Vogue Paris April 2001: Berlin

Vogue Paris April 2001: Berlin
By Dara Block

It's always exciting to look back at Carine Roitfeld's early years at Vogue Paris and since it is April 2013, I thought it would be appropriate to reminisce back on the April 2001 issue entitled "Tentation Rebelle," particularly the brilliant editorial entitled "Berlin." The layout was photographed by Mario Testino and was styled by Carine Roitfeld. These two always work so well together and this editorial clearly illustrates that. I think the opening image of model Marcelle Bittar in that shiny black leather Balenciaga trench coat just says it all... it's so sexy-chic, what Carine Roitfeld does best! I also love that she chose Berlin, Germany, as the backdrop. Berlin is certainly a city that is young, modern, vivacious, and even a little punk. All those qualities are definitely depicted here. So, with all that said, let's take a closer look at some of the images from this cutting-edge editorial.

I so appreciate that this layout features both men and women. We get to see both sexes looking edgy and seductive in that Vogue Paris way we all know and love. I think this photo is a perfect example of that. Model Marcelle Bittar totally oozes sex appeal in her beautifully draped Versace dress. This was one of Donatella Versace's best seasons for the label and I love the way Marcelle Bittar looks in that dress. Yes, it is a bit revealing, but the dress certainly covers up in all the right areas. I can't help but also notice that alluring look she is giving to the camera. She appears innocent but you know that she probably has some secret wild side. I also appreciate that added punk element of that young man standing next to her in his suit... I think his hair says it all. I like how this photo looks a bit 80s, but also very contemporary. Carine Roitfeld did an excellent job at blending a retro punk vibe with a sexy and modern sensibility.

In the next image, we see Marcelle Bittar once again looking very vulnerable and sensual in a risqué black lingerie dress with a Dior hat and veil. I love the way Mario Testino worked with mirrors in this photograph. I especially love the reflection of her double red lips. Her image is multiplied in a really interesting and provocative way.

Mirrors certainly add a mysterious-chic quality and I love that Mario Testino included a couple more similar shots. This mirror image in particular was my favorite. I think Carine Roitfeld did an excellent job at styling this look. I know critics hated this Tom Ford for Gucci Spring 2001 collection, but I thought it was one of his best. Carine Roitfeld definitely added a total punk rock aesthetic and a little goth glam with this Gucci black mesh dress, making it look so standout. I also like how Marcelle Bittar even looks a bit like Carine Roitfeld in this pic... the hair and the expression on her face is so CR. I assume she used herself as inspiration.

Yet again, we see another mirror photo image and this time Marcelle Bittar's blonde punk rock boy-toy joins in on the fun. I love the expression of these two together and the way they blend together through that mirror and their black ensembles. Also, their accessories play such a key role in this pic... I love his bullet necklace and her Chopard butterfly brooch. It is such a clever blend of punk rock chic and high glamour. Only Carine Roitfeld could style this look together so effortlessly.

These two also appear again but this time in different looks... and in a hotel room. Marcelle Bittar looks ultra glam in her red transparent coat and glass of champagne. Plus, love the matching red nails. She looks as though she has something naughty on her mind... not sure if her punk rock boy-toy has the same intention!

What I find so interesting about this editorial is that Mario Testino not only photographs models but he manages to capture the beauty and charm of Berlin. We get to see the city at night with all the colors and the gorgeous architecture. Berlin, itself, plays an important role in this layout.

I also appreciate how Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld styled and photographed their models with real life citizens from Berlin. All the people featured in this editorial are artists, students, musicians, of some sort living in this creative city. I love the range of people and how they all somehow blend together. Whether in sporty-chic Adidas or a sexy leather coat... Berlin is certainly a unique city full of personal style... these two pics show all that!

