The hot swimwear currently sported by It Girls around the world is the bikini by Kiini and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld smolders in the Kiini Yaz Top and Bottom. Created out of necessity by Turkish born designer Ipek Irgit, each piece by Kiini is crafted by hand from crocheted cotton yarn, elastic, and high tech fabrics using no ties, clasps, or buttons. The colorful crochet accents give the classic cut of the bikini a modern hippie vibe. 

When asked about her inspiration, Irgit explained that she herself was in search of the perfect bikini, “Something different to what’s out there, looks cool and would also support my 34Ds… I really don’t like bikinis that are made with cheap materials that thins out or sags after a couple of wears or the ones with too much push up. I just really dislike padding. They are so annoying. People should stop being afraid of nipples.” The muse struck and Ipek Irgit invented the Kiini. She pictures the ideal Kiini wearer as, "Brave, open-minded and strong. In her words, 'someone not afraid of catching attention because believe me, when you wear a Kiini, it is guaranteed you will be stopped on the beach at least ten times a day'." Julia Restoin-Roitfeld is clearly a Kiini kind of girl.

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Kiini image courtesy of kiini.com. Julia Restoin-Roitfeld in bikini by Kiini courtesy of instagram/juliarestoinroitfeld.

How does Julia Restoin Roitfeld finish her look perfectly? She adds a spritz of Aqua Motu Eau de Toilette from Comptoir Sud Pacifique, her favorite scent. Julia describes it as, "The smell of hot sand, the ocean, and sunscreen. I have been wearing Aqua Motu from Comptoir Sud Pacifique for almost 15 years — and that's what it reminds me of… I sometimes wear other perfumes, but feel like I’m 'cheating' and always go back to my good old one." In the photo below captured by Into the Gloss, Mademoiselle Roitfeld's own bottle of Aqua Motu can be seen on the top shelf of her beauty cabinet.

Launched in 1993, the light and clean fragrance of Aqua Motu is sunny and relaxing, enveloping one in a blend of notes reminiscent of sea breeze and warm sand. With a base note of kelp, followed by marine, lily-of-the-valley, and sand topped with helichrysum, Aqua Motu is the ideal summer fragrance, evoking the season with each spray. Julia Restoin Roitfeld heightens her experience by bathing in the scent as well: "When it’s just me in the shower, I exfoliate my body with Comptoir Sud Pacifique Gentle Exfoliant. It smells kind of like the beach to me — I’m obsessed with it."

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Julia Restoin Roitfeld photos via intothegloss.com and telva.com. Aqua Motu images via Comptoir Sud Pacifique.

The glamorous Lucite clutch spotted in the possession of Julia Restoin-Roitfeld — as well as many of the chicest women on the red carpets and in the hottest venues around the world — is the bespoke bag by Edie Parker. Designed by Brett Heyman and named for her daughter, this little acrylic number has captured the imaginations of women everywhere since the brand's launch in 2010. Inspired by her own collection of vintage handbags and frustrated by the limited availability of new finds, Heyman decided to create a modern take on a classic. 

I adore the marketing copy from the Edie Parker website, my compliments to the copywriter: "These chic, wearable sculptures are objects of delight with retro soul… Edie Parker's sleek lines, creamy surfaces and gem-flaked textures glide timelessly onto today's fashion landscape. And like their mid-century predecessors, each bag is meticulously handcrafted in America." Yes, the Edie Parker clutch not only makes a chic statement, but a patriotic one as well; according to Vogue, the collection is produced entirely in the United States, "Brett Heyman’s line of clutches supports economies in three states: The acrylic is hand-poured in New Jersey, cut and fabricated in Chicago, and assembled on Long Island." Learn more about Heyman's philosophy in this video interview.

Edie Parker, the namesake for the label and daughter of its founder, Brett Heyman

The Edie Parker bespoke monogrammed clutches are available upon request, select the model you prefer (crescent, rectangular, or cube), decide on one of the numerous color combinations, and then choose to inscribe either your name or another word. It looks as if Julia chose the rectangular shape in the steel pearlescent finish with her name in silver confetti script. I personally prefer the look of the Lara Clutch in green confetti with glow-in-the-dark ends, Julia's eyes would pop peeking over the top of it while perfecting her lipstick in the mirror…

Note that the fixation on the Edie Parker clutch is a family affair: Julia's brother's girlfriend, tastemaker and stylist Giovanna Battaglia is also a fan. I love Gio's description from her monthly journal for W Magazine, "The brand Edie Parker made this clutch for me. The 'Giovanna' part is some kind of acrylic that looks like crystals. It's the perfect club bag — no one can steal it, because it has my name on it." Practical and glamorous, chic and unique, who can resist the sparkle of the Edie Parker clutch…

Follow all the chic new developments at Edie Parker
Twitter: @edie_parker
Facebook: Edie-Parker
edie-parker.com

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Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photographs courtesy of instagram.com/juliarestion and © 2015 Into The Gloss, Inc.. Edie Parker photograph courtesy of twitter.com/edie_parker. Clutch photographs courtesy of Edie Parker.

