Restoin-Roitfeld And Konjic Kiss

At the British Fashion Awards in December, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Robert Konjic were caught on camera rubbing noses while exchanging a few kisses. Who could possibly resist Julia in that seductive Mark Fast outfit? With them is Shingai Shoniwa, the vocalist and bassist from Noisettes (note that they've performed with New Young Pony Club whom I love!) and Shingai is wearing a necklace by Holly Fulton, the evening's winner of the Swarovski Emerging Accessory Designer Award. Isn't the little stuffed cat with one ear so cute?

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Robert Konjic, Shingai Shoniwa photographs courtesy of The Pet Fanclub.

Giovanna Battaglia In Vogue UK

Giovanna Battaglia and friends were the focus of an editorial titled "Dress Gangs" that appeared in the January 2006 issue of Vogue UK. The group, comprised of Giovanna, stylist Susan Bender, and fashion scout Camilla Al Fayed, was photographed by Mischa Richter. The three friends came together through their love of style, in particular they share a Christian Louboutin shoe fetish. Apparently they spend a lot of time in Camilla's well-stocked walk-in closet (not to be confused with her separate room devoted to bags and shoes) throwing dress-up parties that often turn into sleepovers. Sounds fabulous! Doesn't Gio look remarkably different with her hair straightened? Hard to believe but I think she may be even more gorgeous this way.

Vogue UK editorial image © 2006 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Roitfeld Styles Gaultier Campaign

Carine Roitfeld fashioned the new campaign for Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring/Summer 2010 line and it is hot. I love the military textures, the lighting, the aspect of romantic mystique that pervades the sultry street scene. The model is Dree Hemingway photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. If you see any other images in this campaign, please do let me know.

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2010 campaign image © 2010 Jean Paul Gaultier

Carine Roitfeld Is In

This is so last year, but since I cannot find a 2010 edition it must suffice. The New York Post published their Out & In for 2009, amusing and largely still relevant. Note that this is not their complete list but the best outtakes. Of course La Roitfeld is IN.

OUT: Carrie Bradshaw
IN: Serena van der Woodsen

OUT: Pitying Jennifer Aniston
IN: Disliking Jennifer Aniston

OUT: Cocktails
IN: Booze

OUT: Disliking Paris Hilton
IN: Pitying Paris Hilton

OUT: The iPhone
IN: Hoping Steve Jobs isn't at death's doorstep so Apple can keep releasing new iPhones

OUT: Investment bankers
IN: Bankruptcy lawyers

OUT: Bush
IN: Obama

OUT: Pining for the broke-ass New York of old
IN: The broke-ass New York of new

OUT: Irony
IN: Irony (Weird, isn't it?)

OUT: Tween stars
IN: Legal tender

OUT: House music
IN: Dance rock

OUT: Comebacks
IN: Staying gone

OUT: eBay
IN: propertyroom.com

OUT: Oversharing bloggers
IN: Journalists

OUT: Accountability
IN: Bailouts

OUT: Nightlife on Ludlow Street
IN: Nightlife on Broome Street

OUT: $2 subway fare
IN: Hell, you might as well take a cab

OUT: Saying Brooklyn's cool
IN: Going to Brooklyn

OUT: Hummers
IN: Hybrids

OUT: Commercials
IN: Viral marketing

OUT: Evangelists
IN: Intellectuals

OUT: Anime
IN: Superhero movies

OUT: Deejays
IN: Musicians

OUT: All things retro
IN: Invention

OUT: The Eldridge
IN: Chloe

OUT: Memoirs
IN: Documentaries

OUT: Xenophobia
IN: Patriotism

OUT: Bryant Park tents
IN: Intimate showrooms

OUT: American leading men
IN: Foreign leading men

OUT: Watching "Saturday Night Live" on TV
IN: Watching "Saturday Night Live" clips online

OUT: Full-figured models, actresses as models
IN: Actual models

OUT: Ultimate Fighting
IN: Gotham Girls Roller Derby

OUT: Meaningless sex
IN: Meaningless sex while thinking about James Franco

OUT: Drinking wine out of fine Riedel stemware
IN: Drinking cheap swill out of baby bottles

OUT: Celeb chefs
IN: Cult butchers

OUT: Vacations
IN: Staycations

OUT: Anna Wintour
IN: Carine Roitfeld

OUT: Stocks
IN: Gold bullion

OUT: Buying Grey Goose in a club
IN: Sneaking Mad Dog into a club

OUT: TV weasel Jeremy Piven
IN: Real-life weasel Jeremy Piven

OUT: Throwing fruit
IN: Throwing shoes

OUT: Bikram
IN: Drinking yourself into a comatose state

OUT: Credit
IN: Cold, hard cash

OUT: Landlords
IN: Tenants

OUT: Auto industry
IN: Delicious, reliable soup

OUT: Office holiday parties
IN: Office cuddle parties

Courtesy of The New York Post
Carine Roitfeld photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot

Vlad The Insurgent

It seems I am not the only one that noted Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld is taking the New York art world by storm...The New York Observer recently issued their list of "Insurgents of 2010" and included our favorite rising art maven. These "insurgents" are deemed to be the rebels that will refashion New York City in the arenas of business, style, culture, media, and politics, dismantling the old machine and creating the new energy of the city.

The selection criteria of the Observer is amusing: "Insurgents think of things we didn’t think about or were too lazy to mull over much. They have the spirits of street fighters. But whether you like them personally doesn’t really matter. That economy that flattened dreams all over? It emboldened them. The Insurgents may not know it yet, but they’re about to remake this town in ways many of us can’t even fathom... It’s going to be a hell of a show."

According to Monsieur Restoin-Roitfeld, it sounds so very simple to become an insurgent: “I was going to different exhibitions and it always had this feeling of a closed circle, and it was something very hard to enter for many so I thought if I just did it in a different way, I could capture the interest of a different crowd of people. I just decided to rent very large spaces and invite a huge crowd of people and present art that I believe to be amazing and just make it more fun and open-minded.” Of course. The print edition of the Observer contains a nifty pullout visual representation of the Insurgents in the new New York, check it out.

Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld photograph © 2009 Getty Images