Carine Roitfeld Influences Industry...To Go Flat?

Note this on your calendars: on May 22, Carine Roitfeld was spotted wearing flats at the Amend Charity Luncheon at the Hôtel du Cap. I guess she didn't have an hour to lace up her Alaïas that morning. This in turn has caused Andre Leon Talley to speculate via his Vogue Daily blog that the entire bondage shoe fetish is dead. Hmmm, I believe I will gather more evidence before drawing that conclusion. Because you see, I thought the message was, "Go Hat".

Carine Roitfeld photograph courtesy of fashionologie.com

The Roitfelds in Venice

The 53rd Venice Biennale commenced yesterday and partygoers had to make hard choices. Carine and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld opted to attend the bash onboard the Missoni family's sailboat in honor of the artist exhibiting this year at the US Pavilion, Bruce Nauman. All of the guests were asked to remove their shoes before boarding the Timoteo so as not to damage the boat's delicate teak deck. Bien sûr, Carine was excused from going barefoot because she was wearing her Alaïa laceups which take an hour to lace up.

J'adore the laceup theme twining through Carine's entire ensemble—tying in the pattern of the blouse as well as its laces, winding through the bandage as bondage effect of the skirt, wending its way down to end with the Alaïa beauties. If only we could see the shoes in this photo...

Image of "Human/Need/Desire" (1983) by Bruce Nauman courtesy of Museum of Modern Art
Carine Roitfeld and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld photograph courtesy of Fashion Week Daily

Update on dimanche 7 juin 2009 by kellina

I found a full-length photo of Carine's outfit that includes the shoes...

Being the only person on board wearing heels also means that Carine was four inches taller than everyone else. She is so clever. Note that hostess Angela Missoni is standing on her tiptoes in a vain attempt to keep up with Carine. Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of the Italian edition of Vogue, can be seen in the background wearing black and green. Not sure, but that may be the evening's guest of honor, Bruce Nauman, on the left.

Carine Roitfeld, Angela Missoni, Franca Sozzani photograph © 2009 Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Europe. All Rights Reserved.

Update on mardi 9 juin 2009 by kellina

The white and black blouse that Carine is wearing is also Alaïa and is featured in the June/July issue of Vogue Paris in the editorial sampled above, Love Makes the World Go Round.

Carine Roitfeld in Givenchy at Cannes

I have been waiting patiently for days for photos of Carine from Cannes. Why are so few available? Why is it more likely to find a photo of *$%&^#@ Shannon Doherty at Cannes than Carine Roitfeld, one of the co-chairs of the event?

Finally! Here is a photo of her arriving at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala benefit with designer Kenneth Cole. Though some web sites say she is "twying too hard" here, I think she looks angelic and glamourous in her white Givenchy gown much like a Grecian goddess. She's wearing the Alaïa shoes I love, too, swoon.

However, we are still waiting for Julia to make an appearance on the red carpet....

Carine Roitfeld and Kenneth Cole photograph source: fashionologie.com

How to Get the Carine Roitfeld Look

The Guardian published a delicious little piece of journalism today on a few points where we mere mortals can attain some semblance of the Roitfeld chic. Yes, collectively we may know all these tidbits already but it's pleasant to read them at once as a sort of checklist. For example, I began growing out my poker straight, honey-brown bangs a year ago so that I could peer out from them, so check that one off the list... now for glossy...

Here are the highlights:

The hair
Every editor-in-chief needs a signature hairstyle. Roitfeld's is poker straight, glossy, honey-brown, and falls to her shoulders from an odd centre parting. To emulate, cover part of your face with hair to mysteriously peer out from in that sexy French way.

The makeup
It's all about "le smoky eye" so invest in a good khôl eyeliner. Carine prefers YSL Dessin du Regard Haute Tenue Long-Lasting Eye Pencil in Mink Touch and YSL Eyebrow Pencil. The key to her look lies in the strong, dark brows, which must be perfectly groomed. Leave off the lipstick. And the foundation. Simply moisturize.

The handbag
There is no handbag, silly. She famously hates them, preferring to keep her hands in her pockets. Not for her the lure of the It bag carried in the crook of her arm. At a pinch she might carry a tiny snakeskin clutch.

The jacket
Her preferred styles are edgy, tailored, and chic with a strong biker/rock element. She is always, but always, in black. Roitfeld likes to mix the masculine with the feminine and favours designers such as Balmain, Balenciaga, and YSL, who excel at this.

The skirt
Jeans are for her assistants and holidays, although she's not averse to a denim skirt, providing it meets her sharp-tailored standards. Think sexy body-con dresses and pencil skirts cut to the knee—classic and chic.

The shoes
High, high, high heels. Killer stilettos are by far the fashionistas most flattering and feminine choice. Look for a hidden platform and straps, laces, or buckles aka "bondage light". She hates Uggs and forbids them in the Vogue Paris office. Her favorites include the YSL Tribute and Alaïa (note the belle bells above, sigh).

The legs
Always bare. Even in winter. They must be tanned, lean, and ready for action year-round. The only other option is black opaques. Or covering the entire leg via a thigh high boot.

Bonus: The Guardian also has an in-depth interview with Carine Roitfeld by Jess Cartner-Morley

Interview © 2009 Guardian News and Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Alaïa shoes with bells photo © 2009 KarenCooper.com All Rights Reserved.

The Roitfelds in Cannes

With Carine Roitfeld co-chairing the Cannes Film Festival this year, the Roitfeld dresses are sure to be incroyable. Since they rocked the Balmain and the Lanvin so royally last year, we're sure to see more of these designers.

Look at how beautifully Julia Restoin-Roitfeld has done so of late, not in the black on black we crave, but in glistening emerald Balmain at the Museum of Natural History's Winter Dance...

Then of course she looked amazing in sizzling hot pink Balmain to fête the David Lynch/Christian Louboutin Opening at The Garage in Moscow.

All this goodness aside, I'd like to see the Roitfelds spend Cannes clad head to toe in Alaïa. Though Carine is sublime in the Alaïa shoes in the first photo, I vote for all-Alaïa ensembles for both to help sooth the insults he received from some people with regard to the Met charity. I don't even want to add to it by voicing the actual rudeness displayed by some people, but Julia and Carine are lovely in Alaïa and j'adore the sentiment.

Carine Roitfeld and Juila Restoin-Roitfeld mother/daughter photograph © 2009 Sugar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Juila Restoin-Roitfeld in pink Balmain photograph © 2009 Condé Nast Digital. All Rights Reserved.
Juila Restoin-Roitfeld in green Balmain photograph © 2009 New York Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Update on vendredi 22 mai 2009 by kellina

Carine chose a Givenchy gown paired with Alaïa shoes for the sixteenth annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala event so I was partially right. Best of all, they are the same shoes as last year at Cannes! Carine Roitfeld is the best thing that ever happened to fashion.