Review: Vogue Paris October 2010 Issue

It is a pleasure to present Milla from the blog Not Just Another Milla with an incisive review of the October issue of Vogue Paris. Milla kindly agreed to let me excerpt from her review here, please visit her blog to read her remarks in full.

I came downstairs this morning to find this brick of an issue sticking out of my post box. My heart raced, I kid you not! Since I only have one subscription, I knew "Vogueday" had arrived.

I flicked through and came to page 347 to be surprised and delighted by Théodora Aspart and her wonderful beauty editorial on products for ladies of colour. It would have been foolish of Vogue Paris to leave out such an important moment in beauty history. Labels such as Clinique, MAC, Smashbox, and Laura Mercier are all listed along with photographs of Naomi Campbell, arguably the most famous black model. They talked about Joséphine Baker being the first black model to appear in Vogue Paris but don’t include a photograph of her. Odd.

Page 357 takes the readers on a photographic journey through the best of Vogue Paris parties over the last 90 years in “Œil d’or.” Think Christina Onassis, Tom Ford, Jane Birkin, Kate Moss, Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, and Caroline de Monaco to mention but a few fabulous names. All partying and having a ball. There’s a particular image of Mr Jacobs, which I think will cause him some embarrassment… Don’t worry Marc, we all have “why-was-I-dancing-like-that?” moments!!

This leads us to the most adorable double-paged “Joyeux anniversaire” messages from a variety of brands including a fabulous and fun message from Isabel Marant, an oh-so-chic YSL image, a sexy sketch from Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon, a Vogue shoe design from Louis Vuitton, a Dolce & Gabbana lacy theme spread, a very chic and simple message from Calvin Klein. I’m trying to pick my favourite message but for now it’s tied between Tom Ford (love this guy!), Lanvin, and Chanel. Holy moly!!! Have you seen the Paule Ka message!? It features a sketch of Carine!!!!!! LOVE!!! I need to just relax, because this is too much! My wee heart cannot handle it!!

On the last fifth of the magazine and here we are: Carine Roitfeld’s “Bal masqué" featuring Lara Stone and Freja Beha Erichsen and photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Animal print (me no likey), lace, leather, Philip Treacy (to-die-for) masks, and some seriously dodgy hair (!) only add to the drama of the editorial. The opening image of Lara — arms folded, leather catsuit, dainty earrings, and that stunning mask — sets the scene of unadulterated pleasure, luxury, and provocation. My goodness, this magazine isn’t for the conservative!

Emmanuelle Alt’s "The Party" takes us to various locations around my fabulous adopted home as we follow Anja Rubik, Isabeli Fontana, and Natasha Poly as they play dress-up. From Place de la Concorde (my absolute favourite place in Paris) for a gold bonanza, to leather biker chic near  les pont des Invalides, to sexy ski time near la Tour Eiffel, and on to various other locations sporting brightly coloured fur, luxe Balmain, and even a ball gown!

Vogue Paris October issue photographs and text courtesy of Not Just Another Milla.

Review: Vogue Paris September Issue

Vogue Paris enthusiast Milla from the blog Not Just Another Milla has lent her passionate voice to these pages for a review of the September issue of Vogue Paris. Fortune smiled upon her this morning by bringing her the exciting new issue along with her beautiful breakfast and then beamed upon us when she agreed to share her experience. Enjoy!

My husband popped out to the boulangerie to pick up breakfast this morning, and returned with our post including September’s Vogue. Freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade café au lait, pain au chocolat, and my September issue of Vogue Paris. Could this morning get any better? Well, actually yes, and it just did. Like many people, I didn’t recognize the delightful Marion Cotillard on the cover so hurried through the magazine to find her. Lo and behold, just who is featured in the pages preceding Marion’s editorial? Kate Moss, people, KATE MOSS!!! At this point, I’m like “Marion who?!”!

Kate stars in an editorial aptly named “Kate dans la peau,” a 13-page black & white editorial styled by Emmanuelle Alt, in which Miss Moss rocks nothing but black leather and gorgeous curly hair. Gorgeous!! I am particularly fond of the image of Kate in the short Dior bustier dress, and those Christian Louboutin Pigalle heels have always been on my “These heels will kill me but I still want them” list. Perfection!!

Turn the page, et voilà, “Marion dans les yeux” styled by Carine Roitfeld. I don’t know what it is; she resembles herself, but is different. Her hair is utter perfection. In my next life, I will have that exact hairstyle, but I digress… There’s something quite hard about the photographs, which is softened by the contrasting pink roses. A very nice touch indeed. Marion rolls on the bed in Dior haute couture and bracelets from Tiffany and Chopard. Nice but I don’t love it, but then again following Kate is a hard act.