The editorial ends on a high note, with two amazing leather coats. First, we see a male model walking in what seems like a German mall in a black leather trench coat. The cut of this jacket is quite impeccable. It's sleek, sophisticated, and such a perfect look for wandering around a darkly-glam city, like Berlin. We also see Marcelle Bittar again, roaming around in that same mall, still with her glass of champagne, also dressed in a beautiful leather coat. I so appreciate the way in which Carine Roitfeld shows the reader how to work a coat... I love that she displays this look not just for women, but for men, too. It's clear that a form-fitting coat is a must have for both sexes.

As we can see, Carine Roitfeld's "Berlin" is not so much about the clothes but more about personal style. Perhaps it's all about having a punk rock attitude and not caring what other people think... especially when it comes to putting a look together. I like that this editorial does not scream fashion, but rather individuality. Berlin definitely seems to be such a forward thinking city in terms of architecture, fashion, and overall style. I love the way Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld captured all that so intelligently. Yet another amazing collaboration from this dynamic duo... always inspiring to watch these two work their magic!

More from Vogue Paris April 2001

Vogue Paris April 2001: Bande A Part
By Jessica Eritou

Vogue Paris April 2001: Tentation Rebelle
By Kellina de Boer

Vogue Paris April 2001 Translation: Initiales B.C.
By Kellina de Boer

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Vogue Paris editorial images © 2001 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris Translation: Betty Catroux Interview April 2001

A delightful piece titled "Initiales B.C." graced the pages of the April 2001 issue of Vogue Paris and I have translated it from French to English. Olivier Lalanne conducted an engaging interview with true original Betty Catroux, and also spoke with the man she inspired, Yves Saint Laurent. Among their reflections, Betty and Yves both mused on the evening they met in a Parisian club. Accompanying the interviews are photographs made of Betty in the 1960s by Helmut Newton, Jeanloup Sieff, and Jean-Jacques Bugat.

Vogue Paris April 2001: Initiales B.C.

Betty Catroux est au cœur d'Yves Saint Laurent. D'hier et d'aujourd'hui. Sa grâce féline, son androgynie comme Bowie, ses figures libres en matière de style et sa rock attitude enflamment toujours l'imagination de la maison. Femme discrète cachée derrière des verres fumes, Betty Catroux est un modèle de modernité.

«Vous savez pourquoi j'adore le vin blanc de Gewurtz ?, demande Betty Catroux. Parce qu'il monte à la tête dix fois plus vite que les autres.» Assise en tailleur sur un fauteuil camel, dans le décor feutré de son appartement du septième arrondissement, cette déesse dans la mythologie de la mode transcende la notion d'allure, presque malgré elle. Le chic est dans ses gènes, comme l'azur de ses yeux ou sa taille extraordinaire, un mètre quatre-vingt-trois à la toise. Pas un arbitre des élégances ne s'y tromperait. Tom Ford, créateur du prêt-à-porter d'Yves Saint Laurent, lui a dédié sa première collection. «J'ai cru que j'allais avoir une attaque, dit-elle, lorsque j'ai vu mes cinquante clones sortir sur le podium. J'étais à la fois grisée et angoissée, moi qui passe ma vie à me cacher. Je m'étonne toujours quand on prétend s'inspirer de moi, parce que rien ne m'intéresse moins que a mode. Je n'aime que le jean, bleu denim ou cuir noir, les T-shirts et les grosses.» Les campagnes de publicité réalisées par le photographe Steven Meisel reproduisent le délié de sa silhouette sous smoking de satin noir, sa longue frange blonde affûtée, refuge de ses yeux, filtre salutaire sur la réalité d'un monde longtemps esquivée.

