Happy 60th Birthday Carine Roitfeld!

Happiest of birthdays to the queen of our hearts, Carine Roitfeld! Though it is impossible to believe, this incredibly chic woman turns 60 today, an inspiration to all that sexy has nothing whatsoever to do with age. In celebration of Carine's extraordinary ability to defy the passing of time, let us examine five of her basic principles for living. All of these hints work to "preserve the freshness," the Parisian approach to caring for oneself; the typical French woman wisely believes that it is better to take care of her assets along the way rather than trying to retrieve her youth with surgery or expensive creams later in life. Note that these ideas have nothing to do with fashion, other than providing for a beautiful frame on which to display the art of the garment. Joyeux anniversaire Carine xxx

1. Ballet

Over the years, Carine Roitfeld has kept active with Pilates, a personal trainer, and other forms of fitness. Her current passion is ballet and she practices with a teacher regularly at home. Of course she has chosen the best ballet clothes: cashmere tank top, leggings, and cardigan in nude or khaki by Rick Owens. She likes to layer her pieces so that she can remove them as she sweats.

2. Green tea

Carine begins her day with matcha green tea, whipping the powder into froth with a handheld electric food processor. Noted for its antioxidant properties, green tea makes the skin glow among many other benefits. I found it interesting that when the Vogue Bar began, they selected a drink befitting CR, then editor-in-chief, that included green tea… "Carine's Tea Time" composed of Vodka Absolut 100, sirop de thé vert, jus citron vert, eau florale de menthe (or in English, Absolut vodka, green tea syrup, lime juice, and mint blossom water.)

3. Massage

Carine Roitfeld prefers Joëlle Ciocco for her facial massage, a thorough treatment which covers even the inside of the mouth, reducing stress and freshening the skin. Parisian women swear that treatments with Ciocco can stop the process of aging. For body treatments, Carine has been spotted at L'appartement 217, the peaceful haven created by Stéphane Jaulin.

4. Sunscreen

Sun damage is the leading cause of premature aging in women and men. The sun's UVA light accounts for 90 percent of all wrinkles. This means that with care, damage to the skin can be avoided and aging can be prevented. An effective sunscreen can help to protect against skin cancer as well. If you consider only one of these ideas to counter the effects of aging, I hope you will choose the regular application of a quality sunscreen. As Julia Restoin-Roitfeld explains, "It’s a daily routine for French women of eating healthy and being very careful about going out in the sun. They work to keep up the freshness as long as possible... For me, beauty is more about prevention than anything. Especially now that I’ve hit 30, it’s more about being careful and maintaining my skin. I want to keep my youth and freshness and be wrinkle-free as long as possible because I don’t want to have to cheat — that’s what I call any cosmetic surgeries, cheating. I don’t mind having a little glow, but now when I go to the beach, I put SPF 50 everywhere — either Avène or La Roche-Posay Anthelios."

5. Sleep

Even with her busy schedule, Carine knows the importance of sleep for health and she aims for seven hours per night. A true French fantasy, she wears to bed her black silk slip dress by Olatz with a spritz of Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. Notice how clean and calm her bedroom is, conducive to clearing the mind for a restful night of sleep.

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Carine Roitfeld photographs courtesy of Twitter, Instagram, Art + Commerce, Net-a-porter.

IWTB Interview: Antje Winter

IWTB Interview: Antje Winter
By Heather Dunhill

It is a rare opportunity that we get to hear from the person behind a fashion icon like Carine Roitfeld. But, here at I Want To Be A Roitfeld we’ve had an exclusive inside chat with German-born Antje Winter who served as Carine’s right-hand woman for nearly two years then worked with her as a fashion editor for Vogue Paris for two more years.

Not only does Antje have an oh-so-enviable résumé as a stylist — working with names like Mario Testino, Karl Lagerfeld, Paco Rabanne, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Shiseido, and Costume National — she also has launched her own fashion collection, which is divinely simple in design. You must check it out. But, first… some insight from Antje on Queen Carine….

However did you land the coveted role as Carine Roitfeld's assistant?