A few pages down, August’s cover model Freja Beha Erichsen stars in "Néo Belphégor;" another black & white editorial shot on the grounds of the Louvre and styled by Anastasia Barbieri. Freja roams around in the most fabulous black dresses, and despite having a panther close by, manages to look ultra feminine. I love the contrast of textures between the animal fur to leather Bottega Veneta boots to the stunning velvet Giorgio Armani suit to the silk/satin Dolce & Gabbana dress. Milla loves!

Also, the photo of Kate Moss on page 354 is utter perfection. So much more to write… I want to do a scan, but I just cannot risk damaging the magazine! My June/July copy — also known as the best cover this year — is still in the plastic!!

Carine, I salute you!! 2010′s September issue is nothing short of a masterpiece. Merci beaucoup!

Vogue Paris September issue photograph and text courtesy of Not Just Another Milla.

Perfect Gifts For Roitfeld Fans: Books And Magazines

It's tough to believe that we are in the midst of the holiday season already, but here we are nonetheless. If you are looking for perfect gifts to delight your favorite fashionistas, check out the list of literary items below which either reference the Roitfeld family or were designated as a Roitfeld favorite. These gifts are guaranteed to make stylish folks smile upon receipt.

Vogue Paris subscription
Imagine your beloved singing your praises ten times a year due to just one gift...with a subscription to Vogue Paris, it is possible you'll be thanked ten times for the gift! Amazing return on one's investment, non ? Make someone very happy...times ten.

Vogue Hommes International subscription
May I suggest a subscription for him: Carine Roitfeld's other pet project, Vogue Hommes International. Makes nice eye candy for you, too, and it's written in English so you need not know French to enjoy it.

Stylist: The Interpreters of Fashion
Carine Roitfeld's work as a stylist is honored in this beautifully designed and printed volume, Stylist, perfect for the minimalist coffee table. It's a pleasure to browse, especially because the different artists featured have quite distinctive styles; in many cases these are the creators responsible for the iconic fashion images of today.

 

New Paris Interiors
The book showcases the Parisian apartment of Carine Roitfeld and Christian Restoin, a glorious space as created by David Chipperfield. At once classical and modern, simple and elegant, it is the perfect backdrop to the living work of art that inhabits the space. Bonus: New Paris Interiors gives you access to the homes of many others with unique and amazing style throughout Paris, complete with photographs of their individual selections and collections.

Maison Martin Margiela
Carine Roitfeld contributed to the writing of this stylish book, it's a beauty. I so admire the cover treatment, it is perfectly suited to its subject matter. Does anyone know the book designer? I have yet to get a peek at it myself, but the reviews I've read are very positive.

Egon Schiele: Drawings and Watercolors
Carine Roitfeld's favorite artist is Egon Schiele, an Austrian Expressionist; I utterly concur. Schiele produced an astounding ouevre of hundreds of oil paintings and thousands of watercolors and drawings before his untimely death in 1918, he was only twenty-eight. This beautiful edition collects his work, with each chapter representing one year in Schiele's short life. Richard Avedon wrote the foreword.

Helmut Newton: Sumo
When dressing, Carine Roitfeld often imagines herself as the subject of a Helmut Newton photo, focusing on the strength of the black and white image. Check out Taschen's release of a new edition of the infamous and elusive Helmut Newton: Sumo, it is a substantial collection of the influential work of this seminal fashion photographer.

Raphael Mazzucco Collected Art
What makes Raphael Mazzucco Collected Art the perfect book for any of the style conscious on your list? The foreword is written by Carine Roitfeld, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld considers it among his favorite books, it is the first published work of the photographer and painter, only a thousand copies exist, what could be better? Good luck finding a copy...

Indochine: Stories, Shaken and Stirred
The fashion haunt Indochine in Manhattan celebrates 25 years of merrymaking and this beautiful book captures the beautiful people spending time making this the hallowed fashion hangout for over a quarter of a century...That statistic is truly impressive in terms of fashion years.

Tom Ford
This book catalogs Tom Ford's work for Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci during the years 1994 to 2004. Carine Roitfeld keeps it on her coffee table and she is proud of the work featured in it that she did with Ford. It includes hundreds of photographs by Richard Avedon, Todd Eberle, Craig McDean, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Terry Richardson, Herb Ritts, Mario Testino, and others; many of the images were previously unpublished.

Helmut Newton photograph of woman in saddle © 2008 Taschen. All Rights Reserved.
Vogue Paris cover image © 2009 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.
Book cover images courtesy of Amazon.

Love Makes The World Go Round

I tried to buy the June/July issue of Vogue Paris today but alas it wasn't there yet. So I am contenting myself with a few of the editorials and I had to share this one with you. The model is Sasha Pivovarova, the photographer is Bruce Weber, and the stylist could only be Carine Roitfeld, is there anyone as visually clever? Does anyone else hear Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot singing "Sea, Sex, and Sun"?

Vogue Paris editorial image © 2009 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.