IWTB Contest Winner: Justine Ariel

IWTB hosted a contest this summer inviting readers to share their thoughts about the sites for a chance to win a prize and I am thrilled to announce the winner of our contest: Justine Ariel! I must admit that Justine's words moved me to tears, I was so happy that she appreciates our genuine approach and her potent reminder, "Don't give up!" came just at the right time. Justine wins a set of four IWTB mugs (Alt, Battaglia, Coppola, Roitfeld); a copy of the book Nostalgia in Vogue; a copy of the limited edition artist's book Alt/Saglio: Quotes + Citations by Wynn Dan; and the ring of her choice from I Heard They Eat Cigarettes. My sincerest thanks to all of the readers that took the time to share their thoughts! Congratulations Justine!

Keep It Real, Don't Give Up
By Justine Ariel

I have been following I Want To Be An Alt and I Want To Be A Battaglia for some time now. But this essay is in response to I Want To Be An Alt. Yes. The difficult, the inscrutable Alt, with those smartly-written editorials and edgy photographs. With those ideals and images that — sometimes — fall short of the institutional fashion mega-star Vogue Paris. Emmanuelle Alt is trying to do something great — and that is to bring the magazine and its readers into her own vision of the 21st century. This means a lot of mistakes, but when it's good, it's really good. And for this reason, my favorite thing about the site is that you don't give up. That's also one of the things I've learned from these women through your sites. And do you know why it's great that you don't give up? Because you aren't afraid to criticize. You aren't afraid to say, "This is disappointing, I'm not sure where Alt is going with this." In an industry based so much on personality — both fashion and fashion blogging industries — it is refreshing to hear an honest opinion that critiques the work of this woman intelligently and thoughtfully. She makes mistakes! We all do. How refreshing is that? But the other side of the coin is, she doesn't give up. Your blog is inspiring for me not just because I get to see the stylish outfits and compelling editorials, but because I'm actually able to understand the endurance of the work of these women (Okay, now I'm talking about ALL of your sites). No one else is showing this, or analyzing it, in such a focused way. And this is why I keep coming back to your sites — because I know I'm going to get articles that discuss the good and the bad, from writers who aren't afraid to to speak their minds. This is important in all disciplines, but much needed in the fashion world. 

That said, my favorite posts are the outfit posts. I feel like they're my treat for reading and understanding the reasons behind editorials and Alt's different visions. Because Emmanuelle Alt is just so damn chic, every time. And it's so refreshing to see that — gasp! — she wears the same clothes to different events. Whereas Carine Roitfeld and Giovanna Battaglia are known for their eclectic and seemingly endless wardrobes, Emmanuelle Alt is a woman of staples. And I appreciate that. It brings me back to, maybe, what Parisian street style is meant to be. Everyone has their uniform, but it just looks good. I don't know how Emmanuelle Alt's editorship (is that a word?) at Vogue Paris will be remembered — it's too early to tell. But change is refreshing, and, ironically, it's nice to see the same outfits for a change. 

Before I get too caught up in wordplay... Please keep posting great editorials on your site! For those of us living outside of France, a subscription to Vogue Paris is a hefty $180 per year. It's great to see the little gems of the magazine (Vogue Paris: "Tresor National" for example, and the aluminum foil dress in "Couture") and be plugged in to the best of it. What would I change about the site? Well, for me, when I lack inspiration, I change the layout of my site. Maybe give I Want To Be An Alt a makeover. From going super-minimalist to making the post space wider... It might broaden your horizons, open the world! 

In sum, I really think you are doing a great thing. You are a great resource for the best (and worst) of Vogue Paris — the best on the web, so please remember that! There are people out there (me) who really appreciate it. I'm being honest, I'm not just trying to win Alt/Saglio. Although that would also be great. You never know where this site will take you (even if you just go to the magazine stand to buy Vogue Paris who knows, you could meet the love of your life, and/or a puppy) — so my Alt-ian message is: don't give up! I'm a 25-year-old writer and young artist, finding a voice in photography, fashion, and film. Thank you so much for this opportunity! I wish you all the best.

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Carine Roitfeld, Emmanuelle Alt, Giovanna Battaglia, Sofia Coppola photos via Pure People, Getty Images, Fashion Spot.

