Vogue Paris Translation: Editorial, June/July 2010
lundi 12 juillet 2010 
For her editorial for the June/July issue of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld selected a seductive image to accompany her text featuring Lara Stone and Freja Beha as shot by Terry Richardson and the colors make the photo. The detail of the sunglasses is so fine, all of the accessories add to the mood (the YSL chokers!) but inverting the color and shape of the glasses on the two models is genius. Tough and sexy, Kellina likes. Here is the translation from French to English of La Roitfeld's June/July Vogue Paris editorial:
Si l'été est un peu le dessert des saisons, force est d'admettre que c'est aussi le moment de l'année où la mode n'est plus complètement la priorité : on sculpte le corps, prépare la peau et les cheveux au soleil, et le maillot de bain devient la pièce maîtresse du dressing. Des maillots et des conseils beauté vous en trouverez dans ce numéro, mais pas seulement... La vocation de Vogue, c'est d'exciter le désir en général et celui pour les vêtements en particulier. Coup de projecteur sur les créations de six jeunes stylists mis en lumière par la vénérable ANDAM et dont on va parler, des robes du soir légères comme un souffle photographiées dans les calanques de Cassis, ou encore le meilleur des pré-collections endossé par Lara Stone et Freja, deux égéries de Vogue Paris... Toutes les clés de la séduction estivales sont au programme. Sans oublier, en supplément de ce numéro, un documentaire de 52 minutes consacré aux cinq top models les plus en vue, suivies en exclusivité par Loïc Prigent pendant les dernières collections parisiennes, des backstages des défilés à l'intimité de leur chambre d'hôtel. Un divertissement des plus inspirants.
If summer is the little dessert of the seasons, we are forced to admit that it is also the moment of the year where fashion is not completely the priority: one sculpts the body, prepares the skin and the hair for the sun, and the bathing suit becomes the focus for dressing. Bathing suits and beauty advice you will discover in this issue, but not only... The vocation of Vogue, this is to excite desire in general and for clothes in particular. Spotlight on the creations of six young stylists highlighted by the venerable ANDAM and we must talk about this, the dresses for the night light as air photographed in the creeks of Cassis or even the best of the pre-collections endorsed by Lara Stone and Freja, two muses of Vogue Paris... All the keys to summer seduction are in the program. Without forgetting, in supplement to the issue, a documentary of 52 minutes devoted to the five most prominent top models, followed exclusively by Loïc Prigent during the last Parisian collections, from backstage at fashion shows to the intimacy of their hotel rooms. A most inspiring entertainment.
[Editor's note: Here is a preview of the video.]
Vogue Paris editorial image © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.
Carine Roitfeld in Editorial, Translation, Vogue Paris 
Reader Comments (26)
"The vocation of 'Vogue', this is to excite desire in general and for clothes in particular." I like that Paris Vogue still gets it! Not all the magazines get this right...
so lovely edito! And I like the models there :)
Excellent point, Kate! This is one of the many reasons that Vogue Paris is the crème de la crème of fashion magazines.
Isn't it lovely, LadyLindy? I am happy to hear that you like it. The models are two of my favorites as well.
I adore Carine's use of language " l'été est un peu le dessert des saisons...". Beautiful! I could read her editorials all day long. On the other hand, Terry Richardson absolutely gives me the creeps. I'm not sure what it is, but he unsettles me.
I don't like it (I think it's Lara's glasses) althought I appreciate the colour scheme. Quite unique colour combo. And fall-ish...
Just a little point: souffle = breath
Also I don't know if you can correct this but the dates should read "le 13 juillet" at the bottom and LUNDI, LE 12 JUILLET on the top of the posts. Merci ;)
You've totally inspired me to start picking up Vogue Paris again. A slightly pricey habit that I thought I had broken :p!
Agreed, Milla!!!
Tanya, "souffle" can mean:
1. breath
2. blast
3. breathing
4. blow
5. wind
6. spirit
7. puff
8. souffle
9. whiff
10. windiness
11. chug
12. flaw
As for the date, I have the power to fully customize it and this is how I like it.
Can't believe you were doing without Vogue Paris!!! Welcome back...
; D
I always use to mean breath/to blow souffle/souffler! Chug and flaw? Wow. I had no idea it meant so many things. Thanks for all those definitions Kellina!
And contextually I think the translation "light as air" makes sense. Pity one always loses something in translation. I really don't translate anymore... I just read as is.
LOL thanks for the "welcome back".
Yep, chug and flaw and a whole lot more!
; )
I hear you, I am typically using it in line at the bank as in "Soufflez-moi"... Naughty, I know.
; D
Yes, I would never claim to be the world's greatest translator and I am thrilled to know that you are reading it regardless. I try first of all to be as close to Carine's intention as I can interpret myself, but I also try to imagine how she would say it herself in English having heard her speak some in interviews. Plus as so many have noted, Carine's way with words is beautiful which makes it even more challenging to preserve her voice. One of life's more pleasant challenges...
Just noticed this:
"As for the date, I have the power to fully customize it and this is how I like it."
