Happy 61st Birthday Carine Roitfeld!

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Carine Roitfeld and family photographs courtesy of Instagram.

Carine Roitfeld: 7 Cardinal Scenes

When I read the artist statement by Rebecca Dayan yesterday I was reminded of the piece “7 Cardinal Scenes” from the Vogue Hommes International Spring/Summer 2008 issue under the direction of Carine Roitfeld. Asked to submit an inspiring erotic image, the seven subjects happily complied. The editorial opens as follows: “It is a well-known fact that erotic images chanced upon whilst flicking through a magazine or visiting an exhibition sometimes become ingrained on their beholders’ minds and imaginations. In a ‘Vogue Homes International’ exclusive, seven stars reveal the powerful visions that stoked and fired their libidos.”

TERRY RICHARDSON

“I had this poster over my bed, in California, when I was ten years old. Every morning I’d open my eyes to this vision of Farrah Fawcett. Her hair, her smile, the colors on the cover pulled taut behind her. It looked like an ice cream ad. I also remember vividly that you could see her breasts through her t-shirt… this image made a lasting impression on me.”

DENNIS HOPPER

“The Postman Always Rings Twice, the sex scene on the kitchen table, with Jack Nicholson, and Jessica Lange in beige stocking and garters. Unforgettable.”

ED RUSCHA

“I see the mechanical world as a source of eroticism. An example would certainly be a shiny piston in a cylinder. I go for this photograph taken by Bettina Hubby. The subject has all the mechanics necessary to be considered erotic. But the dilemma should be which do you attend to first?”

JEFF KOONS

“Looking at The Origin of the World, there’s a sense of birth and desire at the same time, an awareness of your own mortality. It is the alpha and the omega.”

HANIF KUREISHI

“Picasso’s Bathers is erotic not because of its overt sexual nature, but because of its abandonment, the amount of enjoyment he suggests the women are having, and, of course, because of the pleasure Picasso himself — and the viewer with him — is taking in looking at these women.”

GUS VAN SANT

“Hippolyte Flandrin’s Figure d’Etude is an early erotic image for me. I saw it in a book in high school. There have been many others like it and in ‘Paranoid Park’ we have a similar image.”

TOM FORD

“The nude wrestling scene from the film Women in Love with Alan Bates and Oliver Reed, 1969. For some strange reason I accompanied my parents to this film in the theatre when I was eight years old.There is this scene where the two actors take off their clothes and wrestle naked in front of a fireplace. I was riveted and not really sure why, but I knew that I found this very interesting.”

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Vogue Hommes International editorial images © 2008 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld X UNIQLO

I must admit that I gasped in delight when I flipped to the centerfold of CR Fashion Book Issue 7… behold the Carine Roitfeld for UNIQLO collection in all its glory! Carine has styled model Lexi Boling in her image, a convincing likeness indeed, as shot by Steven Meisel. Better yet is the clothing La Roitfeld has created — blouses, skirts, jackets, coats, accessories — all with the distinctive CR touch. The Carine Roitfeld for UNIQLO collection debuts 29 October and I simply cannot wait! What do you think of Carine’s collection? Are you planning to buy any pieces?

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Carine Roitfeld X UNIQLO images courtesy of CR Fashion Book.

Carine Roitfeld: Icons

Carine Roitfeld certainly keeps busy, running her own magazines, CR Fashion Book and CR Men’s Book, while contributing heavily to Harper’s Bazaar; yet her well of editorial ideas never runs dry. Her most recent tour de force for HB, “Icons,” shines with her genius. Carine picks nine icons of today and presents each as his or her favorite mythological being, all costumed in the current season of fashion amidst the most divine settings. I particularly enjoy CR’s adaptation of Katy Perry, paying tribute to both Elizabeth Taylor and Andy Warhol with the image, quel génie ! Jean-Paul Goude photographed “Icons” and Stephen Gan provided creative direction but the imagination could only be Carine Roitfeld.

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY AS DIANA VREELAND

"Diana was such an influential, powerful woman who changed fashion from the inside out."

Chanel jacket and tights; J.W. Anderson earrings and boots

Special thanks to Xianzhong Zhai of Chinese Theatre Works

JESSICA CHASTAIN AS JOAN OF ARC

"Individuality makes an icon. Joan of Arc inspires me because she fought against society's constraints. She went against the grain."

Balenciaga dress; Alexander Wang socks and shoes; Fannie Schiavoni gloves

Special thanks to France Vitrail International

OPRAH WINFREY AS GLINDA THE GOOD WITCH

"The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite spiritual tales, and Glinda is a spiritual goddess. I love when she says to Dorothy, 'You've always had the power.' That is the message for all of us: You're born with it, you always have it. It doesn't matter how many yellow brick roads you go down, it's always right there in your heart."

