Carine Roitfeld: The Gentlewoman

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Carine Roitfeld in The Gentlewoman, Issue No. 7, Spring/Summer 2013 photo courtesy of thegentlewoman.com

Vogue Paris February 2003: La Joueuse... Aux Jambes Nues

Vogue Paris February 2003: La joueuse... Aux jambes nues
By Dara Block

I don't know about you, but I always find it fascinating to look back at Carine Roitfeld's history as a stylist and image maker, especially those years in which she was editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris. Since it is February 2013, I thought it would be appropriate to flashback 10 years ago to February 2003 and a provocative editorial she styled that month, entitled "La joueuse...aux jambes nues." For those of you who do not speak French, the title simply translates as "The player… with bare legs." With a title like that you know the editorial is going to be ultra sexy and chic! Let's take an in-depth look inside the pages. 

The editorial was photographed by Mario Testino and features some of spring's hottest looks from 2003. What I find so brilliant about this editorial is that Carine Roitfeld incorporates much of herself into the styling. For Carine Roitfeld, her Russian origins have always been a major source of style inspiration and in this layout you certainly see all that depicted. Louise, the model featured, has a very Carine Roitfeld sensibility mixed in with a Dostoyevsky quality, perhaps like a female heroine in one of his novels. Dostoyevsky happens to be one of Carine Roitfeld's favorite writers… so it's no surprise that she waned to include a subtle Russian literary reference. Just by looking at her, you can tell that Louise embodies a very sexy, strong, yet mysterious way about her... qualities you would definitely find in a female character in a Dostoyevsky novel. I totally admire how Carine Roitfeld blended her Russian heritage and elements of a Dostoyevsky heroine to showcase these cutting-edge spring 2003 looks.

With all that analysis, let's get back to the fashion.... I love the first look featured. Louise looks so chic in her Salvatore Ferragamo black trench coat. The messy hair and smoky eyes work so well together. I definitely see how Carine Roitfeld used herself as inspiration... this look is so her!

I also love the styling of this Rick Owens dress with that sequined Anna Molinari slip-dress placed over... it's an unlikely pairing, but somehow it works in such a mysteriously glam way. Let's also not forget that pose she is giving to the camera. Only Mario Testino could capture such an incognito-chic moment like that. 

Another standout look from the editorial is this soft lavender Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent dress as seen on Louise. The layering and ruffles on this dress are superb. On a side note, this was one of Tom Ford's most memorable YSL collections, so many magazines featured this dress, but I always thought Carine Roitfeld styled it best. She definitely knows how to work and style a Tom Ford creation like no other.... love it when these two collaborate as designer and stylist, such a dynamic bond and style connection they share and this image beautifully shows that!  

The next look featured is a bit risqué, but isn't that why we love Vogue Paris? Louise is seen in an open blouse and fur coat placed over her shoulders. She not only looks confident, but also a bit vulnerable, as well.... love how this image conveys both qualities. You can definitely see that quintessential Carine Roitfeld attitude and style with this photo. Also, in case you cannot tell Louise has purple painted nipples. Yes, only in Vogue Paris can you get away with this racy look, but the idea actually came from Tom Ford! He featured purple painted nipples in his Yves Saint Laurent show that spring season, so it is obvious where Carine Roitfeld took her inspiration.... just leave it to Carine Roitfeld to add something cheeky to catch your attention. 

I can't help but also love this brown Prada silk coat featured on Louise.... the silhouette is perfection! It's not just the jacket, but also her body composition. I totally admire her stance and the way it contrasts with that lavender background. That is actually another hidden Tom Ford influence. His runway set for YSL that season was also lavender. It is quite interesting how Carine Roitfeld even took inspiration from the setting. There are so many tiny details with this layout that it make it so visually stimulating.... I guess inspiration really is everywhere! 

The next look probably has to be my favorite look from the editorial.... who could ever forget this silk kimono bathrobe from Tom Ford's Gucci spring/summer 2003 collection? This was such an iconic season that I still think it about to this day. I so love how cutting-edge and glamourous she looks with her messy hair and purple eyeshadow. That kimono is the perfect complement and I so appreciate the humor and wit of that flower placed over her breast.... très chic! 

Personally, I love the way the editorial ends. Louise looks very alluring in her Valentino sheer black dress. The body language and look in her eyes completely oozes glamour and sex appeal... what Carine Roitfeld does best.

As we can see, it's always a revelation to look back on Carine Roitfeld's days at Vogue Paris. Interesting how with time her editorials have not aged at all... they still look just as fashion forward as they did 10 years ago... I am not sure how she does it, but it certainly is very inspiring! Spring/Summer 2003 will never be forgotten and this editorial proves it, brava Carine!

More from Vogue Paris February 2003

Vogue Paris February 2003: Carine. Emmanuelle. Anastasia. Marie-Amélie.
By Kellina de Boer

Vogue Paris February 2003: Gang Lang
By Kellina de Boer

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

CR Fashion Book: A Woman's Life

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

There is something alluring and magnetic about Carine Roitfeld. Although it's hard to describe this feeling, my mind is always hungry to absorb anything she creates. I love how obsession fuels her creativity. Her new magazine, CR Fashion Book, is a place for her to share her obsessions. In her note to the reader she describes the way she is swept into an obsession, “When something is consuming your thoughts, you suddenly notice it everywhere. When I learned that my daughter, Julia, was expecting, I immediately began seeing babies and new mothers on planes, at fashion shows, in New York and in Paris. Birth and rebirth all around. I became obsessed.” The first issue, “Rebirth,” is a fantasy fueled fashion journey celebrating beginnings, renewal, and family.

