University of Southern California

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld shares a passion for cinematic arts with his grandfather, Jacques Roitfeld, and his uncle, Pierre. Vladimir followed his passion to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where he earned degrees in Business, International Relations, and Cinema & Television. USC is one of the world's top private research schools recognized for its selectivity and its strong programs in the arts, technology, and international trade; approximately 35,000 students enroll each year.

Moving to the United States for school was originally the idea of his parents but Vladimir is happy with his education at USC: “When you grow up in Europe, you see all the American colleges on TV with campuses, and football fields, people playing sports, going to college in sunny places, and riding bikes or skateboards to school. USC was exactly how I pictured it. It was fantastic. But...in LA, you’re a bit far from your family and your friends.” Vladimir worked as a producer's assistant at Paramount for six months after graduation before moving back to New York to begin his career as an art dealer, tailor, curator.

University of Southern California images courtesy of usc.edu and usctrojans.com

Salim Langatta

"The Works of Three Photographers" invitationThe first US show that Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld presented was "The Works of Three Photographers" featuring his three friends PC Valmorbida, David Mushegain, and Salim Langatta. The event took place in February at Collective Hardware on the Lower East Side and was sponsored by Louis Vuitton. When asked about his relationship with Langatta and his work, Vladimir replied, "I have known Salim for almost seven years now. When I first moved to New York in 2002, I didn’t know anyone to hang out with in the city. Basically, someone that I knew thought that it would be great for me to meet Salim. He was living in New York for many years already and was a bit older. So we met and just became really good friends straight away. He is my oldest friend in New York. After my first year here, I went to study in Los Angeles at USC. Salim knew David [Mushegain], who was living in LA, and introduced me to him. Salim is the kind of photographer who spends a million hours in the lab. His sense of color is incredible. He shoots a lot when he travels, and I also feel like he’s got an amazing ability to tell a story in one shot."

Image of "The Works of Three Photographers" Invitation courtesy of The New York Times Company
Salim Langatta photograph courtesy of Interview Magazine

Tom Sachs

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld lists among his favorite artists Tom Sachs and among his prized possessions the invitation that the artist sent out for his Lever House opening in New York last May. In typical Sachs' fashion, the invitation was a Hello Kitty wind-up toy in do-it-yourself plastic packaging with the name of the artist taped to it (pictured below). 

As described in a catalog for one of his shows, Sachs is a "bricoleur—one who hobbles together functional contraptions out of already given or collected materials which he re-tools and re-signifies info new objects with novel uses, but more importantly, which he regenerates into a new, oscillating syntax: one of loss, gain, and more than anything, one of play."

Sachs is famous for works that explore themes such as branding, consumerism, and product fetishization; one such example is "Hello Kitty Nativity" in which he staged a Christmas scene for the windows of Barneys with the iconic character Hello Kitty in Chanel in the starring role. Sachs is also a talented photographer, including a recent session with Vladimir and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld for Pop Magazine. Check out the extensive snapshots of Sachs' studio on Supertouch Art, it is truly amazing to see the working space of this creative genius including gems such as his personal survival kit...

Tom Sachs portrait © 2009 Olivier Zahm. All Rights Reserved.
Tom Sachs Lever House invitation photograph © 2009 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.
Tom Sachs survival kit photograph courtesy of Supertouch Art.

Rose Bar

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld loves to unwind and relax with friends at the Rose Bar in New York City. This original and eclectic public space features furniture specially designed by Julian Schnabel; paintings by Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Richard Prince, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, and Schnabel; and fanciful cocktails such as the Rose & Lychee Martini (gin, rose syrup, and lychee juice with fresh lemon sour and a dash of angostura bitters), the Bohemian Side Car (cognac and triple sec with fresh lime juice and a wisp of absinthe), and the Ginger Fig (vodka with muddled ginger root, fig jam, and fresh orange juice). Probably the biggest draw is the music: constantly evolving and ever sophisticated, the playlist includes the best of internationally known DJs from Paris, Rome, London, New York, Los Angeles, and Montreal. Located in the Gramercy Park Hotel, 2 Lexington Avenue at 21st Street; reservations are required after 9 p.m.

Photographs of Rose Bar at Gramercy Park Hotel courtesy of gramercyparkhotel.com

David Mushegain

© 2009 David MushegainIn February as part of New York Fashion Week, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld curated "The Works of Three Photographers," an exhibit of the work of three of his friends: PC Valmorbida, David Mushegain, and Salim Langatta. The exhibit, sponsored by Louis Vuitton, was on display at the gallery Collective Hardware on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

David Mushegain was born in Pasadena, California in 1975. He loves surfing, traveling, and hanging out with family and friends. He has worked for Vogue Paris, Vogue Hommes, Vogue UK, i-D, Muse, and has a column in Vogue Nippon for which he visits models at home and photographs them hanging out. When Vladimir went to study at USC in Los Angeles his friend Salim knew David who was also living in LA and he introduced the two friends.

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, Salim Langatta, PC Valmorbida, David MushegainWith regard to the exhibit and particularly David, Vladimir said, "I enjoy working with my friends and people of my generation and when I had the idea a few months ago to put on a photography show in New York, these guys just came naturally to me. I’ve been seeing them for many years, they have all a passion in common which is photography, and I really always loved their work. I like that they’re so different. You know, this show, mainly I’m just giving these guys an opportunity to show in New York. My only requirement was no fashion photography. I wanted the show to be more personal than that—moments out of each of their own lives. David is showing a lot of portraits and what I love about his pictures is the way he can really document a person. That’s such a talent. If you know anyone he’s shot, you see his picture and you recognize a true image."

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, Salim Langatta, PC Valimorbida, and David Mushegain photograph courtesy of fashionologie.com