Vogue Paris December 2003/January 2004: Catherine Deneuve

I am absolutely thrilled to share with you today's guest post — a dazzling review by Dara Block from Sisters in Black Frocks in which she analyzes the December 2003/January 2004 issue of Vogue Paris featuring Catherine Deneuve as guest editor. Carine Roitfeld excelled at selecting intriguing guest editors for her special December/January issues and Deneuve was her iconic first choice. The inspired issue captures an intimate glimpse of the French legend's life commencing with the seductive cover shot by Mario Testino and concluding with the charming likeness by Sempé. Dara's review makes me feel nearly as if I am looking at the issue myself, I hope you will enjoy her lively and thorough analysis as much as I do.

If I had to decide what I love most about the magazine Vogue Paris I would have to say the December/January guest editor issue. I bought my first copy in 2005, and from that year on it has become an annual tradition. If there was one issue I really regret not purchasing at the time of publication it would have to be the Catherine Deneuve issue from 2004. I remember looking through it, but for some reason I decided not to buy it... what a terrible mistake. Years later after searching on eBay, I was finally able to get my hands on it and what an issue it is! Now with Carine Roitfeld departing Vogue Paris I am really starting to appreciate the beauty of these special collector issues. Catherine Deneuve was actually the first guest editor for the magazine... I think Carine made a perfect choice!

The magazine is separated into five sections. The first, Deneuve à la mode, features images and analysis of iconic moments from her films such as Repulsion (1965), Belle de jour (1966), La chamade (1968), Le sauvage (1975), and The Hunger (1983), to name a few. These film stills clearly illustrate her impact on French cinema through her performances and her sense of style. She definitely knows how to act for the camera. If you are a fan of Deneuve's fashion on screen this section is for you.

The second section entitled Mon blond discusses Catherine Deneuve's iconic blonde hair color. Yes, her hair color. It seems that women continue to be inspired by her signature blonde locks. This part of the magazine even offers advice from hairstylists and professionals on how to achieve that perfect shade of blonde... just like Deneuve herself.

Part three, Deneuve: The Other Blonde of Cinema: A Portrait, is my favorite part of the issue. It features gorgeous photos of Deneuve taken by photographer Mario Testino and a collage of her favorite looks from various Vogue layouts throughout her career. She really is quite astonishing in front of the camera, as both a model and an actress she can take on any persona. I feel so proud to say that I actually own the Lanvin dress that Catherine Deneuve herself is wearing in this montage.

The fourth part of the issue is entitled intimately Deneuve: The Star's Portfolio and collects the things that have inspired her throughout her life, ranging from mementos such as a letter written to her from photographer Bruce Weber, a photo taken of her by Richard Avedon, a cute drawing made by fashion designer and dear friend Yves Saint Laurent, to even the beauty products that she keeps in her bathroom (and refrigerator!) in Paris. It is very cool to discover these small details... that's what I love so much about Vogue Paris... it gets so personal and even a little quirky!

Following the look at her influences is a little bonus section with photos taken of Deneuve in 2003 by Mario Sorrenti. She looks so stunning in these photos with that natural green background. She proves that women can be beautiful at any age.

The final part of the issue is entitled Sempé: The Graphic Artist Moves Into Deneuve; His Neighbor. It is a stylish cartoon about Deneuve in his adorable style that you may recognize from covers of the New Yorker. Clearly she is comfortable making fun of herself and her iconic persona... I love that Catherine Deneuve doesn't take herself too seriously.

I would have to say that the Catherine Deneuve Vogue Paris issue is definitely one of the most intriguing special guest editor issues. It is on par with the issues created by Sofia Coppola and Charlotte Gainsbourg, two of my past favorite guest editors. This issue is more like a scrapbook of memories than a magazine. You get to flash back on Deneuve's career and see her influence on film and fashion today. There is something so personal and unique about this issue, it's almost as if you are having a conversation with Catherine Deneuve about her life and all the things that have inspired her artistically. Yes, this December/January issue has lots of style, but there is also something educational about it, too. I learned about the films she likes, the actors and the musicians she admires, and even more obscure details like her favorite nail polish brand or what she likes to keep in her refrigerator. For sure, I got to see a different side of Catherine Deneuve that I typically do not see in publications. I am quite proud to add this issue to my collection of inspirational Vogue Paris magazines. I guess if I could use one word to sum up this issue it would have to be — Deneuvely!

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2003 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.

Carine Roitfeld's Last Vogue Paris

Just in time for the release on newsstands tomorrow, our Paris editor-at-large Milla Msa shares with us her monthly review of Vogue Paris; the news is bittersweet because of course the March issue is Carine Roitfeld's last. One bit of sweetness: I was thrilled to see that Carine chose a photograph of herself to illustrate her last editorial and best of all the photograph was taken by Pierre-Alban HF from The Crowd, a regular contributor to the site. In fact, I am delighted to note that this same photo appeared on I Want To Be A Roitfeld last December in "Carine Roitfeld In The Crowd." Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Pierre!

