The Corsets Of Carine Roitfeld
mercredi 8 août 2012 
It is my pleasure to introduce the latest piece by our talented contributing editor Bernie Rothschild in which he examines the fascinating collection of corsets of Carine Roitfeld. Special thanks to Bernie for sharing his perspective with all of us and to Madeleine Gallay for our conversation that originally inspired this idea.
The Corsets of Carine Roitfeld
By Bernie Rothschild
Carine Roitfeld is hailed consistently as one of the best dressed women in the world and she has been the subject of street style fashion blogs for over a decade now. Every fashion-obsessed fan worships her as if she is the Virgin Mary, every fashion paparazzi portrays her as if she is the Queen of France, everyone profiles her fashion choices, but what distinguishes Carine's style from that of her front row and street style contemporaries? Besides the fact that she wears the dress before it even hits the runway of the fashion show... The legendary Liz Tilberis once quipped, "Fashion editors who look too good make models feel bad," but Carine proves the exception to the rule, she is as cool as the models in her editorials, and every bit as provocative, but somehow even more famous. After she left Vogue Paris some feared that she might vanish forever but she quieted her critics once again by becoming her own "brand," the spark of her star did not die, she is more popular than ever. One of the distinct touches that she often works into her outfit is the corset — Carine loves to wear corsets to accentuate her sexiness and particularly her slender waist.
Let's look deep into the art of corset dressing... The corset fashion has been around since the beginning of the 20th century, for a large part of the late Victorian period and the entire Edwardian era, adding appeal to the heavy, larger-than-life dresses of the women of that time; even some of the men chose to wear corsets to improve their physiques. The great example of this trend is the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, also known as the Empress Sissi; aside from being an Empress she was also the Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia and one of the most beautiful women in Europe during her lifetime. The Empress Sissi was famous for her tiny and slender waist and for wearing her corset so tight to achieve it that she even came to a point where it affected her health negatively. The tightly laced corset of the empress was the main reason they could not save her life when she was assassinated by an anarchist.
In 1939, Horst P. Horst photographed the then scandalous Mainbocher corset for Vogue, the photo looks very mysterious, reminiscent of the beauty of a Greek sculpture. Later in the same decade, the equally controversial Wallis Simpson, also known as the Duchess of Windsor, wore a Mainbocher that accentuated her waist for her wedding to Edward VIII (who abdicated his position as the King of England to marry the women he loved) and the dress itself is regarded as one of the most copied and inspiring wedding gowns of all time.
Some see the corset in a different manner, but mostly this accessory has been associated with fetishism and sexual fantasy. Carine Roitfeld wears a corset or a waist accentuating dress as if it is a badge or a status symbol for having a perfect hourglass figure. Here are a few of her greatest corset styles that have made her the darling of the best dressed fashion crowd.
Futuristic Glamour
Carine attends a party at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival wearing Dolce & Gabbana. She is one of the only famous faces that is not an actress who participates yearly in this extravagant festival. With the presence of Carine and the movie stars, Cannes is becoming the unofficial fashion capital of the south (besides the glam and glitz of the film stars, it is the parties that keep people coming to Cannes). Here she invokes the ever futuristic glamour-metallic trend that’s becomes the new black and she almost looks like a sexy heroine of some sci-fi film meets the work of Steven Klein and Nick Knight. The red shoes of course give life to the outfit.
Dominatrix
This Tom Ford for Gucci Spring 2001 corset is so Carine Roitfeld: dark, risqué, provocative — all characteristics that have become synonymous with her style — and it fits her so perfectly that she looks like one of the portraits of Helmut Newton whom she admires greatly. It is very sadomasochistic and dominatrix. This outfit has inspired her photos and also pays tribute to the erotic porno chic of which she and Newton are the biggest champions.
Era of Elegance
Carine wore this Dior dress by John Galliano to the amfAR benefit in 2006. The Dior corseted nude gown is the complete opposite of her typical dark, risqué fashion but she still gives it her trademark sex appeal. She looks like a Gibson Girl meets the tight laced corset style of Empress Sisi and her style embodies the glamour and elegance of the past century. Carine looks like a goddess and she balances it by mismatching the look with her signature poker straight hair, she really can do wrong when it comes to dressing herself.
Simply Irresistible
Carine Roitfeld selected this Balenciaga dress and corset belt for New York Fashion Week in Spring 2008. Her style here does not look intimidating and avant-garde. She just look very simple, relaxed and casual, but she can still grab everyone’s attention. This is the most accessible style she ever wore but she still maintains her risqué allure. Is this not a 54 year old woman wearing a scarf as a dress? Does it get more risqué than that? Though this is the simplest style I have ever seen her wear she still manages to turn heads, that's for sure.
Plain Statement
Despite the grey shirt and pencil skirt that seem so plain, formal, and appropriate to her age, Carine keeps it exciting by adding the Alaïa leather corset that makes her look like a dominatrix while staying true to her trademark sexiness. I think Carine is a great ambassador of Alaïa designs as well as an unofficial muse and inspiration to Mr. Alaïa himself. She also makes a statement with the corset that no matter how boring your outfit is you can always manage to add a touch that will make it look sexy. This outfit is excellent inspiration for those who work in an office setting, you can wear either killer shoes or a corset belt to accentuate your style à la Roitfeld.
Carine Roitfeld corset photos via Condé Nast, Getty Images, Fashion Spot, royalforums.com, worldofwonder.com.
Carine Roitfeld in Bernie Rothschild, Fashion, Style, Style Tips
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*Master of Corsets