Amidst all the flying rumors, I never heard a peep about Carine Roitfeld's new gig: Mark Lee, the new CEO for Barneys New York, has chosen her as guest editor, stylist, and muse for the fall campaign — catalog, mailers, windows, web site, even a short film! Barneys is famous for discovering and developing innovative and talented designers, so our favorite arbiter of style seems like a natural in this role. Carine will work with Barneys creative director Dennis Freedman (formerly creative director of W) and photographer Mario Sorrenti to create the new campaign. Freedman talks about the development of the relationship between Carine and Barneys: "Carine is a one of a kind talent. She is both a muse and an inspiration. She has extraordinary individual style and infectious passion, and I have always admired her work... We had a discussion about how extraordinary she is and the possibility that we might do something together. [Roitfeld] is the ideal muse as well as editor... She appeals to all ages. She is independent and strong, and yet she is completely feminine. She is a woman of the world, which we like to think our customer is, as well... the perfect reflection of our customer."
What does Carine think about all of this? I have aggregated the various quotes she has made about her new role: "It's very exciting. It's a new kind of project for me. It's good to have a new life, because now I can do projects that I never dreamed of before. For me, Barneys has always been the biggest name in luxury department stores, so to be able to participate in this project with them, and be visible during the next fashion week in New York, is my dream come true. To a French girl, it's a big, big dream. To be on the other side with the retailers and buyers is new for me, and I always like new opportunities in my life. When I was doing my styling, most of the time I was thinking about a real woman who was going to wear the clothes. Sometimes I was thinking about myself, sometimes about a woman who really inspired me, but it was always about the woman. Working with Barneys, and choosing the looks, I was thinking about whether a real woman would buy this outfit and feel beautiful and comfortable. To be able to work in the US, with Barneys, is a dream come true. It is my first time working on the retail side of the fashion business, and I am so excited. Barneys is my favorite store in the States and partnering with them has been thrilling for me. I am sure that one day I will, even if it’s not my own magazine, do special stories for magazines and maybe something on the Internet. I have projects and opportunities coming on. The only sure thing I know is that I will keep my freedom. I can be a muse for a designer, I can do work for some magazines, and do advertising, and maybe something like Barneys, but still keep my freedom. What I know is that I now have my freedom and I will keep my freedom forever. I am very excited to have this freedom and to have projects like the one at Barneys."
In addition to shooting the campaign, Mario Sorrenti will create a short film of Carine "being fabulous," an intimate look at her style and her world, “allowing the retailer’s customers a more personal view of her, from her views on fashion and style to her world at large.” Sorrenti notes, "I am hoping to capture something very personal, a portrait of her in a way. When Carine and I are together, it's fun, and she is really cool and really herself, and it's that intimacy that I want to capture. She has a great sense of humour, and she is very provocative and very free in the way that she doesn't plan about who she is and what she is going to say. She is very natural, which is great." Freedman says, "Collaborating with Mario Sorrenti to capture a more intimate side of Carine that few people know is an incredible gift to be able to bring directly to the Barneys New York customer." The campaign launches in September at the Barneys flagship store on Madison Avenue so we need wait only a few months for this goodness. Happily Carine can spend more time closer to her children as a result, as she notes: "New York is my dream city, and part of my family is in New York." and we will see her seated front row for New York Fashion Week this autumn.
Carine Roitfeld photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot
samedi 26 mars 2011 
