Vogue Paris: La Fee Toxique

Throughout the month of March, the IWTBAR team will explore Carine Roitfeld's farewell issue of Vogue Paris from March 2011. From "Cœur a Corps Perdu," Carine's absurdly humorous soft porn tribute to her successor by way of the film Emmanuelle, to the lively and surreal "Audace Manifeste" as styled by Giovanna Battaglia, the last issue of Vogue Paris edited by Carine Roitfeld never fails to inspire.

To lead off the exploration, we begin with a look at "La Fée Toxique," a brilliant decision by Carine to feature Victoire de Castellane in her last Vogue Paris at the same time that the revolutionary jewelry designer was launching her first solo exhibit, Fleurs d’excès, at Galerie Gagosian Paris.

Styled by Olivier Lalanne and shot by Juergen Teller, "La Fée Toxique" displays the surreal gems from Victoire de Castellane's exquisite ten-piece Fleurs d’excès collection. In a strange twist, her precious pieces are named for illegal narcotics although she herself abstains: Extasium Ethero Coïtus, Opium Velourosa Purpa, Acidae Lili Pervertus, Quo Caïnus Magic Disco, L. Es Déliriuma Flash, Cana Bisextem Now, Héroïna Romanticam Dolorosa, Amanita Santane Diabolus, Crac Bouminalum, and Crystalucinea Metha Agressiva. The shoot is set in the colorful apartment of de Castellane and in the background we can see the childhood watercolor paintings of her husband, Thomas Lenthal.

De Castellane was destined to collaborate with Chanel, having being raised by her uncle, who happened to be one of Karl Lagerfeld's principal assistants. After 14 years spent overseeing Chanel's costume jewelry designs, inspiring the collections, and even walking the runway at times, de Castellane became creative director of Christian Dior fine jewelry in 1998 where she continues to create today.

In 2006, Victoire de Castellane was chosen by Sofia Coppola to play a small part in her film Marie Antoinette and in 2007, the talented jewelry designer was awarded the Légion d’Honneur, clearly the epitome of a Parisienne original. If you would like to learn more about the work of de Castellane, I recommend Dior Joaillerie and Victoire de Castellane, Fleurs d’excès.

More from Vogue Paris March 2011

Vogue Paris March 2011: Audace Manifeste
By Dara Block

Vogue Paris March 2011: Body Secrets
By Bernie Rothschild

Vogue Paris March 2011: Coeur À Corps Perdu
By Kate Ringo Suzuki

Vogue Paris March 2011: Expression Figurative
By Jessica Eritou

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

CR Fashion Book Issue 2 Launch Party

Carine Roitfeld celebrated her second issue of CR Fashion Book with a lavish soirée in the salons of the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris. As the theme for the issue is dance, you might imagine the evening would focus on dancing… A sampling of guests were asked to pick a favorite dance: Jessica Chastain loves to jitterbug, Karl Lagerfeld likes to tango, Riccardo Tisci prefers to salsa, and Carine Roitfeld adores ballet, which was reflected in the evening's entertainment. The principal ballerina for the Paris Opera, Marie-Agnès Gillot, performed with Vincent Chaillet to the song "O mio babbino caro." Chaillet then shared the first dance of the evening with Carine Roitfeld.

The lengthy star-studded list of guests that turned out in support of CR Fashion Book included Christian Restoin, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Jessica Alba, Fabien Baron, Giovanna Battaglia, Sara Battaglia, Mariacarla Boscono, Hamish Bowles, Adrien Brody, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Claire Courtin-Clarins, Saskia de Brauw, Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, Victoire de Castellane, Delfina Delettrz, Alice Dellal, Anna Dello Russo, Peter Dundas, Alber Elbaz, Isabeli Fontana, Magdalena Frackowiak, Stephen Gan, Daphne Groenveld, Jamie Hince, Kate Moss, Karlie Kloss, Hannelore Knuts, Karolina Kurkova, Johan Lindeberg, Margherita Missoni, Alison Mosshart, Arizona Muse, Gaspar Noé, Tom Pecheux, Pier Paolo Piccioli, Gareth Pugh, Gaia Repossi, Alexandra Richards, Francesco Russo, Francesco Scognamiglio, Ulyana Sergeenko, Amanda Seyfried, Caroline Sieber, Joan Smalls, Mario Sorrenti, Jessica Stam, Olivier Theyskens, Riccardo Tisci, Anthony Vaccarello, Giambattista Valli, Harley Viera-Newton, Edita Vilkeviciute, Ellen von Unwerth, Alexander Wang, Kanye West, and Olivier Zahm.