In an interview with Into the Gloss, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld shared her secrets for hair care, including one of her favorite products, Klorane Dry Shampoo: "I want to keep my color as long as possible so I wash it every other day or every third day, with Kérastase shampoo, and use the Klorane Dry Shampoo in between. Sometimes I use that even just to add volume. It’s amazing."

Whether you need to clean your hair without water or amp up your volume, you will be amazed by Klorane Dry Shampoo as well. The pure botanical formula blends corn and rice starches with oat milk extracts to gently absorb oil at the scalp without eliminating it from the ends where it is needed, softening hair as it cleans. The natural ingredients make Klorane Dry Shampoo suitable for even the most sensitive of scalps.

To apply, shake the can well before using and then spray evenly while holding the can about ten inches from your hair and concentrating on the roots. Wait for two minutes and then brush your hair throughly until all of the powder is removed. Klorane Dry Shampoo is ideal for traveling, extending a blow out, protecting hair color, perfecting an updo, refreshing after a work out, and reviving in bad weather; naturally this hardworking product is a Roitfeld favorite.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photograph © 2011 SK Networks Co. Ltd. Klorane Dry Shampoo images © 2012 Klorane.

When asked what it was like to grow up with Carine Roitfeld as her mother, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld recounts one occasion when she was 15 and Carine took her to see a newly released film that she described thusly: "‘Oh, there’s this new English movie, they have a playlist with all the bands you like, let’s see it.’” Mama Roitfeld was turning her daughter on to the 1996 British comedy/drama Trainspotting. Directed by Danny Boyle from the Irvine Welsh novel, the movie stars Ewan McGregor as Rent, a Scottish heroin addict, well before his Obi-Wan years.

Who can forget the famous first scene of the film as we are introduced to the gang? Rent tells us his philosophy of life which is both profane and eloquent as we see a typical day in the group’s life accompanied by Iggy Pop’s "Lust for Life"… “Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?”

I would have thought it was pretty cool if my mother turned me on to the Trainspotting soundtrack like Carine did with Julia, you can see it in the stack of albums in Julia's apartment pictured above. The soundtrack includes a mix of great songs like "Born Slippy" by Underworld, "Temptation" by New Order, "Nightclubbing" by Iggy Pop, and "A Final Hit" by Leftfield that bring back the exuberance and energy of the film whenever you hear them.

I think Vladimir and Carine with their heroin chic looks would fit right in with Rent and the gang (not so much Julia).

The plot is fairly simple — it follows four friends, Rent, the smartest of the group, and his three pals, the sweet hapless Spud (Ewen Bremner), suave Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller), and psychotic Begbie (Robert Carlyle) as they deal with their personal demons. Some of the group fare better than others. Trainspotting is both depressing and life-affirming. Some reviews insist that the film glamorizes the life of a heroin addict; on the contrary, the scenes of Rent going through withdrawal or when their friend Tommy (Kevin McKidd) dies alone from AIDS are very sad and disturbing. But there is still an undeniable joie de vivre in the film that leaves you with a smile on your face.

Trainspotting and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photographs courtesy of twitter.com, barneys.com. theselby.com, and Fashion Spot.

Among her extensive hand-picked collection of fine vintage, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld prizes an exquisite black lace slip with peek-a-boo shoulders designed by the late, great Yves Saint Laurent. Julia adeptly plucked the piece from the well-curated vintage designer clothing shop, New York Vintage, located in the artsy neighborhood of Chelsea: "This Yves Saint Laurent dress is actually lingerie, which they don't make anymore now. I bought it at New York Vintage on 25th Street. I call it my Shakira dress!"

It is only fitting that the stylish Julia would shop for vintage here. New York Vintage houses a bountiful array of high end, rare, vintage clothing, whose origins span over 100 years. The store caters to fashion’s top stylists, designers, celebrities... any and all vintage fashion aficionados who seek to indulge their most wanton fashion desires.

When visiting New York Vintage, prepare to fulfill your fashion fix — all that a fashion-lover craves is organized by era, from the 19th century and beyond. Everything is in immaculate condition, so it is best to be at the ready for some steep prices.

Have a special event coming up? Do what Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, and Sarah Jessica Parker have done: Call ahead and book an appointment to peruse the 5,000 square foot rental-only archive. You can rent that Missoni knit dress at a fraction of the purchase price and be the belle of the ball. Just be ready to part ways with it once the clock strikes midnight...

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and New York Vintage photographs courtesy of talesofendearment.com and windowwatchernyc.com

If you have envied the long eyelashes or the perfect eyebrows of Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, we have your answer: L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara. Why does this product work so well for Julia? In her own words, "What I find is that you don’t need to go for fancy mascara — I always get the L’Oreal ones from the drugstore. I get the gold tube, Voluminous Million Lashes in black. It’s amazing; even my mom’s using it now. And the trick is, I use it on my eyebrows too, in black/brown: you just wipe off the excess before brushing it on. They sell you mascara brushes and stuff for eyebrows but you can really just use mascara." Yes, Julia uses mascara to fill in her brows! Even Carine uses it!