«La première fois que j'ai vu Betty, se souvient Yves Saint Laurent, c'était au New Jimmy'z, le club de Régine. 1967, je crois. Elle portait une jupe en plastique Prisunic. Ce qui m'a impressionné, c'est le style, l'androgynie, le corps, le visage et les cheveux. Je l'ai draguée.» Yves Saint Laurent, en prise avec les mouvements de son époque, venait de lancer Rive Gauche, sa ligne prêt-a-porter, et glissait dans ses vêtements les acquis d'une génération, la fusion des genres, l'audace du corps et la liberté sexuelle. Betty Catroux devient son égérie, la Betty's touch un statement sulfureux. Betty adore les cheveux sales, au bord de trouver ça chic. Elle se fait siffler à l'Opéra parce qu'elle ose dévoiler son buste de jeune garçon sous un voile de mousseline. Elle choisit les pantalons de jersey, les cols roulés pour le jour ; cède parfois aux robes du soir, «des modèles un peu macho avec des manches longues noires». Elle ne jure que par la «loucherie», déteste le «square» (l'académisme), invente l'expression «pourri de chic» à propos de Gstaad dans les années 70. «C'est en pensant à elle que j'ai imaginé le tailleur pantalon, puis le cuir, ajoute le couturier. Tous les codes masculins que j'ai interjetés au féminin. Si Paloma Picasso et Loulou de la Falaise m'inspirent la fantaisie, Betty, elle, m'inspire a rigueur du corps.»

«Je me souviens très bien de cette nuit, dit Betty Catroux. Yves était blond platine, cuir noir total look. On se ressemblait. Il est tellement timide qu'il a envoyé quelqu'un m'accoster à ma table. Il m'a ensuite demandé de passer sa collection, je lui ai dit non. Je faisais quelques photos de mode à l'époque, mais c'était pas mon truc. C'était de l'argent vite gagné pour sortir, boire et déconner.»

Betty Catroux est discrète, entend préserver le mystère qui nimbe sa beauté anguleuse, modèle en «I». Naissance à Rio, Brésil, d'une mère italienne et d'un père irlandais, diplomate. Prénom Elisabeth. Paris à l'âge de 4 ans, puis l'école en Angleterre. 1968, la rencontre avec son mari, le décorateur François Catroux, deux enfants, un garçon, une fille, une intimité serrée au poing.

«Je suis légère, charmante, mais je ne suis proche de personne. Je suis une marginale qui a le sentiment de n'appartenir à un aucun groupe, aucun sexe. François, mon mari, c'est ma moitié. Yves, c'est l'ami. Nous avons une sensibilité commune lui et moi, le même état entre dépression et excitation. Un naturel forcé d'une petite technique. On en rajoute parce que l'air abattu, ça fait fondre les gens.» Betty, présentée comme «le copain, l'amie intime, le double» de Saint Laurent, est aussi la compagne de dérive, celle qui partage la même soif sauvage de sensations violentes, les mirages alcool et autres substances pour assassiner doucement le temps, se dérober à l'optimisme soigné, ce gras et prospère élevage du tiède, du médiocre, de l'ordinaire.

«A l'époque, j'étais dans un état second dit Betty Catroux. J'étais mal dans ma peau et je faisais beaucoup d'excès. J'ai à peine apprécié ce que j'ai vécu. Je ne me suis jamais sentie aussi bien que maintenant. Je suis faite pour notre époque.»

«On s'est beaucoup amusé, ajoute Yves Saint Laurent. On était toute une bande avec Paul et Thalita Ghetty [sic], Andy Warhol, Noureev, Helmut Berger... Quand on a vécu tout ça, il faut beaucoup d'imagination pour vivre aujourd'hui.»

Betty Catroux n'a pas le goût de la nostalgie. Celle qui se définit comme la «passivité incarnée» danse tous les jours depuis quinze ans. Un cours de modern jazz, porte de La Chapelle où elle se rend en métro. «Il n'y a que des jeunes à tomber, de toutes les couleurs, qui veulent devenir professionnels.» Chaque matin, son copain Yves lui téléphone. Une fois par semaine, tous deux se retrouvent au Relais Plaza, au Costes ou au Mathy's bar. «On parle de tout , sauf de mode, insiste t-elle. On se dit des bêtises, on a des fous rires de mômes, on échange nos états d'âme.»

«Elle me rend heureux, dit Yves Saint Laurent. Elle démode toutes les femmes. Dans sa façon d'être, de bouger, de s'habiller, je crois que Betty a inventé la modernité.»

