Anne on Carine Roitfeld, Treats! Magazine, Benjamin Kanarek Blog, Vogue Paris

RoseTracker| Carine Roitfeld weighs in on life after Vogue Paris, lunching with Financial Times writer Carola Long at Caviar Kaspia over looking the Place de la Madeleine in central Paris.

No new details are revealed — just that Carine Roitfeld is a very accessible person. And she admits that the president of Condé Nast France, Xavier Romatet was not thrilled with her December 2010 issue.

Roitfeld doesn’t have the icy reputation of Anna Wintour, editor of US Vogue, but thanks to the hierarchical nature of the fashion industry she has an intimidating aura when she’s on the front row of a show. In person, however, she is free from hauteur, offering a warm smile rather than a fashion-style flicker of facial muscles as I sit down opposite her, and making easy conversation about the restaurant, which has a tearoom feel and serves beluga caviar at €1,345 for 125g.

Anne’s Sensual Adventure for Benjamin Kanarek Blog

I probably reference Carine Roitfeld once a day, even today when writing a saucy story for Benjamin Kanarek’s Blog: An American Woman Charmed But Not Seduced by French Men

Monica Belluci © Fabrizio FerriThe story moves through Paris’s Hotel Bristol, a private sex club and — yes — Caviar Kaspia.

In over 250 trips to France, there are only two occasions when I truly wanted to strangle monsieur avec plaisir. I spent more time apologizing for the behavior of my colleagues than complaining about French attitudes.

Two female executives. both making over $750,000 a year assumed the roach position on the dining room floor of Caviar Kaspia one night, demonstrating a Victoria’s Secret training exercise on thinking out of the box. Conversation stopped at every table. There were eight of us, and all I remember is paying the bill with a 25% tip and handing $300 to the Maître d on my way out of the restaurant, saying in earnest “I am so sorry.”

I’m remembering now that we headed for the Crazy Horse and even I loosened up a bit, smoking a cigarette without coughing and kissing the female president of our beauty business, because we knew it would drive the men crazy.

Yours truly called home to New York that night. No after party for me. 

Treats! Magazine

I’m a fierce guardian of Carine Roitfeld’s reputation for promoting porn chic which I call New Eroticism. In a world obsessed with managing women’s bodies from Sudan to Washington, we need more Carines. Did she cross the line on occasion? Of course because creative maverick’s occasionally get in trouble. It’s the way our brains are wired.

Speaking of Xavier Romatet’s reaction to her December 2010 issue, Roitfeld tells the FT:

“No, he didn’t like it,” says Roitfeld, looking slightly amused, like a schoolgirl caught smoking Gauloises. “Me, I like to push boundaries, I am irreverent, but he would prefer something softer, more mainstream. Maybe he was anxious about the future because magazine sales are going to be harder and harder.”

Steve Shaw’s Treats! Magazine Is 5-Star Debut Sensuality News Living

Raquel Welch by Terry O’Neill

I have no doubt that a new magazine will capture the editrix’s fancy.

Loving the debut issue of photographer Steve Shaw’s LA-based Treats! , with its New Eroticism images and luxury style ‘art’ book attitude, I wrote:

If Carine Roitfeld wanted to launch an erotic magazine, she would do Treats! Carine would add at least one editorial that disturbs or provokes. There’s no Steven Klein effect in the first issue, which is not a complaint but a fact.

Vogue Paris, Next Act

We are so underwhelmed by Vogue Paris since Carine’s departure. Forget nipples and transgender types. Every ounce of sensuality has been sucked out of the magazine.

There’s plenty of room to downplay nudity and remain sensual without looking like Vogue Paris is hanging out with people of a certain age in Monte Carlo.

FT writes:

French Vogue’s new editor, Emmanuelle Alt, who was promoted from the position of fashion director, has said that in future jewellery shoots will be more classic and that there will be more emphasis on the clothes. Alt and Roitfeld are no longer on good terms but all she will say is, “We aren’t friends any more. I think it’s sad. When you give a lot of confidence in people and you don’t get it back you are a bit disappointed but it’s life. I move on.”

Just this morning we posted a sensational jewelry editorial from Interview Magazine, calling it one of the most beautiful and sensual we’ve seen. There’s plenty of product to admire. After this spectacular editorial, we share a May 2011 jewelry editorial from Vogue Paris. You decide which one is fresher Anne

We can’t resist sharing two images from editorial

Jesssica Hart | Steven Pan | ‘Golden Handcuffs’ | Interview May 2011

Vogue Paris Sells Jewelry with 2 ‘Le Smoking’ editorials in same issue.

Anne Selezneva | Claudia Knorpfel & Stefan Indlekofer | ‘Casino’ | Vogue Paris May 2011