Ralph Lauren Collection dress; Walter Steiger shoes; Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet

MARIAH CAREY AS MARIE ANTOINETTE

"I'm pretty much the opposite of Marie Antoinette, but it's always fun to throw on a costume."

Tom Ford corset; Manolo Blahnik shoes; Le Vestiaire jacket, skirt, petticoats and stockings

DAKOTA JOHNSON AS APHRODITE

"In Greek mythology, Aphrodite is the primary image of feminine divine love. To me, she embodies the power of love and pleasure and represents the mystery and intricacy of women."

Neosport wetsuit; Dior boots

LUCKY BLUE SMITH AS LIBERACE

"I like Liberace. He was cool, he was blingy, he was rad, he killed it. He was a performer and I'm a performer."

Burberry Prorsum jacket and pants; Roberto Cavalli shirt; Jacob & Co bracelet; Beladora ring; Jacob & Co ring; Doyle & Doyle ring; Jason of Beverly Hills shoes; Cape and bow tie, courtesy of Ellen Mirojnick

Special thanks to the Liberace Foundation for the Creative & Performing Arts

WILLOW SMITH AS KALI

"When I was little, I would go into my mom's meditation room and read her books about goddesses. Kali stayed with me because she is terrifying yet beautiful."

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci corset, skirt, and face jewels

CHRIS LEE AS COCO CHANEL

"In China, we say that when a person passes, their soul remains. I really felt that Coco was among us on this day."

Chanel dress, shoes and belt; Ghost of Coco wears vintage Chanel

KATY PERRY AS ELIZABETH TAYLOR

"An icon transcends time. Liz was so fabulous and decadent and had a style that evolved with the years...and I'm sure I'll be married just as many times!"

Azzedine Alaïa dress; Dior Fine Jewelry earrings

Andy Warhol Artwork, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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Harper’s Bazaar images © 2015 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Review: CR Men’s Book Issue 1

I am pleased to be in possession of CR Fashion Book Issue 7 as well as CR Men’s Book Issue 1 and my first thought is to salute Carine Roitfeld: C’est fantastique, brava ! My second thought is to clarify information previously published here: CR Men’s Book will be packaged as an annual supplement to CR Fashion Book and will not be sold separately. This is according to Carine’s letter introducing the publication, I find it charming so I am reprinting it here:

Fashion doesn’t look good on men. It’s very difficult to strike a balance between trendy and traditional. Go too far and you look like a victim. Play too safe and you seem like a bore. In between, though, there’s an ambiguity that is seductive — a vagueness of style, of sexuality, of gender, of generation. I love this look on a man.

For the first issue of this annual supplement to CR, I thought to create a cinematic tribute to five legendary men who’ve inspired me with their subtle masculinity and quintessential looks. Over the years, their style — a bit offbeat in each one’s heyday — has evolved to simply be men’s style. Who can forget Kurt Cobain’s distressed cardigans or Christopher Walken’s polished camel coats? What about Robert Mapplethorpe’s penchant for sensual, low-riding black leather and not much else? Or the way River Phoenix made any old white t-shirt look like the coolest white t-shirt in the world? Bob Marley wore his tracksuit like a tuxedo — always cool and together.

Obviously most of these stars have passed. So I selected modern personalities to channel their spirits. Boys like Lucky Blue and Jaden Smith can’t be compared to Christopher or Bob, of course. They’re all such strong individuals. But in their personal freedom, their striking faces, and their embrace of ambiguity, they are one and the same.

— Carine

I love that Carine chose to focus her first issue of CRMB on five of her male style icons: Robert Mapplethorpe by Oliver Greenall, River Phoenix by Love Rönnlund, Kurt Cobain by Logan Flatte, Christopher Walken by Lucky Blue Smith, and Bob Marley by Jaden Smith, all photographed by Sebastian Faena. Also notable is the appearance of Kate Upton in each editorial, adeptly portraying the muse to each of these men: Patti Smith, Winona Ryder, Courtney Love, Natalie Wood, and Cindy Breakspeare, respectively. The Smiths make the issue: Lucky Blue as Walken and Jaden as Marley are exceptional and I found both of their interviews intriguing. It is painful to think that we must wait a year for the next issue of CR Men’s Book but I am certainly looking forward to more of Carine Roitfeld’s way with menswear.

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CR Men’s Book images courtesy of crfashionbook.com.