CARINE ROITFELD HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

After 10 years at the helm of Paris Vogue, sharp-boned Carine Roitfeld has announced she will step down from her position as editor at the end of January. The smoky-eyed, husky-voiced French styliste extraordinaire has changed the magazine's fortunes forever; with her dynamism and highly artistic approach to fashion, she imagined a vision that was more extreme, more sexually charged, and more often than not, more controversial than anyone else. Considering that the latest Vogue Paris issue was a platform for the idolatry of Tom Ford, how likely is it that Carine's next move in the fashion industry might be to the House of Ford, or another one of her designer friends for whom she has often played muse? 

According to the New York Times, current Vogue Paris fashion director Emmanuelle Alt is rumoured to be stepping into Roitfeld's spike heeled shoes.

All the people I have ever loved...

"...If I die now, I will have lived..."

Long live Mario Testino, King of the Lens

I can't wait to see his new book, Mario de Janeiro Testino, showcasing his collaborations with Gisele in Brazil over the last few years, steamy as the mist over Copacabana beach. She says of the photographer:

"Mario holds a special place in my heart. He has been there with me from the beginning...I think he understands what I want...He is Peruvian by blood, but I think his heart is Brazilian."

Dog in Vogue

I remember stumbling upon these pictures whilst researching in the conde Nast library, and just laughing out loud at the utter genius of it all. Dog the Bounty Hunter (a.k.a Duane Chapman) and family with Daria in Vogue Paris. I had completely forgotten about it until now and I'm glad someone took the time to blog some of the scans, they are just priceless!

Give her Beth's blonde trailer-trash locks and Daria could pass as a Chapman in this get-up!

Let's raise a glass to Carine for her sheer witty brilliance.

Credits: Leigh of Bitch, Please

Joseph's Girl

I have to confess, I had always ignored Joseph and written it off as a yummy mummy or 30s office girl's brand. But then a bag of soft leather zipper leggings and black, skintight leather vests arrived on my desk, along with the most gorgeous faux-leopard coat I have seen on the high street in along time. I changed my tune for sure! Here are my favourite shots from the A/W lookbook. Looking at the model, you wonder what or who the inspiration behind this collection was...doesn't she look like Carine Roitfeld?

Attends Moi

I can't wait for the Vogue Paris September issue to be out, and am looking forward to the usual fantastic-ironic, electrically inspiring editorials like these. Carine and Emmanuelle really are the masters of the editorial. If the rumours are true, i think it would do a whole lot of good for American Vogue if Mlle Roitfeld even set a spike-heeled Balenciaga foot inside the building, let alone took up editing there. However she herself has revealed disinterest in the idea; "to be honest, if they approached me, I think it's really not me. I'm good at what I do here and I'm not sure if you put me in that world I would be as good. I think it's much easier to talk to 100,000 women (in France) than millions of women across America." (The Guardian, May) Phew. Because what would become of the french counterpart without her??

P.S. I absolutely adored August issue's take on the A/W collections. Possibly one of the most frustrating shoots of the year for the inspired minds of the creative directors, as they have no freedom to style , just to present. While other top magazines shoot the looks straight from off the catwalks several months earlier, Emmanuele Alt, Joe McKenna and Carine Roitfeld blessed each designer's starring creation with the trademark Paris cutting-edge chic.

Oh to intern at the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré offices would be a life-long honour. That's definitely in the top on my bucketlist!