I had tried Julia's former favorite mascara, Chanel Inimitable, in the past and I liked it, but at $7 for L'Oreal versus $37 for Chanel, I needed to experience Voluminous Million Lashes for myself. Julia is right, the cheaper brand works every bit as well as the more expensive brand, perhaps lasting a little longer on my eyes. I even use it on my eyebrows. The strong odor of lanolin is a bit much at first, it was strange to be conscious of the scent of my eyelashes, but I have grown accustomed to it. Take Julia's advice and save money by making one product work twice as hard, and always remember to remove your mascara before bed to keep your eyelashes healthy.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot. L'Oreal photograph © 2012 L'Oreal.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld's favorite lipstick is no longer a bold red but a bright pink, or fuchsia, to be exact: Yves Saint Laurent Fuchsia Lipstick. This pop of color brightens the blackest of outfits, which Julia is known to wear regularly, putting the accent fully on the lips. Mademoiselle Restoin-Roitfeld explains her new love: "When I moved to New York I became much more experimental with color — now I love playing with lipsticks and eye shadows. I have a month where I’ll commit to a certain look — it is just periods and phases really. I used to wear a Chanel red all the time and I thought, ‘Everyone’s wearing red now, it’s getting a little boring’, so I switched to a YSL fuchsia. Fuchsia is my new red." Note that it is best to opt for minimal eye makeup in this beauty scenario. The hit of pink perfectly complements Julia's green eyes anyway, so no need to play them up.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot. Yves Saint Laurent Fuchsia Lipstick product image courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent. All Rights Reserved.

The beautiful model and art director, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, was featured last year on a popular blog called Tales of Endearment, and like the protagonists in Rear Window, fashion afficianados around the world participated in a voyeuristic peek into her closet which houses an impressive and impeccably organized collection of vintage fashion. Julia is friends with the founder of the blog, Ms. Natalie Joos, and the two have been photographed out partying together among fashion’s in crowd.

Tales of Endearment is a blog whose draw proves that Hitchcock was right, there is a little voyeur in all of us. The blog chronicles the fashionable life of its founder, Natalie Joos, a New York-based casting director admired globally online for her personal style. Think of Tales of Endearment as an online journal of practically every girl’s dream life — jetting to Europe for Fashion Week, shopping in Milan, attending fashion shows. The blog peeps inside the closets of Joos’ fashionable and famous friends and her photographs always incorporate a vintage vibe.

We observe Joos' life and admire her style:  It is bright, pretty, quirky, and sexy. Of course it doesn’t hurt that she happens to be a leggy beauty with access to the best that fashion has to offer, but Natalie Joos is more than just another pretty face. Hailing from Belgium, she worked as a model and earned a degree in journalism before moving to New York City in 1997. With no set plan for her career, Joos started working as a personal assistant to the accomplished art, music, and fashion writer, Glenn O’Brien. Her stint with O’Brien led to an enviable position as studio manager for the renowned fashion photographer, Craig McDean.

In 2003, after six years learning the ropes in Craig McDean’s studio, and with the encouragement of Mr. McDean himself, Natalie Joos struck out on her own, opening her own casting company. She has a knack for picking the right face and has cast models in editorials for V Magazine, Purple, and Vogue Germany, in advertising campaigns such as Helmut Lang, Hugo Boss, and Rocawear, and in runway shows including Costello Tagliapietra and Cynthia Rowley. She writes for fashion magazines and of course blogs, but that is on the side. Just like the curious and mesmerized voyeurs in Rear Window, we will keep watching as long as she does....

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Natalie Joos et al photos courtesy of Billy Farrell Agency,Twitter, Facebook, Purse Forum, amtvintageblog.blogspot.com, and Fashion Spot.

One of the most effective anti-aging products that money can buy is not an expensive lotion or cream, but a quality sunscreen with an adequate Sun Protection Factor applied daily. Julia Restoin-Roitfeld likes La Roche-Posay Anthelios to protect her skin in the sun, "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... I don’t like the dark brown look — I used to go on holiday competing with my brother on who’s going to be the most brown by the end of the vacation... Now when I go to the beach, I put SPF 50 everywhere... I have freckles, so as long as my little freckles come out I’m happy."

La Roche-Posay Anthelios is widely recommended by dermatologists for providing advanced formulations in broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection against skin damage and premature aging. It is important to protect against the UVA rays which penetrate into the skin and contribute to wrinkles, premature aging, allergic reactions, and some types of skin cancer as well as the UVB rays which cause sunburns; La Roche-Posay Anthelios does just that. The formulation is also highly photostable as compared to other popular sunscreens and has been proven to maintain its effect up to 24 hours after application. Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid is very lightweight, safe for sensitive skin, and free of PABA, paraben, and fragrances. Follow Julia's lead this summer and enjoy the sun safely, keep up the freshness...

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld photograph © 2008 Todd Selby. All Rights Reserved. La Roche-Posay Anthelios image courtesy of amazon.com.