Vogue Paris April 2001: Initiales B.C.
Translation from French to English by Kellina de Boer

Betty Catroux is at the heart of Yves Saint Laurent. Yesterday and today. Her feline grace, her androgyny like Bowie, her free figure in terms of style, and her rock attitude always ignite the imagination of the house. Discreet woman hidden behind smoked glasses, Betty Catroux is a model of modernity.

"You know why I love Gewurtz white wine?" asks Betty Catroux. "Because it goes to the head ten times faster than the others." Sitting cross-legged on a camel chair in the cozy setting of her apartment in the seventh arrondissement, this goddess in the mythology of fashion transcends the notion of allure, almost in spite of herself. Chic is in her genes, such as the azure of her eyes or her extraordinary height, eighty-three meters to fathom. An arbiter of elegance not to be deceived. Tom Ford, ready-to-wear designer for Yves Saint Laurent, dedicated his first collection to her. "I thought I was gonna have a heart attack," she said, "when I saw my fifty clones out on the podium. I was both gray and anxious, that I spend my life hiding. I am always amazed when one claims to be inspired by me, because nothing interests me less than fashion. I love the jeans, blue denim or black leather, t-shirts and large." Advertising campaigns shot by photographer Steven Meisel reproduce the hairline of her silhouette in le smoking in black satin, her long blond fringe sharp, the safe haven of her eyes, a wholesome filter to the reality of a world long evaded.

"The first time I saw Betty," remembers Yves Saint Laurent, "it was at New Jimmy'z, the club of Régine. 1967, I think. She wore a Prisunic plastic skirt. What impressed me was the style, the androgyny, the body, the face, and the hair. I hit on her." Yves Saint Laurent, engaged in the movements of his time, had just launched Rive Gauche, his ready-to-wear line, and slipped into his garments the achievements of a generation, a fusion of styles, the audacity of the body and sexual freedom. Betty Catroux became his muse, Betty's touch a sulphurous statement. Betty loves dirty hair, besides finding it chic. She is hissed at the Opera because she dares to reveal the bust of a young boy in a muslin veil. She chooses jersey pants, turtlenecks for the day; at times yielding to evening gowns, "models a little macho with long sleeves black." She swears by the "squint," hates the "square" (the academy), coined the phrase "rotten chic" about Gstaad in the 70s. "I was thinking of her when I imagined the pantsuit, then the leather," adds the designer. "All the male codes that I have appeal to the female. If Paloma Picasso and Loulou de la Falaise inspire my fantasy, Betty, she inspires my rigorous body."

"I remember very well that night," said Betty Catroux. "Yves was platinum blonde, black leather total look. We looked alike. He is so shy that he sent someone to accost me at my table. He then asked me to his collection, I told him no. I made some pictures of fashion at the time, but it was not my style. It was easy money to go out drinking and messing around."

Betty Catroux is discrete, aiming to preserve the mystery which haloes her angular beauty, the model of "I." Born in Rio, Brazil, to an Italian mother and an Irish father, a diplomat. First name Elizabeth. Paris at the age of 4 years, then school in England. 1968, the encounter with her ​​husband, decorator François Catroux, two children, a boy, a girl, a tight-fisted intimacy.

"I am light, charming, but I'm not close to anyone. I am a marginal who feels that they belong to no group, no sex. François, my husband, is my half. Yves is my friend. We have a common sensitivity him and me, the same state between depression and excitement. A natural force of a small art. We add in that dejected air because it melts people." Betty, presented as "the buddy, the close friend, the double" of Saint Laurent, is also the drifting companion, which shares the same wild thirst for violent sensations, the illusions of alcohol and other substances to gently kill time, shirking the neat optimism, this fat and prosperous breeding of warmth, of the mediocre, of the ordinary.

"At the time, I was in a daze," said Betty Catroux. "I was wrong in my skin and I did a lot of excess. I just enjoyed what I experienced. I've never felt better than now. I'm made for our times."

