Carine Roitfeld: La Panthère Ose

Milla Msa, editor-at-large in Paris, shares with us her views on the controversial editorial “La Panthère Ose” styled by Carine Roitfeld and shot by Tom Ford for the December 2010/January 2011 issue of Vogue Paris. In the twisted “La Panthère Ose,” Crystal Renn is made to look like a vain, rich cougar, fighting against age for all she is worth, surrounded by a cast of assorted young male models tending to her vanity and aiding in her illusion. Thank you, Milla, for your important message; I hope anyone considering cosmetic surgery will think twice due to your wisdom.

La Panthère Ose
By Milla Msa 

I made no secret of the fact that the December 2010/January 2011 issue of Vogue Paris, guest edited by Mr. Tom Ford himself, was by far the best issue of the year. Carine Roitfeld and Tom Ford are an editorial dream team and therefore a complete delight for the reader. One of their most bizarre editorials from the issue, “La Panthère Ose,” features Crystal Renn post-plastic surgery as styled by Madame Roitfeld and photographed by Monsieur Ford. Knowing how beautiful Crystal is only serves to amp up the shock of seeing her recovering from what I view as pointless operations.

Wearing emerald green Gianvito Rossi sandals and a Carinesque zebra print by Azzedine Alaïa, it is easy to be seduced by those perfectly toned legs and rich-chick jewels but not even a beautiful Lanvin silk scarf can distract from Crystal's bandaged visage as she recovers from a full face lift and nose job. I have seen the documentaries, I know the bandages!

As we progress through "La Panthère Ose," poor Crystal just gets worse and worse. Following the full face lift, we see the beautiful model recovering from a breast augmentation. There she is, gorgeous figure, with her boyfriend (and yes, I mean “boy”) washing her. One can only imagine her pain and her fear. Why do we put bodies through this? Yes, Vogue Paris is distracting us with high fashion pieces but the reality of post-surgery remains the same for the average person. The toy-boys, a well-placed can of Diet Coke, and the bling-bling lend credence to my theory that this woman is looking for something to make her feel complete and relevant: a younger man who despite the pick of younger women wants her, a skinny figure, because in her world that's the only way to be sexy, and most of all, luxury items to keep her feeling like a goddess, all whilst covered in bandages. Oh the irony...

Few images are as powerful and disturbing as Crystal lying back with the blood from her eyelid lift clearly visible and swollen lips as she holds her head and chest in pain, whilst her boy toys attend to her every whim, including ensuring she is wearing just enough Chanel N°5 — vital post-boob lift treatment, of course! Her eyes captivate me and her true fragility is exposed. I feel some connection to this image, some need to share it as I feel like her eyes are asking “How did it come to this?” — I wish I had the answer.

Wearing a silk and python Altuzarra dress and posing with a Tom Ford clad hunk, a scary looking, plump lipped, and feline eyed Crystal shows off her new look much to the horror of the viewer. Gone are the youngsters; she has her new face to make her feel good now. Her sunken cheeks and raised hairline only add to the severity of the look. Ladies, is this really attractive to you? I know people have plastic surgery but nothing pushes me farther from the surgeon's knife than images like this. Imagine what the real thing looks like.

Carine went to great lengths to produce a story so tragic it is almost comical. The relationship among wealth, style, self-worth, and cosmetic surgery is constantly questioned here; how can one be stylish when bandaged up like a mummy? The main question I feel the editorial poses, and one very relevant to all ages, is “How can we understand the beauty of Lanvin, Hermès, and Cartier, yet be blinded to our own natural beauty?” Honestly, I have no idea but I hope that long after my wrinkles become more apparent, I will always view elective plastic surgery as unnecessary and so very unglamorous.

[Editor's note: Julia Restoin-Roitfeld shares her mother's disdain for plastic surgery, recently telling Glamour, “Wrinkles can be beautiful. They’re part of who you are, your charm and your history. And I’m not for plastic surgery — I’d feel like I was cheating on myself."]

Vogue Paris editorial image © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris Translation: Editorial, February 2011

Below is the editorial that Carine Roitfeld authored for the February issue of Vogue Paris and my translation of her words from French to English.

Ce premier numéro de l'année met le cap sur l'Italie, les Pouilles précisément, et expose au soleil les 65 total looks de l'été prochain élus par Vogue. Couleurs débridées, imprimés en liberté, audace assumée... la saison est à la mise en scène extrême de soi. ‹‹J'ai adoré la mode››, dit Edmonde Charles-Roux, écrivain, seize ans à la tête de Vogue, présidente du Goncourt, que nous avons rencontrée et qui évoque une vie comme un roman. Celle de Colin Firth basculera peut-être bientôt. Époustouflant en souverain bègue aux prises avec ses complexes, il est en pole position pour décrocher l'oscar et se confie en exclusivité. On croise les doigts pour lui.

