Carine Roitfeld: Stylist

In 2007, Rizzoli published a fascinating book, Stylist: The Interpreters of Fashion, which collects the work of sixteen legendary image makers as selected by Style.com, and of course Carine Roitfeld made this exclusive list. Browsing the lavish volume is a fashion education unto itself, with influential stylists such as Polly Mellen, Grace Coddington, Edward Enninful, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, and Karl Templer sharing memorable collaborations and sources of inspiration via interviews with Sarah Mower. Among the talented photographers that collaborated on these iconic images are Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Bruce Weber, Steven Klein, and Juergen Teller. Raul Martinez provided the creative direction for Stylist and Anna Wintour penned the foreword, in which she admits that as a fashion sittings editor she was never particularly good, although she certainly recognizes and champions editors that are particularly good. Which of her most memorable works did Carine Roitfeld choose to share in Stylist: The Interpreters of Fashion? I was hoping you would ask…

"The Butcher" 
The Face, 1997
Stylist: Carine Roitfeld
Model: Eva Herzigova
Photographer: Mario Testino

I love that Carine selected three images from her unforgettable editorial, "The Butcher," the work she considers her most compelling. Also notable, a print of the image above hangs in the home of art connoisseur Simon de Pury.

"Au Pérou, chez les Incas"
French Glamour, August 1993
Stylist: Carine Roitfeld
Model: Helena Christensen
Photographer: Mario Testino

This is one of the most famous of the Roitfeld/Testino collaborations for French Glamour, as well as personal: the location honors the photographer's Peruvian childhood and the model wore a Peruvian sweater belonging to the stylist's father. Trop mignon, non ?

"Néo-Moderne"
French Glamour, 1994
Stylist: Carine Roitfeld
Model: Nadja Auermann
Photographer: Mario Testino

This is the other most famous of the Roitfeld/Testino collaborations for French Glamour, again with a personal angle: the spread is shot in the néo-moderne apartment of Carine Roitfeld and Christian Restoin. Note also that the model lounges about wearing Gucci loafers, attracting the attention of Tom Ford and leading to one of the sexiest collaborations in fashion history.

Gucci by Tom Ford
Collection stills and ad campaign, 1995
Stylist: Carine Roitfeld
Photographer: Mario Testino

While Tom Ford is a talented designer and Mario Testino is an accomplished photographer, Carine Roitfeld must be credited with conducting the electricity that created the iconic Gucci look of 1995. As The New York Times observed at the time, "Imagine waking up one morning expecting Harriet Nelson to be making your breakfast and instead found Raquel Welch, circa 1968, beating the eggs."

"Corps & Lames"
Vogue Paris, February 2005
Stylist: Carine Roitfeld
Model: Gemma Ward
Photographer: Mario Testino

Gemma Ward is anything but innocent in "Corps & Lames," Carine's bizarrely beautiful homage to meat… and polka dots… and sheers… oh my…

Other material that Carine chose to share were images of herself as a young girl, with her family, with her Vogue Paris staff, and of her inspiration board, as well as the portrait below captured by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in March 2003 for V Magazine.

connect with iwtbar bloglovin | facebook | pinterest | tumblr | twitter

Carine Roitfeld editorial images © 2007 Rizzoli. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris August 2004: China Charm

Vogue Paris August 2004: China Charm
By Jessica Eritou

The childlike, delicate elements to "China Charm" in Vogue Paris provide a tranquil motif throughout the editorial. Shot by Craig McDean and styled by Carine Roitfeld herself, this 2004 editorial features Gemma Ward, one of fashion's most missed models till this day. This was a smart move for Vogue Paris to cast Ward as the model because of her soft, delicate features which complement the shoot effortlessly.

However, the shoot tends to fall flat. There is a fine line between cultural appropriation where instead the art becomes a stereotype but the editorial seems to be quite distant from the title itself. Most of the clothes featured Italian designers like Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana. The poses are somewhat predictable and short-lived, yet the reader gets a sense of what Carine Roitfeld was trying to embellish with this shoot. Each of the selected garments were beautifully crafted clothes, yet too high of contrast to grasp the details of the garment.

The first shot captures Ward in a very delicate, overly feminine position showcasing her figure. Her jacket features an Asian inspired Mandarin collared top with nothing on underneath. This is paired with a dark, lush, restrictive wiggle skirt. Underneath are patterned leggings with something you might see on a teapot.

The second shot looks more like an advertisement for the Sony camera featured throughout “China Charm.” This is a very stunning, powerful shot of Ward, but the composition of the shot and the placement of the camera is all the reader can grasp.

A great and successful shot features Gemma Ward in the black, shiny, sleeveless full-length ball gown. Convincingly, this shot does not showcase any of the themes in this editorial nor the title of it, yet it is so simple and profound. Ward is used as a model without any connotations, just simply for fashion.