Mademoiselle C: Leather Clad Heroine

Mademoiselle C: Leather Clad Heroine
By Jascmeen Bush

I was granted a prescreening of the Mademoiselle C documentary for press only and wanted to share my review of the film (without giving too much away) with my fellow Roitfeld enthusiasts.

Surely they expect "press" to view the film once, write about it, then move on with their lives. Do you think I did that? Absolutely not! I watched it over and over and over!

How could I resist re-watching my leather clad heroine, in all her smokey eyed glory, recount the first time she listened to Jay Z, what keeps her relationship working, and what it's really like collaborating with Karl Lagerfeld? There was an adorable cameo by Kanye West, with appearances by Alber Elbaz, Riccardo Tisci, and Tom Ford to name a few, each of whom were nothing less than enchanted by our beloved Carine.

Watching Carine jet set, or rather, helicopter set from one fabulous event to the next is truly awe-inspiring, but the most inspirational part of the film had to be her eloquent, delicate inability to describe her occupation for customs.

(Come on, how fab is that?)

There's so much more I'd love to divulge, but I'll exercise a bit of restraint (just this once!) in hope that you all will treat yourself to a little Parisian chic and check out the movie for yourselves.

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Carine Roitfeld Mademoiselle C film stills © 2013 Fabien Constant and Cohen Media.

On Carine Roitfeld, Minimalism, And Creative Success

On Carine Roitfeld, Minimalism, and Creative Success
By Sarra Salib

It is a simple idea that dates back to the writings of Socrates and Thoreau: declutter and edit your life in order to pursue a truly meaningful motive and focus on the creative outlets. It seems that Carine Roitfeld — and her family for that matter — has applied and mastered this art of minimalism and through it continues to push the envelope when it comes to creative confinements.

But before one can go on to illustrate how minimalism can lead to creative success, one must define the ever-challenging word “success.” According to the ultimate modern minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus — which if you have not heard of them, I urge you to visit their website, The Minimalists — success is comprised of “happiness, constant improvement, and contribution.” Carine Roitfeld easily embodies these three elements.

In CNN’s documentary Revealed, Carine states that she is doing what she is doing because it’s what she loves. She has been working in fashion for over thirty years — if that is not a testament of happiness, what else can be?

Next is constant improvement. Mademoiselle C is the perfect example of an individual constantly growing in what she does. Ever since she flew from her “golden cage” that was Vogue Paris, it has been non-stop fashion action. From Irreverent to The Little Black Jacket to her very own CR Fashion Book, not to mention the numerous legendary campaigns in which she has participated recently. Carine Roitfeld just doesn’t get stuck in one place, ever.

Last, but certainly not least, is contributing to other people in a meaningful way. The first thing that occurred to me is Carine’s role curating the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala which raises millions each year to help fund research for the cure of AIDS. Who would have known a charity could be so chic and creative? If it involves Carine Roitfeld, you best believe it will.

Now that we have defined what it means to be creatively successful, we must analyze how the art of minimalism ties it all together. In order to do that, we must revisit Carine’s former Vogue Paris office. One need only look at a few images of her office to realize how minimalistic it is. In an interview, Carine claimed that, “It’s very minimalist because it’s better for my mind when everything is clean and empty. It cools me down; if someone brings in pictures or articles to show me, I can see them better.” Juxtaposing Carine’s minimalist lifestyle to the iconic and not so politically correct images she produced at Vogue Paris can only add up to make so much sense.

Thus concludes my venture on the cause and effect of minimalism and being [outrageously] creatively successful. Carine Roitfeld’s way of life makes her a triple threat.

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Carine Roitfeld photos courtesy of Fashion Spot. Irreverent, The Little Black Jacket covers courtesy of Amazon. CR Fashion Book cover courtesy of crfashionbook.com. Vogue Paris cover © 2010 Condé Nast.

Mademoiselle C Promotional Poster

Several readers have inquired about the poster promoting the film Mademoiselle C starring Carine Roitfeld and I am delighted to report that the poster is now available on Amazon. This piece is sure to become a collector's item so don't delay, order your print today. Have you seen Mademoiselle C? I would love to hear your impressions of the film if so...

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Carine Roitfeld Mademoiselle C promotional poster and film stills © 2013 Fabien Constant and Cohen Media.

Happy 59th Birthday Carine Roitfeld!

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Carine Roitfeld photographs courtesy of Fashion Spot, Getty Images, and Condé Nast. Birthday love by Kellina de Boer.