Carine Roitfeld: Corps & Lames

I present with glee the witty words of editor-at-large, Kate Ringo Suzuki, in which she sharply dissects the dangerous beauty of Carine Roitfeld's legendary editorial, "Corps & Lames," originally published in the February 2005 issue of Vogue Paris.

Carine Roitfeld: Corps & Lames
By Kate Ringo Suzuki 

In 2005 Carine Roitfeld teamed up with legendary photographer Mario Testino to produce the now famous Vogue Paris editorial, "Corps & Lames" (which translates as "Body & Blades"), in which she cast the doll-faced Gemma Ward in a mischievious romp through fashion fantasy. I can just picture the two of them giggling, “Let’s piss off zee stupid Americans who watch Fox News!”

At first blush, Gemma is all childlike innocence with her doe eyes, polka dots, ruffled bloomers (a present from Granny?), and white tights. Slowly we come to realize that the tights are in fact thigh-highs and you can see right through the wisps of polka dot chiffon. Then it hits us: Gemma is a dirty little nymphet. The cheeky wench has removed one of her black dominatrix gloves as to better wield her golden scissors. We watch her cut her Barbie’s hair to match her own hairstyle. I guess Carine and Mario were just getting warmed up because I can think of much kinkier things my friends and I did with our Barbies, and it usually involved a Ken doll.

Where is Humbert Humbert? I think he flew the coop and had the nymphet committed. The scene is set on a cold, sterile stainless steel table in the clinical white madhouse bathroom. One minute she is murderously wielding her scissors at an innocent fish swimming in its bowl, the next minute she is cutting her own eyelashes while simultaneously strangling herself with her single dominatrix-gloved hand. Sista is a psycho — she can’t decide if she’s top or bottom.

The kink doesn’t stop here. Carine and Mario go all out. Gemma is their pretty pawn, whom they maninipulate as easily as a delicate puppet on strings. Sweet Gemma, donning a pure white apron front top juxtaposed with black pantyhose with a back seam, performs some kind of ritualistic surgery on a slab of meat. We watch her bending over that now familiar sterile stainless steel table in the clinical madhouse bathroom. I imagine Mario instructing Gemma, “Bend over… a little more… .a little more. Ahhh, yes! Beautiful!” Click. “Beautiful!! Beautiful!!” Click. Click.

Yes, beautiful! And brilliant.

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2005 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris Covers: Kellina's Picks

Concluding our tribute to the iconic Vogue Paris covers created by Carine Roitfeld, I offer my seven favorites from the epic decade in which she reigned as editor-in-chief. Carine makes everything that she touches special so it was extremely difficult to narrow my selection to such a small number. If only every decision in life were so pleasurable...

Gemma Ward by Mario Testino
February 2005

Brilliant, humorous, and memorable, the cover and editorial "Corps & Lames" (or in English "Body & Blades") represents Carine Roitfeld at the height of her visual genius. Her use of dots, bits of red, and seemingly harmless fashion props throughout the shoot sharply suggest the pain beneath the pleasure...

Charlotte Gainsbourg by Craig McDean
December 2007/January 2008

I love the personal style of Charlotte Gainsbourg, guest editor for the issue, but I admire Carine's decision to style her glamorously for the cover, rather than in the expected bohemian chic. I like the opposites at work here, her expression conveys such innocence and freedom while her makeup, clothing, and posture are all nonchalant glamour. Her signature stamped in purple foil is a sweet touch.

Lara Stone by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
September 2009

Always one to surprise in unexpected visual ways, La Roitfeld conjures up Lara Stone as a brunette. I love the colors of this cover, the old fashioned flair, the pinup styling of her hair, I think this treatment flatters Lara's natural beauty to perfection.

Isabeli Fontana by David Sims
November 2009

The cover and the editorial "Keith Me" pay homage to the visual style of artist Keith Haring, known for painting his subjects themselves in tribal graffiti. I think this provocative expression of pop art may be my very favorite work by Carine, so much thought went in to every nuance and the result is incredible.

Daria Werbowy by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin
February 2010

This cover is so gorgeous it takes my breath away. Carine imagined this and then made it happen for all of us to see, this is her gift and I am so grateful she shares it with us! Notice how the glorious blue of the ocean is reflected in the seductive eyes of Daria Werbowy as well as the crystals on her Prada dress. I don't see any artful message in this one, just purely pretty perfection, j'adore.

Lara Stone by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
October 2010

I believe this iconic cover celebrating the 90th anniversary of Vogue Paris is more evidence of Carine Roitfeld's visual genius: she highlights Lara Stone's best features exquisitely, she alludes to her amazing masked ball to come later that month, and she leaves us with the feeling of mystery, danger, and sex, all with a single black and white image. Carine, I applaud your daring imagination.

Saskia de Brauw by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
March 2011

I think Carine Roitfeld sends a message beautifully by featuring Saskia de Brauw on her last Vogue Paris cover and in the editorial "Coeurs A Corps Perdu." I have read that the cinematic reference is inspired by a series of French soft pornography films titled Emmanuelle; though I have yet to see it for myself, it clearly increases the humor of the piece if this is true. Carine, I shall miss your sexy and witty visual statements in this particular forum.

Vogue Paris cover images © 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Carine Roitfeld As Pop Art

These images are taken from Giovanna Battaglia's Twitter stream, regrettably I have few details. They are amazing pieces of pop art that illustrate the icons of fashion as cycloptic yet familiar: Carine Roitfeld, Karl Lagerfeld, Grace Coddington, Suzy Menkes... Bizarre yet adorable...

Carine Roitfeld et al images courtesy of twitter.com/batgiovanna

Carine Roitfeld In Der Spiegel

The latest issue of German publication Der Spiegel features an interview with Carine Roitfeld complete with photographs taken in her chic Parisian home. Danke schoen to Dexter from The High Heel Times for alerting me to the interview; he also graciously agreed to translate it for us but I could not wait to share these photos with you. Carine is actually wearing jeans! Et les chaussures de violette — oooo la la...

Britta Sandberg, Carine Roitfeld, Claudia Voigt

Carine Roitfeld's Paris apartment photographs courtesy of spiegel.de

Carine Roitfeld For Chanel

Our favorite fashion influencer is on to her next hot gig — Carine Roitfeld is styling the Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 collection for Chanel! The campaign stars Danish model Freja Beha Erichsen and was shot in Paris recently. For this season Karl Lagerfeld chose to focus on apocalypse by way of masculine jackets, pants, jumpsuits, and work boots; I am curious to see how Carine will work her magic with the collection. What are Lagerfeld's thoughts on the new campaign? "I like to work with the same girls and boys all the time. The mix with Freja was genius," he notes. Stay tuned for more greatness from Chanel, Lagerfeld is shooting a film to show as part of the Chanel cruise collection on May 9 in Antibes. Set in Monaco and the south of France, the short film features Erichsen, Lady Amanda Harlech, Kristen McMenamy, and Anna Mouglalis; Carine's involvement in the film is not clear at this point.

Carine Roitfeld and Karl Lagerfeld photograph courtesy of life.com