CR Fashion Book: Waiting In The Wings
jeudi 11 juillet 2013 
CR Fashion Book: Waiting In The Wings
By Jessica Eritou
"How do you remember something that never happened?" “Fondly. You see, Flaubert believed that anticipation was the purest form of pleasure… and the most reliable. And that while the things that actually happen to you would invariably disappoint, the things that never happened to you would never dim. Never fade. They would always be engraved in your heart with a sort of sweet sadness.”
— "In a Lonely Place," Dawson's Creek (2002)
In the second issue of CR Fashion Book, Carine Roitfeld's editorial “Waiting in the Wings” depicts the contrast of reality and illusion gracefully in the dark imagery collected throughout the shoot. Shot by Maurizio Bavutti, each moment of creation is dark, seductive, and lonely. The shapes used in the first shot are soft and whimsical, however the palette is dreary with deeper tones of red and green Gucci shoes and gowns, in contrast to the cold, graphite backdrop. Meanwhile in the front is the reminder to the reader of the illusionistic theme by having an almost circus outfitted model in a black and white Repetto piece. Carine may have chosen this to emphasize that there is nothing black and white about reality by including a frantic, bright, ballerina tutu around the model's collar reminding us that in chaos comes beauty.
This first shot is a great introduction to the rest of the editorial by creating this lonely, almost existential reality for each of the models featured. They are in the shot together but each one, though looking so elegant and sophisticated, appears to be longing for something else unknown. Still incorporating the dance theme Carine Roitfield is able to fill the editorial with ballet references. One cannot help but be reminded of Darren Aronofsky's 2012 Black Swan throughout the editorial.
Despite each dress featured in the next shot being from Bottega Veneta, this shot is so reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2013 campaign shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Karl Templer, down to the cropped 1940s hairstyles of the models. The overall aesthetic to the work is amazing since the light captures the intricate detail of each Bottega Veneta dress, but this shot seems too similar to something that readers will have seen before.
The next model is in head-to-toe Marc Jacobs, again incorporating the black and white theme of the editorial. What makes this shot significant is the manipulation of the image while there is a ghost replication of the, perhaps, sudden movement of the model. Whereas the top is soft with ruffles, in contrast the bottom is a harsh, geometric, hard tailored skirt. Carine Roitfeld always seems to use juxtaposition in her editorials but it never grows tiresome.
Perhaps the next image is the most climatic of the editorial, due to the composition of the shot, each model is faced onto the reader's point of view as if they are directly in their space. The circus-like makeup emphasizes the illusionary, dreamy side of the editorial, meanwhile the models are dressed in very neutral Reed Krakoff, Hermès, and Belstaff pieces, each complemented with a Chanel shoe and Repetto ballets in the background. Without a doubt this is the most flourishing shot of the editorial, as it is captured so beautifully with such emotion given to the reader by the model in the foreground staring back at the camera.
Lastly, Junya Watanabe pieces almost resembling true clown outfits are featured at the end of the shoot, as a ballerina is to the left of the three models in Repetto. There is an eerie element to the composition. Despite the brighter colors and neon highlights, the shot is still very desolate.
With each model inhabiting an “eerie backstage limbo between roles and reality,” the anticipation of Flaubert's theory is demonstrated, wherein that fine line between reality and illusion underlines a sweet sadness that never fades. "Waiting in the Wings" is exactly that limbo of a person's life which never goes away.
More from CR Fashion Book Issue 2: Dance
CR Fashion Book: A Tribute To Dim Dam Dom
By Jessica Eritou
CR Fashion Book: Clearly
By Kristin Sekora
CR Fashion Book: Dance with the Wind
By Dara Block
CR Fashion Book: High Performance
By Montse Ocejo
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Editorial images © 2013 CR Fashion Book.
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