To see more of the soirée, view the video published by Mercedes-Benz, a staunch supporter of CR Fashion Book and the sponsor for the Parisian launch.

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Carine Roitfeld et al photographs courtesy of fashionguru.com.cn, buro247.ru, nextmodels.com, socialitelife.com, crfashionbook.com, purple.fr

CR Fashion Book: High On Rebellion

CR Fashion Book: High On Rebellion
By Jessica Eritou

Photographed by Jamie Morgan for the first issue of CR Fashion Book, the editorial “High on Rebellion” pleasantly unifies the juxtaposition and hard edged basics with subtle, feminine accents.

The first page features a motorcycle jacket from Calvin Klein which is the epitome of rebel iconographic style. The only caption features the words “Seeking peace, love, unity, respect” which could be an ode, or play on words with the raving community (P.L.U.R.) whom get a lot of negative insurgent reputations. Next is a tutu from Sansha. But it is not the combination of the two that sets this editorial right. In typical Carine Roitfield style, there is always a twist. The model is wearing a reinvented gas mask with floral accents inside and a delicate rose by the mouthpiece. Very subtly, this combination is quite the polarity without the yearning most stylists try when creating drama between two elements.

The next shot features Magda Laguinge in a fur skirt and jacket by Fendi, with natural makeup and hair. This can be an ode and the clash between beast and nature, with primitive elements mixed with her smelling the flower in hand. The shape of the jacket is exquisite, with the detailing on the sleeve and a peplum bottomed edge.

Jamie Hewlett, the comic book artist, co-creator of the band Gorillaz, and fashion designer, contributed a sketch to this editorial featuring his signature style and graphic hard edged sketches. When you view Hewlett's work, it is instantly recognizable. There's a new age soldier with tiny elements and odes to people like Jim Morrison. One could argue Hewlett is making his own political statement but since he adds quirky bits it could be considered satire at the same time.

Next the model is sporting a Nina Ricci sweater which almost gives an Isabel Marant, late 70s Missoni vibe, paired with a leather Kenzo jacket, again in military style with a KSI NYC hat. The composition of the shot is very bold and direct. The soft, luscious sweater parallels wonderfully with the rest of the styling in the outfit. Perhaps it is due to the open-knit stitching of the sweater which helps open up the body and gives the viewer a nice balance of concordance.

Magda is seen wearing a gorgeous Pucci dress holding a white flag, representing another military motif. The dress itself is dawned in detail but with almost an athletic presence to it. There is a great deal of wearability and effortlessness to Pucci and Carine Roitfeld captured this perfectly. The same tones and hues featured on the Pucci dress are followed with the last photo of Madga wearing the helmet (Ministry of Acquisitions) with the same floral colors and line. This is paired with a military coat from Max Mara.

Although this is a great start to Carine's work, I wish there could have been a third element added to this other than hard-edged clothing and symbolism meets feminine motif parallels. It is shot beguilingly, however, CR could have subsumed another perspective to this editorial that not already been done before.

More from CR Fashion Book Issue 1: Rebirth

CR Fashion Book: A Woman's Life
By Renee Hernandez

CR Fashion Book: Elsa
By Bernie Rothschild 

CR Fashion Book: Hush Little Baby, Don't You Cry
By Kate Ringo Suzuki

Inside the Pages of CR
By Dara Block

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Editorial images © 2012 CR Fashion Book.