"It was great fun," adds Yves Saint Laurent. "It was a whole bunch with Paul and Talitha Getty, Andy Warhol, Nureyev, Helmut Berger... When you have been through it, it takes a lot of imagination to live today."

Betty Catroux does not have a taste for nostalgia. She who is defined as "passivity incarnate" has danced every day for fifteen years. A course in modern jazz, the door of La Chapelle where she goes via public transportation. "There are nothing but young people to die for, in all colors, who want to become professionals." Every morning, her pal Yves telephones her. Once a week, the two find themselves at the Relais Plaza, the Costes, or Mathy's bar. "We talk about everything except fashion," she insists. "We speak nonsense, we giggle like kids, we exchange our moods."

"She makes me happy," said Yves Saint Laurent. "Her style eclipses that of all other women. In her way of being, of moving, of dressing, I think Betty invented modernity."

More from Vogue Paris April 2001

Vogue Paris April 2001: Bande A Part
By Jessica Eritou

Vogue Paris April 2001: Berlin
By Dara Block

Vogue Paris April 2001: Tentation Rebelle
By Kellina de Boer

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Vogue Paris editorial images © 2001 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris April 2001: Tentation Rebelle

This month the IWTBAR team will flash back to April 2001 to examine the third issue of Vogue Paris produced by Carine Roitfeld with the focus on "Tentation Rebelle;" Erin Wasson was the perfect cover model to convey her message. I have translated the issue's "Le Point de Vue" from French to English so that we can better understand Carine's vision for rebel temptation... Note that the editor's letter was very plain then and not yet emblazoned with her signature "CR" so instead let's enjoy the amazing cover shot which melds the talents of stylist Marie-Amélie Sauvé and photographer Hans Feurer to set the tone for "Tentation Rebelle."

Effrontée, la dégaine boudeuse, fausse méchante et tendre voyou. Elle est là : c'est la tentation rebelle. Vêtement limite, juste à l'endroit stratégique, dentelle en morceaux, mais somptueux lambeaux sur un corps en dévoilé résille. Ces vêtements, on les croit interdits, mauvais goût, mauvais genre. Ce numéro met ce préjugé K.O. Le sourcil est froncé mais le charme complètement désarmant.

Descente express sur Berlin, rebelle city par excellence. Instantanés d'une ville prise sur le vif, extérieurs nuit, et tous ses clans comme en Cinémascope, parfois un carré blanc. C'est la pulsion punk, domptée à la sophistication : trench trash mais tout cuir, plastique rose shocking mais sabré au champagne.

Perfecto biker, chaîne et grosse boucle : une panoplie de chef de gang, mais larme à l'œil, le cran d'arrêt désamorcé tweed et baby cachemire. Les rebelles ont leur égérie : Betty Catroux, jean androgyne et soleil noir un peu mélancolique. Aujourd'hui comme hier, elle est modèle d'inspiration. Les rebelles ont leurs lois : surtout ne rien faire comme les autres. Un temple leur est désormais consacré. Tel que l'imagine Rei Kawakubo, l'art du shopping ne sera plus jamais comme avant. Les images non plus : l'op art drainé par Denise René a envahi la ville.

Brazen, the outlandish pouting, false wicked and tender hooligan. She is there: the tempting rebel. Limited clothing, strategically located, lace pieces, but sumptuous tatters revealing a body of fishnet. Such clothes, they are thought to be banned, bad taste, bad style. This issue knocks out this prejudice. The brow is gathered but the charm is completely disarming. 

Downhill express from Berlin, rebel city par excellence. Snapshots of a city taken on the spot, outside at night, and all the clans like in Cinemascope, sometimes a white square. This is the punk impulse, tamed sophistication: trashy trench but all leather, shocking pink plastic but cut with champagne.

