Fogal

Do you want to have sexy legs like Carine Roitfeld, regardless of your age? She recommends sheer seamed stockings by Fogal, "Something that makes me happy now is a pair of new tights — it's not so expensive, not like buying a Dolce & Gabbana dress or a Dior bag. This is nearer to yourself, nearer to your skin, something that makes you more sensuous, more voluptuous, more woman…" Fogal, a Swiss company, launched their second location on Madison Avenue in Manhattan recently and plans are in place for a SoHo expansion. As for Carine's favorite stocking by Fogal, she prefers the Catwalk Couture, en noir bien sûr, available in both thigh high and full hose options. Don't forget the daily ballet practice shaping Carine's legs underneath those chic stockings... you may not achieve the exact same look, but as she says, you will feel sexier and, dare I say, more like a Roitfeld....

Fogal image © 2012 Fogal. Carine Roitfeld photograph © 2011 LeFigaro.fr. All Rights Reserved.

Givenchy Pansy Minaudiere

Perhaps you noticed Carine Roitfeld's adorable clutch in hand during the most recent rounds of Fashion Week, an elegant minaudière designed by Riccardo Tisci for the Givenchy Fall/Winter 2011 collection. Created in black satin printed with purple pansies, the chic and sexy little clutch is just enough to hold your essentials because as Carine always says, less is more... Note that she is also enamored of the skirt from this collection, only Monsieur Tisci could find the fetish in the sissified pansy....

Givenchy image © 2011 Givenchy. Carine Roitfeld photographs courtesy of purple.fr, wireimage.com, Getty Images, and gq.ru. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Gilson

The last issue of Vogue Paris with Carine Roitfeld at the helm was the March 2011 issue, the one that featured the Dutch, (of course), short haired classic beauty Saskia de Brauw. Among the fashion brands represented in the issue, our Carine featured the lingerie of another Carine — Carine Gilson. La Roitfeld has reverently described Gilson’s work as “the most refined lingerie in the world.”

Ms. Roitfeld is not exaggerating. Carine Gilson lingerie is the most refined lingerie that you can get. Dedicated to artisanal fashion, Gilson uses the most luxurious silk on the market: silk with a luster that illuminates the complexion and a sumptuousness that caresses the skin. The silk is made in Lyon, in the same mill that Hermès uses. The lingerie is handcrafted with the finest Chantilly lace.

Carine Gilson’s start in the lingerie business is a testament to her dedication to quality as well as her own personal tenacity. In 1990, Gilson graduated from the acclaimed Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts , and intent on starting her lingerie business, she quickly found a small lace factory in Brussels. Upon further evaluation, however, it became clear that the factory owners did not know how to produce her lingerie the way she wanted it. No one at the time was making couture-grade lingerie. What was Gilson’s solution? It was to save up, buy the factory, and spend the following four years learning the art and trade of making lingerie by hand, using all the subtle techniques for manufacturing traditional lingerie.

In 1994, Gilson produced her first collection of artisanal lingerie. The result was refined, unique, and although the lingerie was made in the traditional way, it was contemporary in spirit. Barneys picked up the line right away. Gilson has stuck to this formula with great success and her business has since expanded. In 2004, Gilson opened up her own branded shop in Paris and today her lingerie is carried in the most exclusive boutiques across the globe. Gilson produces three collections a year: Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, and Cruise/Swimwear. 

I wonder how a woman lucky enough to don Carine Gilson’s beautiful lingerie feels about having to cover it up. Ms. Gilson’s perspective on this is “L’atelier, c’est mon tresor.” The first person we must seduce is ourselves. Beautiful lingerie enhances how women feel inside. Of course, Carine Roitfeld and Carine Gilson are both privy to this knowledge, we should heed their wisdom...

Images of Carine Gilson lingerie courtesy of carinegilson.com. All Rights Reserved.

Sant Ambroeus

While visiting New York, Carine Roitfeld was spotted dining with her children, Julia and Vladimir, at Sant Ambroeus on Madison Avenue. The beloved restaurant first launched in Milan in 1936, then opened the Manhattan location in 1982. Sant Ambroeus is renowned for the fine Milanese dishes, the warmth of its staff, and the sophistication of its decor, a casual yet elegant setting that perfectly suits the Roitfeld family. Personally I would add to the list of charms the adorable Sant Ambroeus packaging by Mucca Design, so memorable, so right. As for the menu, the mouthwatering antipasti include the Prosciutto di Parma con Bufala Mozzarella and the Insalata di Nettuno, a mixture of lump and king crab meat with sliced fennel and orange. Among the main dishes crafted by Chef Mario Danieli are the delectable Tonno in Crosta di Sesamo con Baby Peperoni e Broccoli, the tender Tagliata di Manzo al Pepe Verde, and his signature, the Risotto alla Milanese con Ossobuco. Be sure to peruse the pastry case or consider the gelato, reportedly the best outside of Milan. Devoted fans are said to fight for spots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily so I suggest a reservation via Sant Ambroeus' site before visiting. Buon appetito!

Sant Ambroeus images © 2009 New York Media LLC and courtesy of santambroeus.com and mucca.com.

Ulrika Lundgren

Do you want to look like a star? Let us examine another fashion label in Carine Roitfeld’s personal arsenal — Rika. This Dutch label focuses on seasonless wardrobe staples that stealthily transform the wearer into an ineffably hipper, more refined version of herself. Think youthful, romantic softness turned out in floaty tops and dresses with high hemlines anchored by leather jackets and you get an inkling of what the brand represents.

Rika is designed by Ulrika Lundgren, a former interior stylist for ELLE Deco and Casa Vogue. Fate had a hand in the start of her brand when in 2005, while on a photo shoot in Spain, she had a local craftsman make a leather tote decorated with stars to be used as a set prop. Lundgren got so many compliments and requests from her fashion insider friends that she immediately had 100 more bags created and sold them all in a flash. Lundgren wisely made the star decoration a brand trademark. Of the stars she says, “A star reminds us of that vintage touch-of-Hollywood class as much as of a contemporary hue of rock 'n' roll.” It was not long before Carine Roitfeld caught wind of the brand and was spotted carrying a Rika handbag, no small feat considering her open disdain for bags.

A natural progression from handbags is Lundgren's wildly successful apparel line that is sold by prestigious retailers such as Opening Ceremony in New York, Colette in Paris, and the global online purveyors of all things hip, La Garçonne. Perhaps the draw is the Scandinavian refinement that tempers the rock 'n' roll edge. The collection has a simplicity and an elegance whose strength is shown in playful details that whisper rather than shout. Call it star quality...

Ulrika Lundgren photographs © 2010 hd.se och Helsingborgs Dagblad. All Rights Reserved.