CR Fashion Book: Clearly

CR Fashion Book: Clearly
By Kristin Sekora

In the second issue of CR Fashion Book there is a layout named "Clearly." Continuing Carine Roitfeld’s choice of the theme of dance for this issue, which she has studied privately for the past year and a half, the pages are filled with five images of the nude body of a ballet dancer in exercise and dance poses intermingled with beautiful art-quality see-through accessories. The stylist is Michaela Dosamantes.

In the first photo the dancer is in a split with her leg bent behind in back attitude, a practice stretch pose, all the more to take advantage of the soft PVC plastic of the glorious Givenchy shoe she carries on her foot. The shoe’s clear Lucite heel reveals a patterned interior and rests on the silver metal of a heel. The dancer’s perfectly pointed toe is revealed through the plastic. But in this first photo we begin to get the sense that the clearness that Carine Roitfeld intends for us is not the clarity of light but perhaps the see-through quality and nebulousness of a vacuum. Yes, CR is truly a woman of mystery and not to be taken for granted. Why does the dancer have no head? It cannot just be that it is behind her shoulder. No, it is gone. And most shocking of all, for a woman who once published a photo of a model with the Gucci logo shaved into her pubic hair, here Carine has airbrushed the dancer’s sex. The dancer has been defaced in more ways than one. CR is playing with us when she uses the word "Clearly."

However, examined closely, the pores of the dancer’s body are clearly seen, exfoliated with MAC Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. The choice of a dancer instead of a fashion model goes beyond a mere adherence to the ballet theme, for Carine is showing us that the dancer is as dedicated to her art as the truly fashionable woman is to hers. The toughness of the sinews, the tightness of the muscles, all are mirrored in a woman’s pleasure in the touch and feel of the fashion objects with which she surrounds herself.

The photographer, Brigitte Niedermair, known for her startling female nude imagery such as the juxtaposition of a woman’s naked buttocks with a fecund cow’s udders, continues such imagery here. In the next two photos, we encounter perhaps the most beautiful art-quality objects, placed by Carine Roitfeld in the most disturbing context, for our eye is suddenly shocked by what seems to be flesh in an abattoir held by blocks of preserving ice. Is Carine saying that in some way beauty is cold? That we pay too high a price for it? Even the juxtaposition of the two photographs suggests shards of ice coming together. The objects here are incredible. On the left is a Gucci Plexiglas box to hold the lovely contents of a lady’s evening. On the right is a Valentino minaudière of such exquisiteness that it will be handed down for generations. It is Plexiglas, tiny, with the appearance of cut glass, with square marcasite-covered areas and a short burnished silver-toned chain.

In the final two photos, as in all the others, the dancer is contorting herself for fashion. She bends over backward to appreciate the beautiful Hermès cuff on the left. On the right, she does backbends over a PVC Michael Kors shoe with a Lucite heel. Is Carine Roitfeld at base cynical about fashion? I think not. These are exquisite art-quality fashion objects, not just everyday accessories. Carine has "Clearly" chosen to display them against the pristine beauty of a dancer's skin.

More from CR Fashion Book Issue 2: Dance

CR Fashion Book: A Tribute To Dim Dam Dom
By Jessica Eritou

CR Fashion Book: Dance with the Wind
By Dara Block

CR Fashion Book: High Performance
By Montse Ocejo

CR Fashion Book: Waiting In The Wings
By Jessica Eritou

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Editorial images © 2013 CR Fashion Book.

Carine Roitfeld: Belle De Jour

Net-A-Porter publishes an online magazine titled The Edit and the 28 February edition features Carine Roitfeld in an unbelievably sexy editorial styled by herself along with an engaging interview. In the editorial "Belle de Jour," Carine elegantly models pieces by designers such as Rick Owens, Carine Gilson, Equipment, Bottega Veneta, and Miu Miu. The photographs are by Sebastian Faena.

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Carine Roitfeld photographs © 2013 net-a-porter.com.