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Entries in Kate Ringo Suzuki (16)

samedi
avr.162011

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.

lundi
mars212011

Vogue Paris Covers: Kate's Picks

As a tribute to Carine Roitfeld's influential work at Vogue Paris, we have selected our favorites from her decade of amazing Vogue Paris covers. First we will hear from our editor-at-large in New York, Kate Ringo Suzuki, as she shares her thoughts on the covers that truly shine for her among Carine's brilliant creations...

Vogue Paris covers styled by Carine Roitfeld were the Sirens' call to girls like me — fashion-loving girls slumming it in the Big Apple, without a clue how to speak much less read a stitch of French. Never mind. The Vogue Paris cover called us and its melody was too seductive to ignore. Perhaps what drew us in was the dream that someday, somehow, we too could be as chic as a Parisian femme fatal temptingly clicking her way down Avenue Montaigne in her tight-ass pencil skirt and 4 inch lace-up Alaïa heels. And so despite the cost of our rent, we shelled out $15 a pop without hesitation. Oh, Carine, how you seduce!

As we bid adieu to Carine Rotifeld’s styling for Vogue Paris, let us take a walk down memory lane. I have chosen my top three personal favorite Vogue Paris covers as styled by Carine Roitfeld:

Kate Moss by Mario Testino
February 2001

Ms. Roitfeld’s first Vogue Paris cover comes out with a bang! A striking, sharp image of Kate Moss stops us in our tracks as she peers at us from behind a stick-straight platinum bob. The cover is clean and icy-cool. It has a clarity that is as crisp as a ripe apple and as sharp as a samurai’s sword. Carine, you had us at “Bonjour.”

Vanessa Paradis by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
November 2008

Vanessa Paradis looks as if she were carved straight from marble. The Orientalism of this cover cannot be denied. Red lacquered nails frame her classic visage — made even better by her gap teeth. With red lips to match and perfect black liquid liner, I am mesmerized by her languid look.

Scarlett Johansson by Mario Sorrenti
April 2009

A vision of classic sensuality and unbridled sexiness, Scarlett Johansson practically bursts from her Dolce & Gabbana corset as we catch a voyeruristic glimpse of her from her bedroom. Her smoky eyes communicate far more than words. Oh my, we have caught her in an intimate moment. Can you say, “smoulder”? Her long, amber, wavy mane perfectly suits her creamy porcelain complexion. I cannot tear my eyes away from this image. I even love her signature at the bottom in the orange font.

Vogue Paris cover images © 2001, 2008, 2009 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

mardi
mars082011

Roitfeld Style Tip: Organize Your Closet

As the season changes, do you find yourself craving a whole new wardrobe? Kate Ringo Suzuki, our editor-at-large in New York, is here to tell you how to feel as if you have a fabulous new array of clothing and accessories without spending a dime — organize your closet! Many women that are noted for their style, including Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Giovanna Battaglia, rejoice in organizing their closets regularly. You may be pleasantly surprised at the treasures you unearth…

Roitfeld Style Tip: Organize Your Closet
By Kate Ringo Suzuki 

Everyday Glamour Chicks, it is with pleasure that I present to you my first official guest post in my new role as New York editor-at-large for the ever chic and sophisticated blog, I Want To Be A Roitfeld. You may remember my first guest post for Ms. Kellina de Boer's cult site happened in April of 2010, Everyday Glamour Book Review: Classy by Derek Blasberg. But now I'm very official and important and my head is getting bigger by the minute. So here it goes...

Is your closet a dark abyss containing a jumble of shoes and old clothes languishing in disarray on the floor? Do you repeat the same outfits day in and day out even though you have an inkling that you just might have an impressive trove lurking somewhere in there? Do you leave the house with your hair still wet?? If so, then you may be in need of a little closet organization. Everyday Glamour Chicks, or E.G.C.s, love to get down and dirty and organize their closets. One such E.G.C. is the reigning face of Lancôme, Ms. Julia Restoin-Roitfeld. Julia is young, beautiful, and has fashion and style coursing through her veins. Her mother just happens to be the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, muse to Tom Ford, and genius fashion stylist, Carine Roitfeld. Julia grew up with one fierce maman.

When Julia's hot beau, Robert Konjic (aka Mr. Perfect), wanted to do something special for her, he called her on their anniversary and said, "Look inside your wardrobe." According to Julia, "He'd hidden a present in it before he left — a stingray leather jewelry box." Imagine if your man tried hiding a present in your gloomy mess of a closet. You might never find it. Julia adds, "He was lucky I hadn't already found it, because I organize my wardrobe weekly." She organizes her closet WEEKLY, folks. See what I mean? E.G.C.s never whine about having to organize their closet. They organize with glee, with a glimmer in their eyes. They rub their hands together and whisper to themselves, "I can't wait to organize my closet!”

You may wonder what's so great about organizing your closet. Why bother? The main reason is to remind yourself of all the special pieces you already own. In short, organizing increases the chances that you actually wear what you have. Not just in your fantasy life, in which you are always seen at cool city hot spots or at cocktail parties, but in your real life, in which you spend your time eating Cheetos and Facebook flirting.

