Carine Roitfeld For Givenchy Fall/Winter 2012

Carine Roitfeld employed her inimitable sense of style for Givenchy, imbuing their Fall/Winter 2012 advertising campaign with a touch that could only be her own. Androgynous and intense, the campaign is set against the darkening stormy sky in a vacant parking lot; I think it perfectly captures the hyperstylized isolation in which much of modern youth is accustomed to living. Riccardo Tisci shared his inspiration for the collection with WWD: “[to] convey the euphoric energy of a rave… It is about happiness and the freedom of expressing yourself with your body. It shows a dynamic, happy and fun world, which is what fashion needs.” Fractalized and alone, they have indeed captured the energy of a rave.

In the first and last photos, Stella Tennant wears a violet dress edged in lace paired with knee high boots, and I absolutely love the over-the-elbow gloves, the red belt, the choker, the wrap — Carine has of course taken care with every detail. Also featured in the photos shown here are Rodrigo Braga and Simone Nobili in kilts, hoots mon! Other models in the campaign are Joan Smalls, Stef van der Laan, Daniela Braga, and Jarrod Scott as photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. Watch the backstage video for more fragments from the Givenchy campaign. 

Givenchy advertising campaign images © 2012 Givenchy.

IWTBAR Editor-At-Large: Dara Block

It is my pleasure to announce the promotion of Dara Block to editor-at-large for I Want To Be A Roitfeld! Dara's inimitable eye for greatness and her eloquent observations make her a strong contributor to the team and I am proud to promote her now for her fabulous work thus far. I hope you will join me in congratulating Dara on her new role. Dara, thank you kindly for sharing your talents with us, you are such an inspiration!

Hello everyone, I'm Dara Block!

Yes, I was born and raised in southern California, but I am not your typical Cali girl. To be completely honest, I dislike the sun, have never surfed in the ocean, and I would much rather wear black than color. Perhaps, I am a bit unique for LA standards, but I am just being me. During the day, I am a dental ceramist and by night I am a fashion and style connoisseur. All that is clearly represented in my blog I co-write with my sister entitled sisters in black frocks. Style has always been such a huge part of my life, no matter what shape or form it takes. I could easily spend the day browsing through my extensive magazine collection, which includes countless issues of Vogue Paris. I am particularly fond of Carine Roitfeld's time at the magazine, when she was editor-in-chief from February of 2001 to March of 2011... that really was such a great decade in magazine publishing and I feel Carine Roitfeld totally transformed that era in fashion and styling! 

I think my fascination with Carine Roitfeld started back in August of 2001 when US Vogue profiled her in their first annual age issue. There was just something about the way she appeared in that editorial that really caught my attention. She looked like a gypsy blended with a bit of Iggy Pop and of course, I was completely captivated by her amazing sense of style. It was from that moment on, that I started to really take notice of Vogue Paris and her unerring eye. Interestingly, 12 years later after reading that US Vogue interview I still find myself very much intrigued by her audacious and cutting-edge approach to glamour. It truly is such a pleasure to be part of the IWTBAR team and to share all my thoughts and opinions with our readers on how Carine Roitfeld has inspired my life. She is a total visionary and I love being part of a group of writers that completely understands what an impact she has had and continues to make in the world of fashion!

Dara Block photograph © 2012 Dara Block. Carine Roitfeld photograph © 2001 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld: Istancool

At the end of May, ISTANBUL'74 collaborated with Visionaire to present the third annual Istanbul International Arts and Culture Festival (affectionately known as "Istancool"), a showcase for the vibrant creativity that thrives in the city of Istanbul. Carine Roitfeld turned out to support one of the world's most fascinating arts events and signed copies of her book Irreverent. When asked for her thoughts about the culture of Istanbul, Carine replied, "Istanbul is very beautiful! It's also the only city with its feet on two continents. I love the mixture of the traditional and the modern here. It's a bit irreverent too. Like my book!" Special thanks to my friend Alper Yilmaz who had the excellent fortune to meet Carine while she was in Istanbul and graciously permitted me to share his photos from the day.

Carine Roitfeld photographs © 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc. and Alper Yilmaz. All Rights Reserved.

Introducing... Renee Hernandez, Contributing Editor

I am thrilled to introduce the newest addition to the IWTBAR editorial team — Renee Hernandez! Miss Renee has proven an invaluable resource as part of IWTBAC, discovering fun and fascinating facts about the life of Sofia Coppola; now she will share her enthusiasm for the Roitfeld family with all of us on these pages. Please join me in warmly welcoming Renee!

Howdy ya’ll, I’m Renee Hernandez. 

Although I am a true Texas woman (born and raised), I’m not all about cowboy boots, football, and big hair. By day, I’m a tech nerd designing and producing digital teaching and learning solutions for colleges. By night, I transform myself into a fashion hungry glamazon. I love all things makeup, clothes, shoes, jewelry. Also, I’m always on the hunt for good music, books, and movies. I’d say that I’m very much like Austin, weird, classy, intellectual, laid back, cool, and I hope my blog (My Reneessance) reflects this. I’m thrilled to be part of IWTBAR because I’m captivated and inspired by the Roitfeld mystique. Whether it’s glamour or pure edge they’re always up to something extreme.

Renee Hernandez photograph © 2012 Renee Hernandez. All Rights Reserved.

The Roitfelds At Chanel Little Black Jacket Opening

Karl Lagerfeld threw a party to launch the opening of his digital exhibit, The Little Black Jacket, last night in Soho and the party was described by at least one guest as "beyond." The exhibit and book by the same name were curated by Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld, featuring 113 photographs of an assortment of celebrities, all clad in the classic Chanel Little Black Jacket. Carine fit the bill in a stunning Chanel two-piece at the launch while her daughter Julia was radiant in black lace. Among the fabulous guests were Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, Giovanna Battaglia, Linda Evangelista, Zoe Kravitz, Leigh Lezark, Karolina Kurkova, Lily Donaldson, Penn Badgely, Pharrell Williams, Zac Posen, Lily Collins, Poppy Delevingne, Jessica Stam, Crystal Renn, Lisa Bonet, Jessica Pare, and Alexandra and Theodora Richards. The Little Black Jacket exhibit opens tomorrow for public perusal and runs through 15 June; the book will publish in August.

View the clever invitation to the opening of The Little Black Jacket

Carine Roitfeld and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photographs courtesy of Rex Features and catwalkqueen.tv.