This first issue of the year sets sail for Italy, Puglia specifically, exposed to the sun and the 65 total looks for this summer selected by Vogue. Unbridled colors, printed in freedom, audacity assumed... the season puts the self at center stage. "I adore fashion" said Edmond Charles-Roux, author, sixteen years at the helm of Vogue, president of Goncourt, whom we met and who evokes a life like a novel. That of Colin Firth may switch soon. Astonishing as a sovereign struggling with his stammering complex, he is in pole position to win the Oscar and confides in us exclusively. Our fingers are crossed for him.

Vogue Paris editorial image © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: Tango Des Passions

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at I Want To Be A Roitfeld! The new editorial team came together to offer our different perspectives on "Tango des Passions" from the February 2006 issue of Vogue Paris; below are our thoughts. The editorial was clearly styled by Carine Roitfeld, photographed by Mario Testino, and included the models Mariacarla Boscono, Patricia Schmid, Milagros Schmoll, and Marta Berzkalna among others. What do you think of "Tango des Passions"?

KATE: I like the futuristic, floral vibe of this editorial. The models somehow look like pretty flowers even when they are not wearing a floral print. They are beautiful images but what is the story line here? Something about a girl who danced so hard that now she needs crutches. All I know is that those pink boots are hot.

KELLINA: Those boots are hot! I especially love that Carine contrasted them with the mint green wall for even greater effect. This is highly styled hedonism, Kellina likey! Wait a second though, isn't anyone going to mention the black rubber hoses worn by the women in the opening shot? What does Carine say about this one... "Démesure nouveau continent et influences europénnes, Buenos Aires s'offre en théâtre de mode, où le souffle du style de la plus parisienne des villes argentines se mêle aux ambiguïtés du désir et des corps." or in English, "New continent excessiveness and Europen influences, Buenos Aires offers a theater of fashion, where the breath of the style of the most Parisian of Argentine cities mingles with the ambiguities of desire and the body." C'mon, Carine, the tango has a great beat but it's so heteronormative — where is the excess, the ambiguity? The boots though, C! Those boots are hot!

MILLA: The sheer debauchery makes my life seem incredibly dull; I want to pose on the mantelpiece and do kung-fu in a ball gown. Who doesn't?! The illusional submissiveness as the women are tied up, arrested, and told off intrigues me, as they attempt to cast a spell over the viewer. This is very Carine! This editorial actually reminds me of when Giovanna Battaglia broke her toe and she, unlike you and I who would stay home with painkillers, went for cocktails in London! Now that's a woman who loves a party!

For more hearty Valentine's Day fun, check out "Girl Meets Boy" as styled by Emmanuelle Alt on I Want To Be An Alt or "Valentine's Day Treatise" on Everyday Glamour.

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2006 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: Death Of A Boxer

In digging through my archives I unearthed this little gem of an editorial by Carine Roitfeld titled "Death of a Boxer" in which she seeks "a pair of pants which guarantees permanent pull-'em-off pulling power." La Roitfeld selected briefs by Yves Saint Laurent, Helmut Lang, Valentino, Gucci, John Paul Gaultier, and Hugo Boss to try to take down the classic boxer, a tough challenge but Carine posed worthy contenders. In my humble estimation the clear winner is YSL — pull-'em-off, honey, pull-'em-off! Her sexy bit of styling appeared originally in the Spring/Summer 1996 issue of Arena Homme + with Mario Testino shooting the photographs. What do you think, boxers or briefs?

Arena Homme + editorial images © 1996 Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: Le Grand Jeu

I find myself in the mood for warmer weather and fewer clothes so let's take inspiration from this sexy editorial "Le Grand Jeu" styled by Carine Roitfeld for the September 2003 issue of Vogue Paris. The model is Carolyn Murphy, basking in the luxurious setting of the InterContinental Carlton in Cannes; Mario Testino had the pleasure of shooting the editorial with makeup by Tom Pêcheux and hair by Samantha Hillerby.

What is the game that Carine has in mind? She describes it thusly: "De ses ongles laqués rubis à l'imprimé fauve de sa blouse en mousseline, de la fièvre en centimètres de ses escarpins au bleu aphrodisiaque de ses yeux, tout chez elle respire la féminin exalté. Un sex-appeal solaire qui attise la convoitise et peut rendre fou." In English: "From her ruby lacquered nails to the tawny printed chiffon of her blouse, from the fever of the centimeters of her heels to the blue aphrodisiac of her eyes, everything about her exudes the impassioned female. A solar sex appeal that stirs the lust and can drive you mad." Kellina likes the heat...

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2003 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.