Another highlight in this shoot was of Ward looking stunning in all red, paired with a beautiful T-strap sandal. There is a story behind this shot, this work now has the reader intrigued as to what is going on due to her body language and pose. Her lavender hair is in harmony with her, perhaps, painted on socks, or hosiery. This is complementary with the hue of the red fur cropped cape and the body-con silk dress. Although each garment is the same hue, the textures contrast wonderfully for this shot.

Gemma Ward is featured in a gorgeous Alexander McQueen dress which artistically combines in every element from the minimalist background she is shot against, to her lavender streaked hair, to the flowers featured on the dress. The Sony camera appears again but used quietly as an accessory and not in the foreground this time. The reader is able to grasp the simplicity and the delicacy of Gemma Ward and the dress with tranquility.

Perhaps the best shot is a close up of Ward in a textured jacket featured a side zipper, holding on to the camera, while she has a simple hair accessory at the top of her crown of hair. There is such a strong emotional sense the viewer can get from this shot. Finally, there is a story to be said. We wonder what is she thinking, why is she positioned that way.

Perhaps simplicity and purity was the goal to this shoot, but overall could have gone much further with more depth to the storyline behind each photograph. Only a select few images grasp the reader's attention as to what is going on in the model's head or the shot itself. The clothing selected is beautiful, but nonetheless I wish Roitfeld and McDean pushed much harder for this editorial. Instead, it leaves a relatively safe feeling, knowing how much more it could have been with their potential.

connect with iwtbar  bloglovin | facebook | pinterest | tumblr | twitter

Vogue Paris editorial image © 2004 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

IWTBAR Contest Winner: David Rebmann

Congratulations to David Rebmann, the winner of the recent I Want To Be A Roitfeld contest! David chose the editorial "Corps & Lames" featuring model Gemma Ward as styled by Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Mario Testino to which he added the IHTEC Cunt Ring to up the rebellious factor. I think it is the perfect touch. The iconic editorial originally appeared in the February 2005 issue of Vogue Paris. David will receive his choice of rings from our sponsor, I Heard They Eat Cigarettes. Thanks to everyone that took the time to enter our contest; please join me in congratulating David in the comments below. To read more, visit his blog Styleabout.

Vogue Paris: Corps & Lames
By David Rebmann

connect with iwtbar bloglovin | facebook | pinterest | tumblr | twitter

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2005 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: Corps & Lames

I present with glee the witty words of editor-at-large, Kate Ringo Suzuki, in which she sharply dissects the dangerous beauty of Carine Roitfeld's legendary editorial, "Corps & Lames," originally published in the February 2005 issue of Vogue Paris.

Carine Roitfeld: Corps & Lames
By Kate Ringo Suzuki 

In 2005 Carine Roitfeld teamed up with legendary photographer Mario Testino to produce the now famous Vogue Paris editorial, "Corps & Lames" (which translates as "Body & Blades"), in which she cast the doll-faced Gemma Ward in a mischievious romp through fashion fantasy. I can just picture the two of them giggling, “Let’s piss off zee stupid Americans who watch Fox News!”

At first blush, Gemma is all childlike innocence with her doe eyes, polka dots, ruffled bloomers (a present from Granny?), and white tights. Slowly we come to realize that the tights are in fact thigh-highs and you can see right through the wisps of polka dot chiffon. Then it hits us: Gemma is a dirty little nymphet. The cheeky wench has removed one of her black dominatrix gloves as to better wield her golden scissors. We watch her cut her Barbie’s hair to match her own hairstyle. I guess Carine and Mario were just getting warmed up because I can think of much kinkier things my friends and I did with our Barbies, and it usually involved a Ken doll.

Where is Humbert Humbert? I think he flew the coop and had the nymphet committed. The scene is set on a cold, sterile stainless steel table in the clinical white madhouse bathroom. One minute she is murderously wielding her scissors at an innocent fish swimming in its bowl, the next minute she is cutting her own eyelashes while simultaneously strangling herself with her single dominatrix-gloved hand. Sista is a psycho — she can’t decide if she’s top or bottom.

The kink doesn’t stop here. Carine and Mario go all out. Gemma is their pretty pawn, whom they maninipulate as easily as a delicate puppet on strings. Sweet Gemma, donning a pure white apron front top juxtaposed with black pantyhose with a back seam, performs some kind of ritualistic surgery on a slab of meat. We watch her bending over that now familiar sterile stainless steel table in the clinical madhouse bathroom. I imagine Mario instructing Gemma, “Bend over… a little more… .a little more. Ahhh, yes! Beautiful!” Click. “Beautiful!! Beautiful!!” Click. Click.

Yes, beautiful! And brilliant.

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2005 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.