Carine Roitfeld's Last Vogue Paris
By Milla Msa 

Everybody you know and their priest has been talking about it for months and here it is, on my dining table: Carine Roitfeld’s last issue of Vogue Paris. How lucky am I?! Very, people, very. The cover, which some find dull and, well, lacking in Carine’s usual controversy is considerably better in reality though I’m still not sold on Saskia de Brauw’s eyebrows. I’ll get the negatives out of the way first: far too much advertising. It’s like the September issue of Vogue US, and that’s not a good thing.

Carine’s handwritten "Edito" is positive, grateful, and there is a real you-have-not-seen-the-last-of-me vibe. Her sign-off reminds us to look out for our girl. I love the final line:

“C’est parce que tout doit finir que tout est si beau... À bientôt.”

The more I learn about Carine — and it only hit me recently when I read her Style.com interview — the more I respect her. This is a woman who does her best and as long as she’s happy with that, who cares what others think. Of course I don’t know her, and what you see of any public figure isn’t enough to judge, but I get the impression that Carine is strong, honest, and very genuine. Sweet, no, but yes, there is something very genuine about her. I love the personal touch of her words by her hand and add the background image of Madame Roitfeld with her trademark hair-in-face pose which just screams confidence. [Editor's note: This is the photograph by Pierre-Alban HF.]

She thanks Condé Nast chairman Jonathan Newman for allowing her to completely express herself. More importantly, she thanks us — the Vogue Paris readers for our loyalty to the magazine. Was Carine sacked? Did she agree to start Vanity Fair/Harper’s in France? When will we next see her? I don’t have the answers (yet) but this issue could not have arrived at a better time. It has reminded me to stay focused and to do what is right for me as Carine’s tone mirrors the motto I adopted at 18 years old: “Absolutely no regrets.” I cannot wait to see what she does next. I am going on record as calling this the best Vogue Paris "Edito" ever.

One thing we don’t see very often in Vogue Paris are new designers, so why now? Sonia Rachline write about several new London-based designers from Louise Gray to Mary Katrantzou to Michael van der Ham — names to watch. I love that Vogue Paris is bigging up my city!

“Coeur a corps perdu” is the first Madame Roitfeld editorial of her last issue and features the cover model, Saskia, and Daphne. It’s sexual, confusing, and... well... odd but in the best possible way. The grainy, film-like images set this editorial apart from the rest, though I still don’t know what film it is based on. If it’s obvious, I’m sorry. I only started watching television and film three years ago when I met my husband. Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, we see stunning pieces from Vivienne Westwood, Emilio Pucci, Givenchy, and Miu Miu. Does anybody else feel a voyeurism vibe here? Hmmn...

So there you have it. She is gone and now Madame Alt is at the helm of my favourite magazine. I have been an avid reader of Vogue Paris since 2001. I’m curious about the changes and I must admit that Emmanuelle putting Gisele on the cover doesn’t bode well with me. We will see... Tell me, what do you think about Carine’s last issue?

À bientôt Madame Roitfeld...

Read the full review

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

Carine Roitfeld's First Vogue Paris Cover

I am proud to feature the first article contributed by Milla Msa, our newly appointed editor-at-large in Paris — a very special review in which she reflects on her memorable first encounter with not only Carine Roitfeld, but her personal favorite (as well as Carine's), Kate Moss in the editorial "Noir Blanc"...

Carine Roitfeld's First Vogue Paris Cover
By Milla Msa 

Back in February 2001, when I was just 19 years old, a platinum blonde Kate Moss peeked out at me from the cover of Vogue Paris and there at the newsagents in Victoria station, I was hooked. All of those years ago, I was oblivious to Carine Roitfeld's name and status but what I knew, even in my state of fashion ignorance, was that Vogue Paris was different, and by different I mean better. Way better.

If you have followed Carine's personal style, you will see that this editorial, featured in her very first issue of Vogue Paris and titled 'Noir Blanc,' epitomises her minimalist Parisian chic and sets the tone for the magazine over the next decade. Wearing the likes of Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci, and Jean Paul Gaultier, Carine introduces a short-haired Kate Moss to Vogue Paris readers with her trademark 'understated luxe.' The dream team pairing of Kate modelling, Carine styling, and Mario Testino behind the lens perfectly captures the coolness of La Roitfeld, then new editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, and boldly hints at the provocation to come.

As to what Carine does next, who knows? One thing is for sure: her timeless first issue will never go out of style.

