Carine Roitfeld For MaxMara Fall/Winter 2013

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MaxMara images © 2013 MaxMara. All Rights Reserved.

CR Fashion Book: Waiting In The Wings

CR Fashion Book: Waiting In The Wings
By Jessica Eritou

"How do you remember something that never happened?" “Fondly. You see, Flaubert believed that anticipation was the purest form of pleasure… and the most reliable. And that while the things that actually happen to you would invariably disappoint, the things that never happened to you would never dim. Never fade. They would always be engraved in your heart with a sort of sweet sadness.” 

— "In a Lonely Place," Dawson's Creek (2002)

In the second issue of CR Fashion Book, Carine Roitfeld's editorial “Waiting in the Wings” depicts the contrast of reality and illusion gracefully in the dark imagery collected throughout the shoot. Shot by Maurizio Bavutti, each moment of creation is dark, seductive, and lonely. The shapes used in the first shot are soft and whimsical, however the palette is dreary with deeper tones of red and green Gucci shoes and gowns, in contrast to the cold, graphite backdrop. Meanwhile in the front is the reminder to the reader of the illusionistic theme by having an almost circus outfitted model in a black and white Repetto piece. Carine may have chosen this to emphasize that there is nothing black and white about reality by including a frantic, bright, ballerina tutu around the model's collar reminding us that in chaos comes beauty.

This first shot is a great introduction to the rest of the editorial by creating this lonely, almost existential reality for each of the models featured. They are in the shot together but each one, though looking so elegant and sophisticated, appears to be longing for something else unknown. Still incorporating the dance theme Carine Roitfield is able to fill the editorial with ballet references. One cannot help but be reminded of Darren Aronofsky's 2012 Black Swan throughout the editorial.

Despite each dress featured in the next shot being from Bottega Veneta, this shot is so reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2013 campaign shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Karl Templer, down to the cropped 1940s hairstyles of the models. The overall aesthetic to the work is amazing since the light captures the intricate detail of each Bottega Veneta dress, but this shot seems too similar to something that readers will have seen before.

The next model is in head-to-toe Marc Jacobs, again incorporating the black and white theme of the editorial. What makes this shot significant is the manipulation of the image while there is a ghost replication of the, perhaps, sudden movement of the model. Whereas the top is soft with ruffles, in contrast the bottom is a harsh, geometric, hard tailored skirt. Carine Roitfeld always seems to use juxtaposition in her editorials but it never grows tiresome.

Perhaps the next image is the most climatic of the editorial, due to the composition of the shot, each model is faced onto the reader's point of view as if they are directly in their space. The circus-like makeup emphasizes the illusionary, dreamy side of the editorial, meanwhile the models are dressed in very neutral Reed Krakoff, Hermès, and Belstaff pieces, each complemented with a Chanel shoe and Repetto ballets in the background. Without a doubt this is the most flourishing shot of the editorial, as it is captured so beautifully with such emotion given to the reader by the model in the foreground staring back at the camera.

Lastly, Junya Watanabe pieces almost resembling true clown outfits are featured at the end of the shoot, as a ballerina is to the left of the three models in Repetto. There is an eerie element to the composition. Despite the brighter colors and neon highlights, the shot is still very desolate. 

With each model inhabiting an “eerie backstage limbo between roles and reality,” the anticipation of Flaubert's theory is demonstrated, wherein that fine line between reality and illusion underlines a sweet sadness that never fades. "Waiting in the Wings" is exactly that limbo of a person's life which never goes away.

More from CR Fashion Book Issue 2: Dance

CR Fashion Book: A Tribute To Dim Dam Dom
By Jessica Eritou

CR Fashion Book: Clearly
By Kristin Sekora

CR Fashion Book: Dance with the Wind
By Dara Block

CR Fashion Book: High Performance
By Montse Ocejo

 

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Editorial images © 2013 CR Fashion Book.

The Roitfelds At Savelli Smartphone Launch

Savelli has introduced a luxurious line of smartphones especially for les femmes and they chose Julia Restoin-Roitfeld as the perfect model to front their advertising campaign. Crafted by hand in Switzerland, the line favors precious materials such as alligator, ostrich, rose gold, and diamonds. Alessandro Savelli shared his vision for the new line with WWD: “From a design perspective, this was the objective: Creating a completely disruptive design which had nothing in common with any other phone which had ever been designed before. We wanted to create a shape that was feminine, curvaceous, but at the same time extremely modern.” Of course disruptive behavior always comes at a price: these luxe little items range from $9,000 to $118,000 and are available through Harrod’s and Printemps should one be so inclined. The Savelli campaign is styled by Michaela Doasamantes and photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, watch the mood video "Jardin Secret" for more. Savelli hosted their launch party at Jacquemart-André Museum last week and guests were treated to lots of Perrier-Jouët and the sounds of house DJ Stéphane Pompougnac; of course Carine Roitfeld turned out to support her daughter's latest collaboration. Is Carine aiming for maritime chic with this look? I'd love to hear your thoughts…

Note that the work of Patrick Demarchelier is currently on display at A. Galerie in Paris, visit the lovely Ritournelle for more information about the exhibit.