Vintage cabaret dress from GaneshaWhen organizing, it is important to keep only what you love. Julia does this. Take for example her description of one of her beloved dresses: "I bought this cabaret dress at Ganesha in Ibiza in the summer of 2006. I saw it in the window, tried it on and it fit me perfectly! It was meant to be. I've only worn it once and it was photographed a lot. It's one of those pieces I can wear at home, for my own pleasure, or I could just frame and hang on the wall." Julia shows us that if you love a piece of clothing but haven't worn it much, it's best to figure out how to wear it, save it for another time, or you could hang it on a wall. Forget organizing "experts" that say if you have not worn something in a year that you should give it away. Quelle horreur ! Those organizers have never owned a purple vintage Gaultier dress purchased for a song in an East Village boutique from a sales girl that was the spitting image of Betty Page. (Well, if Betty Page had a nose ring.)

Sometimes you don't need to hang your clothing on the wall. Sometimes all you need to do is Norma Kamali bathing suitfigure out how to wear that beloved piece, how to pull it together. Julia is an expert at making it work: "This is a Norma Kamali bathing suit I bought at Resurrection. I've never worn it. I almost did this winter in Paris, with tights and a belt but was too cold. I am waiting for that special summer day." Of course Lady Gaga would wear that outfit in the snow with a fierce pair of wooly Chanel mukluks, cold be damned! But Julia is more practical.

E.G.C.s are a pragmatic lot. They understand that when it comes to clothing and accessories, "The less you have the more you enjoy,” as Carine is fond of saying. YSL "Shakira" dressOrganizing your closet can be like shopping in a way — you are likely to discover pieces that you forgot. When you focus on how to work with what you already have, you start to get creative. Here is a glimpse into Julia's creative mind: "This Yves Saint Laurent dress is actually lingerie, which they don't make anymore now. I bought it at New York Vintage on 25th Street. I call it my Shakira dress!" I can relate to this because I have a Victoria's Secret dress that is actually a slip and it was on sale. I bought it on 34th Street. I call it my "Lucky Strike" dress. My point is that organizing helps you realize that it is best to slow down with the shopping for a moment and get creative with what you have.

What about the little lost orphan clothes that you love but simply cannot pull together into any semblance of an outfit? E.G.C.s remedy the Little Orphan Annie syndrome by shopping for fill-in pieces to make the wardrobe cohesive. AHA!! So this is when you can shop! But wait! You may have so many lost orphans that shopping for fill-in pieces would put you on the street. What to do?

Develop your own mini-collection. Pull your absolute favorite seven tops and four bottoms for the season. From there you can work on pulling together outfits from these favorites, accessories included. Out comes a pen and paper at this point, because you will be formulating a list of fill-in shopping. Go ahead, shop for the fill-ins, then put your mini-collection front and center in your closet. Do this twice a year, and you will come out a winner. And don't worry, I promise that you won't have to organize your closet weekly.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photographs courtesy of Fashion Spot, fashionair.com, © 2009 Todd Selby, and © 2010 Natalie Joos. All Rights Reserved.

lundi
févr.142011

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.

samedi
févr.122011

New Editors At I Want To Be A Roitfeld

I am thrilled to announce the addition of two new editors here at I Want To Be A Roitfeld — Milla Msa, editor-at-large in Paris, and Kate Ringo Suzuki, editor-at-large in New York. I hope that you are already familiar with these talented women from their guest posts on this site as well as their own blogs, Kate's fabulous Everyday Glamour and Milla's fantastic Not Just Another Milla. Both will now be providing content for the site more regularly so look forward to reading more wonderful words from them. In case you do need an introduction, here are brief ones adapted from each of their blogs.

Milla MsaMilla Msa, a Parisian by marriage and a Londoner at heart, currently lives in the beautiful 5th arrondissement. When not in the kitchen pretending to be the eternally fabulous Nigella Lawson, Milla spends her time exploring the City of Light, wishing she could call Galeries Lafayette “home”, hunting for the perfect macaron, practising her Japanese on unsuspecting tourists whilst wondering why the French don’t smile, and wishing she had shares in Bottega Veneta. A woman can only dream...

Kate Ringo Suzuki is a Kate Ringo Suzukipersonal stylist in New York City who enjoys helping women who love fashion make the most of their wardrobes (She has been known to help their husbands, too). Kate concentrates on an evolution of style for each client showing fashion lovers how to put together new looks from pieces they already own; develop a collection of amazing outfits that work for different times, places, and occasions (T.P.O. for short); and feel truly confident about how they present themselves at all times.

I hope you will join me in officially welcoming Kate and Milla to the site... Looking forward to much more fashion and fun with all of you!

Bisous
Kellina

Milla Msa photograph © 2010 Milla Msa. Kate Ringo Suzuki photograph © 2010 Kate Ringo Suzuki. All Rights Reserved.