Vogue-à-Porter

For the February issue of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld, Emmanuelle Alt, and Camilla Nickerson came together to style the editorial "Vogue-à-Porter" photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The spreads pictured here were all styled by Carine and star models Lara Stone, Freja Beha Erichsen, and Dree Hemingway.

In the first image, La dentelle fatale de Dolce & Gabbana1, Freja and Lara form a private parade of roses, the old fashioned beauties contrasting nicely with the black and white lacy knit of their undergarments. The satin chokers are the perfect touch.

In the next image, Les sexy dolls d'Azzedine Alaïa, I love how the models completely accept the lack of control they have in the situation quite like dolls. They seem a bit befuddled, but nearer bemused than bewildered. That leather skirt is killer. Have we seen Giovanna wearing that yet?

Finally, in La farce militaire de Jean Paul Gaultier2, Carine imagines a hot futuristic military look that only she could conjure up. Carine Roitfeld, je vous salue !

______________
1La dentelle fatale de Dolce & Gabbana | The fatal lace of Dolce & Gabbana
2La farce militaire de Jean Paul Gaultier | The military joke of Jean Paul Gaultier

Vogue Paris February 2010 editorial images © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld At Paris Fashion Week

Finally! Here is a photograph of Carine Roitfeld at Paris Fashion Week seated next to the dashing Olivier Lalanne front row at the Hermès show. Carine is wearing the Christian Louboutin boots that I love and working the curls again, a bit better this time. Note also the red nails, this I like. Only La Roitfeld can make brown look so badass, she is pure genius.

Carine Roitfeld and Olivier Lalanne at Hermès for Paris Fashion Week photograph courtesy of e-styling.info.

Carine Roitfeld As Marchesa Casati

The eccentric Italian heiress Marchesa Luisa Casati, known for wearing live snakes as jewelry and being attended by nude servants, seems like a natural for Carine Roitfeld to emulate. Karl Lagerfeld created the photograph and the sketch seen here in which Carine is costumed as Casati for the September 22, 2003, issue of The New Yorker. Lagerfeld's work illustrated an article titled “The Divine Marquise” written by Judith Thurman. Casati and her sister were acclaimed as the richest women in Italy during the Belle Epoque, spending their inheritance to collect exotic animals and often seen strolling the streets of Venice naked with their pet cheetahs on diamond-studded leashes. Mrrrrrow!

I love how Thurman describes Casati's appearance: "She was tall and cadaverous, with a little feral face swamped by incandescent eyes… She blackened her eyes with kohl, powdered her skin a fungal white, and dyed her hair to resemble a corona of flames; her mouth was a lurid gash…" Despite inheriting her considerable wealth, Casati managed to end her life several million dollars in debt and rummaging through trash bins for decorations for her outfits. If you would like to read more about this enthralling character's influence on modern fashion, pick up Casati's biography Infinite Variety: The Life and Legend of the Marchesa Casati or the visual feast The Marchesa Casati: Portraits of a Muse.

Carine Roitfeld as Marchesa Casati photograph and sketch by Karl Lagerfeld © 2003 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris February 2010: Daria Werbowy

Sheesh, so much for joining the ranks of the privileged Vogue Paris subscriber... I have yet to receive my initial issue though I see in the online forums that others have had their copies for a couple of days now. Harrumph. Also it seems that the rumors that we would see new blood on this cover were false—though it is a beauty, the model is standby Daria Werbowy in Prada Spring/Summer 2010 shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. I am excited to read that there is an interview with Tom Ford and an article with Kate Moss regarding her collaboration with Longchamp. [By the way, is she working for Vogue Paris as an editor now?] The image below is from the editorial "Vogue-à-Porter" styled by Carine Roitfeld, Emmanuelle Alt, and Camilla Nickerson.

Vogue Paris February 2010 cover and editorial images © 2010 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Roitfeld Against AIDS

On February 10, Carine Roitfeld will be in New York City to help chair the annual amfAR gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. AmfAR works to increase awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to raise money for research and their gala has always been one of New York’s most successful AIDS benefits. Honorees for the black-tie event are Yves Carcelle, Sir Elton John, and David Furnish; a special tribute will be made in honor of the late Natasha Richardson, a former amfAR trustee. Lady Gaga and Rufus Wainwright are in charge of the evening's entertainment. It looks as though tickets are still available for the gala if you are so inclined.

Another fabulous organization that is working to fight the disease is Designers Against AIDS (DAA). You may know them already through their "Fashion Against AIDS" campaigns with H&M; their spokesperson is model Hannelore Knuts. DAA plans to open their first International HIV/AIDS Awareness Education Center (IHAEC) in Belgium this summer to train students from all over the world to create safe sex campaigns using pop culture elements such as fashion, music, web, celebrities, and video. DAA is still in need of serious funding to make this happen so please consider visiting the web site and making a contribution to this worthy cause.

Hannelore Knuts photograph courtesy of Designers Against AIDS.