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Carine Roitfeld and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photographs © 2013 Getty Images and Condé Nast. Savelli smartphone images © 2013 Savelli. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld For Tom Ford Fall/Winter 2013

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Tom Ford advertising images © 2013 Tom Ford. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: Sweet 16

In the new issue of V Magazine, Carine Roitfeld shares the promotional images from her "first and only modeling composites" which are featured here. Carine reflects on her modeling days which inspired her editorial "Carine's Sweet 16" for V, “The English photographer Tony Kent discovered me in the street in Paris when I was 16 and took me to Model Promotions, Elite Paris’s teenage division. After one season I went to London and signed with Bobton’s. These are my first and only modeling composites. On the far left I’m wearing a skirt that my mother made from souleiado, a very traditional French fabric used for napkins and table linens.” 

Especially noteworthy are Carine Roitfeld's measurements, listed in both French and English (and likely unchanged):

• Height 5'7½" (Hauteur 1.71)
• Bust 32¾" (Poitrine 83)
• Waist 23¾" (Taille 60)
• Hips 34¾" (Hanches 88)
• Shoes 4 (Chaussures 37)
• Hair Brown (Cheveux Bruns)
• Eyes Green (Yeux Verts)

As for the Disney theme of "Carine's Sweet 16," La Roitfeld confides, "I was obsessed with Mickey and Minnie Mouse… There was a shop on Rue de Canettes in the 6th called Western House that imported everything from America, and I found my Disney pieces there." In one shot, Carine has dressed the model, Dalianah Akerion, in her own tunic as well as using her own tights with polka dots throughout. Sebastian Faena photographed the images of the current collection featured in "Carine's Sweet 16."

I love Carine Roitfeld's reflections on her style and her inspiration behind each shot as told in the captions:

“Back then I would pluck my eyebrows a lot, which I now think is very démodé. But I was lucky because for many girls they never grow back. At the same moment, I was spending a lot of time in the Indian shops, where I discovered raspberry extract and wore it as a fragrance. It was also in those shops that I first found black kohl eyeliner, which I’ve worn ever since.”

“At this point I was listening to David Bowie nonstop. (I learned English listening to “Life On Mars?”) Hair was huge in the theater and it influenced me a lot. My mood was very hippie — I would wear a lot of long scarves and ankle boots in multipattern patchwork, which I bought in London. As a teenager back then you could shop in two places: the Paris flea market or in London. There was no fashion for teens and no High Street. I never aspired to wear big labels the way young people might today. I thought high fashion and fashion magazines were for old ladies and not me.”

“For a look like this I was inspired by Jean Bouquin, a big bohemian designer of the time. I would mix a vintage Romanian blouse with leather Tyrolean shorts. Both came from the flea market. The denim hat with stars came from Sisley, a label that’s still around today. I would be dressed like this when Emanuel de la Fressange, brother of Inès, would come around on his Solex motorcycle to take me to Castel, a popular nightclub. It was there that I met the other Sisley, my partner and the father of my two children.”

“I would wear this on the metro as a day look, which today would be impossible because you’d be chased down. I was very skinny, so I bought my tops at children’s stores for very cheap. In France no one knew what a lunch box was because no one took their lunch to work. Mine was from Walt Disney and I wore it everywhere because I was obsessed with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. There was a shop on Rue de Canettes in the 6th called Western House that imported everything from America, and I found my Disney pieces there.”

“I’ve always loved tights with polka dots and very feminine shoes. It’s funny because looking at this picture I realize my look really hasn’t changed so much. This is something I would very much wear even today.”

“My boots came from Carnaby Street and would have a little psychedelic detail, like a lightning bolt, which always reminded me of Ziggy Stardust. Coats for girls my age were never made in bright colors, so I would always wear navy blue or dark green. When I later worked at French ELLE I started wearing black, under the influence of three designers: Alaïa, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.”

“Crossing my legs like this was my signature. My clothes were usually very small and very tight, and I would go to lycée looking like this. The school was co-ed, so there were no dress codes, which I found very liberating.”

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V Magazine editorial images styled by Carine Roitfeld © 2013 V Magazine, LLC. Carine Roitfeld in St. Tropez photo © 2007 by Carine Roitfeld. Other Carine Roitfeld photos © 2013 Condé Nast, Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.