Perfecto biker, chain and big buckle: a variety of gang leader, but a tear in the eye, the safety catch disarmed with tweed and baby cashmere. The rebels have their muse: Betty Catroux, androgynous jeans and black sun a little melancholy. Today as yesterday, she is a model of inspiration. The rebels have their laws: above all do nothing like the others. A shrine is now devoted to them. As imagined by Rei Kawakubo, the art of shopping will never be as before. Nor the images: the op art attracted by Denise René invaded the city.

More from Vogue Paris April 2001

Vogue Paris April 2001: Bande A Part
By Jessica Eritou

Vogue Paris April 2001: Berlin
By Dara Block

Vogue Paris April 2001 Translation: Initiales B.C.
By Kellina de Boer

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Vogue Paris cover image © 2001 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris March 2011: Coeur A Corps Perdu

Vogue Paris March 2011: Coeur À Corps Perdu
By Kate Ringo Suzuki

With the passing of the throne at Vogue Paris, readers have witnessed a seismic rift in the presentation of Parisian chic. In one corner of the ring, we have Carine Roitfeld; in the opposite corner, Emmanuelle Alt. At the sound of the bell, let the knockdown commence...

Two years ago, we said adieu to Vogue Paris as we knew it with the last issue under the dominion of Carine Roitfeld, her March 2011 farewell featuring the lovely Saskia de Brauw on the cover. Within the plastic encasement which crackled when we ripped it off in anticipation and wonder, we saw Saskia appear in the editorial styled by Roitfeld entitled "Cœur à Corps Perdu," or in English, "Heart and Soul," along with blonde nymphet Daphne Groeneveld.

Against the backdrop of a lush and dreamy boudoir cast in soft romantic lighting, we peep at Saskia and Daphne while they play out an elegantly erotic fantasy. We have gone back in time to the free love of the 70s: they wear crocheted finery, straw hats, lace and silk lingerie, and strands of pearls that drape sensually over their nubile décolletage. The spread is a well done homage to the 1974 softcore erotic film entitled Emmanuelle. The film became so popular in France and later in America that it made soft porn chic if even for a moment in time. Have you seen it? The main character, Emmanuelle, is an eager and zealous student of lust: She is willing to be fucked by anyone in order to reach higher levels of pleasure with her lover, Mario.

View the trailer for Emmanuelle

Compare my thoughts on "Cœur à Corps Perdu" with my review of the editorial "Nouveau Genre" from the March 2013 issue of Vogue Paris.

More from Vogue Paris March 2011

Vogue Paris March 2011: Audace Manifeste
By Dara Block

Vogue Paris March 2011: Body Secrets
By Bernie Rothschild

Vogue Paris March 2011: Expression Figurative
By Jessica Eritou

Vogue Paris March 2011: La Fee Toxique
By Kellina de Boer

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Vogue Paris editorial images © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: The Animal Nursery

For her latest installment of "Carine On The Collections" for Harper's Bazaar, Carine Roitfeld created a wildly engaging editorial, "The Animal Nursery," with models Senait Gidey, Tilda Lindstam, Soo Joo Park, Irina Shayk, and Kate Upton posing as caretakers for tiger cubs, baby monkeys, and leopard cubs on safari. Of course the world's cutest veterinary nurses are dressed in garments from the Pre-Fall collections, accessorized smartly with shining stethoscopes, pert caps, and elbow-length surgical gloves. Notice the flasks and first aid kits, these women are prepared for any emergency in their enchanting animal nursery. Carine shared her excitement about the project with The Cut, "The shoot was a dream come true because I had never held a baby monkey and baby tigers before… Kate was so incredible, very cool. She was the most relaxed out of all the girls with the animals. You can tell she feels very connected to nature. I was very surprised how wholesome she is." Carine worked with creative director Stephen Gan and photographer Sebastian Faena to produce "The Animal Nursery."

 View a brief video of the creation of "Carine on the Collections: The Animal Nursery" on Harper's Bazaar

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"Carine Roitfeld on the Collections: The Animal Nursery" images © 2013 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.