Read more of Milla's incisive insights on fashion (and life!) at Not Just Another Milla.

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2001 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Review: Vogue Paris February 2011 Issue

Special thanks to Milla from the glamorous blog Not Just Another Milla for sharing her thoughts with us regarding Carine Roitfeld's penultimate issue of Vogue Paris in February. It is dreadful to think that we are down to the second to last glossy version of Carine's vision to publish under the auspices of the audacious magazine but so 'tis; I weep for the future. In the meantime, enjoy it while you can...

Let’s just start off with a piece of honesty here: Lara may be on the cover but Daria owns this issue! Not only is she featured heavily in the editorials, she’s in every other campaign from Salvatore Ferragamo to Céline to Liberty. I never really cared for her look until recently, but she seems to have a new-found confidence about her. Speaking of campaigns, is it just me or is this issue full of ads? Enough already, this isn’t Vogue US people!!

I’m not really the sentimental type, but seeing Madame Roitfeld’s name above ‘Redactrice en chef’ for the second to last time made me wonder about all the changes ahead. I haven’t noticed any reference to Carine’s departure in the magazine, did I miss it? I found her ‘Edito’ lacking all personality, which leads me to wonder if she’s already gone. It’s pretty hard to stay focused on something you know is no longer ‘yours’…

...En Vogue 'Soleils de nuit’ has captivated my every thought. Now this is the Vogue Paris I know and adore: understated glamour, sophistication, and pure sensuality. Photographed by Sharif Hamza and styled by Geraldine Sanglio, model Barbara intrigues us all whilst running around Paris in gold Paul & Joe, black silk Guy Laroche, burgundy Cerruti and a red silk dress from Escada so perfect, it’s worth spending half the rent for. Shhh, let’s not mention such stuff to my husband…

Melanie Huynh should have had a chat with this young woman before publishing 'Miss Vogue' and dedicating it to 'jeune filles en Vogue'. This editorial is rather punky, which doesn’t work for me. Skipped it. Rather teen-mag styling, in my humble opinion. Very clean photography though. It’s worth noting that 'Une Fille Une Style' does not feature in this month’s issue.

It wouldn’t really be Vogue Paris without a little nudity, would it? Celebrating the 90th birthday of Gucci, Mario Sorrenti photographs a very beautiful model (Is it Arizona Muse??) wearing nothing but a few Gucci accessories. Playing with the lighting, we see just enough to know she’s nude but not enough to distract us from the luxury goods. Those Voguies are smart peeps!

In one of the largest editorials I’ve ever seen (65 pages!) the so-called ‘it-models’ — Lara, Daria, Natasha, Freja, Daphne, Saskia, Joan, Sasha and Arizona — parade around looking like they’ve been in a paint ball fight in 'Et Vogue, l‘été 2011'! This feature is styled by soon-to-be editor-in-chef Emmanuelle Alt, Jane How, and Carine. I don’t know much about Jane How, but I can categorically say that the woman likes colour! Carine’s styling was a bit hit and miss I’m afraid to say. We start with Lara in what is simply an ugly black skirt and top designed by Azzedine Alaïa and it doesn’t really improve from there...

Fortunately, Carine’s 'Corps en extension' breaks up the mammoth editorial and offers me a moment to pause and reflect on where my Carine has gone and with the turn of the page, all is forgotten: she’s back! Lara greets us with an intense stare and despite wearing an array of bold, silk flower-printed John Galliano and an err… feather boa, it is her face which stands out. I can’t say the styling for Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana or Marc Jacobs is to my taste, but they scream 'Carine'. That said, by the time I’d reached the end of the issue, I was rather bored of Lara. The only Carine piece that really works for me is Lara in Giorgio Armani, which is sublime: très Parisienne, très chic, très Vogue and most of all, très Carine!

From swimming pools to fishing boats to the studio, the models are decked out in bold, bright high-fashion ensembles but it is Daria (completely styled by Madame Alt) who caught my eye, wearing everything from OTT Roberto Cavalli to silk McQueen to I-need-this-now DSquared2. She completely holds your focus, exudes confidence and sensuality, and the DSquared2 photograph really is something. The Balmain look makes me smile because it’s basically Emmanuelle. This is how she dresses and she knows how to work this look. Perfection! Like many people, I paid more attention to the model and the clothes than the stylist and photographer. Since Carine announced her departure, I’ve been watching Emmanuelle’s work like a hawk and this I like. I like a lot.

Following the December/January collaboration between Mr Tom Ford and Madame Carine Roitfeld, AKA the best issue of 2010, was always going to be hard but despite the colour intervention, this issue really lacks something. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Eagerly awaiting March’s issue and am, naively perhaps, hoping to find Carine on the cover of her last Vogue. Like I always say, a woman can only dream…

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