Kellina you rebel! L'Académie française would not approve!!!! :p
I by no means meant to criticize. I really think you're doing a pretty darn good job at translating Kellina. I experience the frustrations of trying to create a good translation (walking the tightrope between literally translating and trying to capture the mood/context) on a regular basis... which is why I usually just read the original if I know that language.
L'Académie française : soufflez-moi !
"if I know that language" — how many languages do you know? I ask because I would like to study many more but I do not want to lose my French. Is that a silly concern?
Greater than doing a correct translation, I think it's important to try and get the same sentiment as the original piece. Most translations (including my own French to English and Japanese to English) are so utterly dull, I have stopped.
Somehow Kellina, you manage to not only translate, but also keep the reader interested. Considering that French is not your maternal language, I think that's pretty beeping amazing :) We're lucky that we can pick up Vogue Paris and understand it fully, and I love, love, love that you are so keen to share the fabulousness of the magazine that you actually translate it. I'm sure all the non-French readers are singing your praises!
On another note, I read that Coco Rocha is refusing to work with creepy Richardson again. I saw the images as to why... Vulgar to say the least.
I try to follow the language rules as much as possible. I seriously would start confusing myself if I just wrote it how I felt like writing it. LOL (dude I totally am the blog's granny)
Only 3... because I need to and I use them on a regular basis. And yeah when I focused strongly on the 3rd a couple of months ago for about 4-5 months and neglected my french... I found that my french, on an oral level, suffered at the time but when I started focusing on my french the past couple of months it came back stronger than ever. I would really like to learn a fourth actually. But only if I use it... otherwise I don't see the point.
Wow japanese translations?! Is that for work or for fun Milla? I can't even imagine how hard that would be. At least personally I find translating into your maternal language is actually easier than translating into another one.
Milla, a thousand thanks my dear friend! Your kind words regarding my interpretation absolutely make my day! It is definitely a labor of love and I hope that translates.
; )
I will look for the images of Coco Rocha that you mention.
Tanya, rules bore me.
; )
So English and French, what is your third language? And what would you like to study for a fourth?
I know English (duh), French, Spanish, and Latin (fluency in that order) and I would like to learn Italian next. I'd really love a language with new characters such as Russian or Japanese but... not sure what scares me about it...
: D
Here is a pertinent thought as seen on the wonderful blog French Word-A-Day:
Because French often places its modifiers after its nouns, there is a kind of poetry that English cannot, because of how it works, achieve. So, for example, there is the French expression, l'heure bleue, which refers to that often shimmering time between the hours of daylight and darkness. We say “the magic hour” for that concept. It's sort of sad to write that next to l'heure bleue. French knows what to do here. French knows that the concept of “blue” is critical; that time of soft, subtle waning is about hue. French knows that emphasis should be on the idea of blue, but also that sufficient strength is given to the idea of the hour, to l'heure. L'heure bleue sounds like subtle magic.
— From The Soul of Creative Writing by Richard Goodman
Hey Kellina! Does iwanttobearoitfeld.com have an email contact address? I can't find it on the website. We get so OT sometimes I'd rather just email you directly than leave it in the comments :p
As an anglophone I really do find french prettier and more interesting in the way they play with imagery via words (i.e. Serge Gainsbourg) Thanks for posting that quote!
What does OT mean? No, I do not make my email address publicly known but if you leave yours I will email you with the caveat that I have even less time to correspond by email than to blog or respond to comments. I like the comments, they add to the site, it is kind of the point...
Oh, you prob mean off topic, though I was thinking over the top!
; D
I totally agree, I don't think your email address should be public nor do I want mine publicly known. This is why I asked if the site had an email address (e.g. for additional comments/suggestions/questions) and not for a personal email address. I also agree with your comment that comments should be made on the blog but if they are going to go totally off topic I would rather just email them to the site than have them in the comments.
I have a site related question. How does the login work? Is it only for administrative purposes? Or for site members/fans to create a profile? Thanks Kellina!
Je t'en prie ma belle. Je ne savais pas que tu parles espagnol. Viva Espana! Je voudrais apprendre l'allemand, mais je pense que je devrais continuer mes cours de japonais après notre mariage. J'ai été paresseuse...
J'espère que nous allons bientôt passer un après-midi de parler en français. Je vais aller à New York au printemps:)
Tanya - it is for pleasure. I have been studying Japanese for some years now, and am slowly but surely making progress. I don't think I could translate for work; it might just take the pleasure of the language away.
Hi, Tanya! A strange conundrum. How about this, to avoid robots and stalkers as best we can: I will give you a hint to my email address and once you have emailed me, I will take it down. Sound good?
; )
As for the login that is for administration only. I await your email...
Milla, j'aime l'idée beaucoup. Rendez-vous à New York ! Un après-midi au printemps en français. Oui, j'ai appris l'espagnol d'école mais je parler l'espagnol jamais, donc n'est-ce pas facile. Et tu n'es pas paresseuse ! Peut-être un peu éperdu...
; D
Milla je suis vraiment impressioné! I wouldn't be able to learn a language just for fun though.
Kellina I also would like to learn a non-latin character language but I question the usefulness. How often would I be able to practice it, use it, culturally immerse myself in it like I did with my other languages...? I wouldn't want my other languages to suffer since I need them.
Tanya, you still never said, what is your third language?