I was an intern at Vogue Paris in the right time. Benjamin Gallopin had just left and Carine and I got along really well so she asked me to become her assistant. Later on, Vogue Paris asked me to become a fashion editor — three months later Carine became editor-in-chief and was my boss again.

Dying to know, what was it like to work with the queen of fashion as she ruled the Vogue Paris headquarters?  

It was a great pleasure every day. Carine is funny and cool and generous and we shared so many unforgettable moments. In the time before Vogue Paris, Carine was very rock 'n' roll, she picked the exciting jobs, which came with a great trip or an incredible styling story where we had the freedom to do what we wanted. So working with her was never boring.

Vogue Paris team: Anastasia Barbieri, Antje Winter, Claire Dhelens, Emmanuelle Alt, Carine Roitfeld. Photography by Terry Richardson for Self Service.

What’s the Roitfeld process while putting together a feature?

I would say Carine’s way of putting a story together is very intuitive. She has a vision of what she wants and an incredible memory of the collections. So she picks the right pieces and turns them into a new silhouette, makes them her own language.

Any memorable pieces on which you collaborated?

To mention some: Gisele Bündchen mod fighting for The Face. Or Eva Herzigova for Vogue Paris all in white, “blanc absolu," or Gisele wiping the floor in Naples for the Pirelli calendar.

What did you learn about style and styling from CR?

Carine Roitfeld is not afraid to share, so working with her you are part of every process, you get to learn everything about fashion. But one of the most important lessons was to stay authentic and treat people well and keep a smile on the face.

It’s my feeling (#wishhopedream) that Queen Carine can make anything happen. Tell us about a time that she pulled a rabbit out of a hat…

I watched her once transforming a random Brazilian jeans line into something hot and edgy and desirable. She does it so easy and natural and all of a sudden every silhouette looks like her.

Okay, enough about CR. What have you been up to since your days at Vogue Paris…

I have had a wonderful styling career so far and I am a very thankful for all the great opportunities I’ve had working with inspiring people and traveling to the most incredible places. I had a small break, as I am a mother of three girls now but back to work and excited for all the upcoming jobs and projects. I started a small capsule collection on my own called AWINTER. Lets see how that works. :)

How about a no-fail signature styling trick for those of us who love French fashion tips?

Do not be scared, use your scissors, pull your imagination, transform if needed, and build your own silhouette. But always keep it simple and respect the designer’s work.

For more of the stylings of Antje Winter at Vogue Paris, see the editorial "Bande A Part" from the April 2001 issue.

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Antje Winter and Carine Roitfeld photos courtesy of Antje Winter, Art Partner, Self Service, Miguel Reveriego, and Condé Nast.

Carine Roitfeld: Intercontinental Chic

In a piece titled "Intercontinental Chic" for the August issue of Harper's Bazaar, "the world's most fashionable women, handpicked by the editors of Bazaar's international editions, share their secrets," and of course Carine Roitfeld tops the list of the très chic. In case you have not seen it, here are a few of Carine's personal preferences in culture, beauty, and fashion.

Carine Roitfeld on the essence of France's irreverent cool

CULTURE

Escape: The Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes is pure luxury.

Design: Any furniture by Knoll.

Film: E.T. — a classic!

Book: Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Restaurant: Shang Palace at the Shangri-La Hotel, in Paris. It reminds me of the Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong.

Extras: I'm very fond of white tulips, particularly the way they continue to grow even after they've been cut. It's strange and beautiful.

BEAUTY

Routine: I'm quite unfaithful to skin-care products, but I do like La Prairie.

Eyes: Serge Lutens eyeliner comes in an old-fashioned lacquered box — you feel like a geisha when you use it.

FASHION

Philosophy: I'm always inspired by Helmut Newton's photographs of Yves Saint Laurent and by the work of Bob Richardson.

Key Pieces: For fall, I'm excited to wear Prada's long, thin scarves, as well as Givenchy's butterfly dress — butterflies are a big trend this season. And I love Tom Ford's long black skirt and jacket, to me this look is the new Le Smoking.

Shoes: I adore Miu Miu's translucent boots.