My favorite editorial is “A Woman’s Life” photographed by Sebastian Faena, styled by CR, starring Juliet Ingleby, Daniela Braga, Magda Languinge, Stef Van Der Laan, Saskia de Brauw, Clément Chabernaud, Lara Stone, and Aiden Shaw. This high drama story depicts all the stages of a woman’s life: Birth, Childhood, Adolescence, First Lover, The Spirit, Betrayal, Sisterhood, Despair, Rebirth. Each image is thought provoking with a notable dose of CR shock value, of course. What I especially love is the sentimental groove to this story combined with a surreal quality to life. Recognizing yourself in each stage and interpreting the story in your own way.

Carine Roitfeld can make an obsession iconic, which is why I am in awe of her.

More from CR Fashion Book Issue 1: Rebirth

CR Fashion Book: Elsa
By Bernie Rothschild

CR Fashion Book: High On Rebellion
By Jessica Eritou

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 © 2010 Condé Nast and © 2012 CR Fashion Book.

Vogue Paris February 2003

February is a satisfying month for fans of Carine Roitfeld with the release of her second issue of CR Fashion Book and her first issue as global fashion director for Harper's Bazaar. I thought it would be interesting to look back at Carine's work from exactly a decade ago, the February 2003 issue of Vogue Paris. The IWTBAR team will review pieces from the issue throughout the month beginning with this fun look at the preferences of the VP team, fondly known as the French Voguettes. Styled by four different assistants and photographed by Thomas LaGrange, each page examines the individual aesthetic of one of the top Vogue Paris editors at the time: Carine. Emmanuelle. Anastasia. Marie-Amélie. Which is your favorite?

More from Vogue Paris February 2003

Vogue Paris February 2003: Gang Lang
By Kellina de Boer

Vogue Paris February 2003: La Joueuse... Aux Jambes Nues
By Dara Block

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

CR Fashion Book: Elsa

CR Fashion Book: Elsa
By Bernie Rothschild

In her debut issue of CR Fashion Book, Carine Roitfeld made a stunning tribute to the legendary Elsa Peretti with her editorial "Elsa." The editorial itself was inspired by the style of Ms. Peretti during the 1970s as one of the talented scene stealers of that decade. But who is Elsa Peretti really? As we all know, Elsa Peretti is an accomplished woman and one of the world's most renowned jewelry designers. Just recently her long time collaborator Tiffany & Co. paid her the staggering amount of $43 million to buy out her famous open heart necklace design, one of the company's best selling assets. Peretti has worked with Tiffany's since 1974 and has designed some of their most iconic pieces including Carine Roitfeld's favorite scorpion pendant which became a part of her fashion style.

Besides being one of the most prominent jewelry designers, Elsa Peretti has a very interesting and inspiring persona. Elsa was born to a very wealthy family in Florence, Italy, in 1940. She studied in Rome and Switzerland and became a French teacher for a brief period. Bored with her life, she went to Spain to become a model and quickly developed as the favorite of Salvador Dali. Elsa was one of the top models of the swinging 60s. She then went to New York where she shone as a favorite model of the legendary Diana Vreeland who became her mentor and friend.

Elsa Peretti emerged as one of the icons that characterized the glittering 70s. This became her shining moment. Her glamorous presence in the social scene — together with her contemporaries Marina Schiano, Marisa Berenson, Benedetta Barzini, and Loulou de la Falaise — influenced the style of that decade. She was one of the fixtures of the hedonistic Studio 54 where she socialized with the likes of Truman Capote and Andy Warhol.

On top of that, Helmut Newton photographed Elsa for French Vogue wearing a bunny hat by Halston (her best friend) on top of a building in New York and the image became synonymous with the sexual decadence of the 1970s. Proving that she is not just another pretty face or social scene stealer, Ms. Peretti reinvented herself as a jewelry and accessories designer. She is well known in the fashion world as the muse of Halston. She once stated "I had a deep love affair with Halston, without having a love affair." They became close collaborators and Peretti designed Halston's trademark perfume that grew to be the top selling fragrance of all time next to Chanel No. 5. She also designed the famous sterling silver buckle belt on which Tom Ford based his Fall 1996 collection for Gucci as well as jewelry for Giorgio di Sant' Angelo (one of the most famous designers of the 1970s) and Oscar de la Renta.

Peretti's designs are not intimidating and grandiose, instead simplicity and elegance developed as her winning technique and revolutionized jewelry design. The "Elsa" spread in the debut issue of CR Fashion Book is just a perfect definition of how colorful Ms. Peretti's life is but also an interesting intellectual character that made her a success in her game. Long live the Queen of Tiffany's.

More from CR Fashion Book Issue 1: Rebirth

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

CR Fashion Book: High On Rebellion
By Jessica Eritou

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. Elsa Peretti photos courtesy of Condé Nast and elseperretidesign.blogspot.com