillon in April; it would be nice if Carine finds time to stop by...

Carine Roitfeld and Hôtel De Crillon photographs courtesy of gourmet.com, crillon.com, and © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Boucheron Quatre Ring

Carine Roitfeld seldom wears jewelry on her hands, preferring not to draw attention to one of the first parts of the body to show signs of age: "I think jewels are beautiful when you are young and when you are old. Because when you are 40 you do not want anything that makes you look older, makes your skin look more wrinkled." This means that the rings Carine chooses to wear are special and one of her finest is the Boucheron Quatre ring which occasionally graces her pinky finger. Crafted from four golds in rose, chocolate, yellow, and white, three of the bands are embossed in patterns of grosgrain, diamond point, and godron and the fourth is polished smooth for contrast. The subtle yet striking drama of the piece results from the fusion of the unusual materials and textures. The House of Boucheron was founded in 1858 by Frédéric Boucheron, acquired by Gucci Group in 2000, and launched its Quatre collection in 2005. If you have a printer and a web camera, you can try on the jewelry virtually via myBoucheron.com and then share your images with friends. Go see how you look wearing Carine Roitfeld's favorite pinky ring...

Boucheron Quatre Ring photograph courtesy of boucheron.com.
Carine Roitfeld photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot.

Diptyque Tubereuse Candle

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld wisely noted that certain smells remind us of home and for her the scent of the Diptyque Tubéreuse Candle always makes her feel as if she is back in Paris with her parents. Carine Roitfeld prefers the scent of tubéreuse (or in English, "tuberose") and burns the Diptyque candles in her home constantly.

It is no wonder that tubéreuse is La Roitfeld's favorite scent as it is one of the most costly ingredients used in blending perfumes. The tubéreuse is a white flower native to Mexico and unusual in that it deploys its heady fragrance at dusk. Described as beguiling, captivating, intoxicating, sensual, intense, enchanting, exotic, tubéreuse does indeed sound like the smell that epitomizes Carine...

The candles by Diptyque are also on par with the Roitfeld standard of quality: the wax is a natural vegetable and paraffin formula custom blended to complement the scent of tubéreuse and distributed properly so that the candle burns evenly. The cotton, lead-free wick is placed into each glass and straightened and trimmed by hand. Talk about white glove treatment! With care, the Diptyque candles will burn for 50 to 60 hours on average so enjoy the essence of Carine while it lasts...

Diptyque Tubereuse Candle image courtesy of diptyqueparis.com.
Tuberose photographs courtesy of candlefind.com and shapingyouth.org.