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Carine Roitfeld images and text © 2014 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CR Fashion Book Issue 4: Fairy Tales

CR Fashion Book Issue 4: Fairy Tales
By Sarra Salib

The theme for Issue 4 of the bi-annual CR Fashion Book is "Fairy Tales" in which Carine Roitfeld takes as her subject some of our most children's beloved stories, tales that we revisit again and again even as adults to relive our favorite childhood memories, or perhaps to escape from the harsh reality even if only for a short while. The stories featured included "Beauty and the Beast," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "The Empress’s New Clothes," "Fairy Tale Theater," and Carine’s favorite, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," which makes her cry. 

As we know by now, the work of Carine Roitfeld is enduring and iconic because it shies away from anything that celebrates the mundane or the status quo. In CR Fashion Book Issue 4 there was a twist added to every editorial, and these innocent stories we know so well were transformed and punctuated by Carine’s French accent mark, if you will. And that is actually one of Carine’s many talents: taking something innocent and revamping it into something provocative and politically incorrect. What else do we expect from the queen of porno chic?

In "Fairy Tales," we see a stark juxtaposition of brightness, hope, love, and smiles against loss, darkness, and ominousness. The cover stories convey those themes of brightness, lightness, and love. Lindsey Wixson’s E.T. cover photographed by Carine’s crony Sebastian Faena could not be more spot on. Gracing the reverse cover are Gigi Hadid (who could easily be mistaken for Kate Upton’s twin sister) with Shayne Cureton as shot by the legendary Bruce Weber. With perpetual smiles on their faces, Cureton and Hadid represent the ultimate fairy tale love of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix in their ultra-hippie rock ‘n’ roll Sixties prime. 

Contrary to these lights and smiles, we see "Ferocious," a dark and sinister take on the classic "Beauty and the Beast," starring the now Carine regular Kate Upton as photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. "Ferocious" is captioned “Once Upon a Time Beauty Met Beastly and Liked It.” The photographs are eerily reminiscent of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, with Upton being Estella and the table setting being something that you would expect to find in the humble abode of Miss Havisham. Adding to this element of darkness is the apparent tragedy that Beauty did not end up living happily ever after with the object of her affection.

Another noteworthy editorial in Issue 4 of CR Fashion Book is “The Seven,” Carine Roitfeld's witty, modern, tongue-in-cheek take on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The story features Ashleigh Good and a diverse cast of smiling children playing their appropriate role as the seven dwarfs, and is shot by Carine’s longtime friend Pamela Hanson. The description to "The Seven" sets the vision for the editorial: “Ashleigh Good stars as part workaday mom, part contemporary Snow White. She makes for a magical, magnetic vision of motherhood.” Perhaps this is Carine's homage to her daughter Julia — granted Julia has only one child and not seven... I think yes!

Although this is a rather belated review of CR Fashion Book Issue 4, it is still appropriate because it proves how Carine’s work remains relevant and will remain relevant even down the line. Moreover, she proves that you may pick any theme you wish, use fashion and creative talent, and turn it into your own story for others to enjoy. In her "Fairy Tales," Carine combines and juxtaposes ideas of happiness and light with darkness and gloom to create memorable images with an array of established and new talents. Rounding off "Fairy Tales" was a fun task, and we cannot wait to see what theme Carine Roitfeld explores for the hotly anticipated Issue 5 of CR Fashion Book.

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Editorial images and illustration by Illustration by Donald “Drawbertson” Robertson © 2014 CR Fashion Book.

Carine Roitfeld At Kardashian And West Wedding

Carine Roitfeld At Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Wedding
By Jessica Eritou

On 24 May, Carine Roitfeld was invited to celebrate the marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in Florence, Italy. She was seen applauding the couple outside during their ceremony, standing alongside other guests such as Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia, and Riccardo Tisci, the designer that custom made Kardashian's Givenchy Haute Couture gown.

According to US Weekly, Carine Roitfeld expressed her love for North, the daughter of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, via Instagram just days after witnessing the couple's exchange of vows. Roitfeld captioned the photo with "Baby North and her new 'nanny.' Lovely little girl xxx”.

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Carine Roitfeld and North West photo courtesy of Instagram. Carine Roitfeld at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West wedding courtesy of Clutch.