The Value of an Independent Mind

French Vogue is often a breath of fresh air. Unlike America, where political correctness reigns supreme, France remains a hotbed of irreverent behavior. Francophiles probably wish for the ‘good ‘ol days’ and consider today’s France tepid and totally bourgeois.

Yet French Vogue walks where angels dare not tread, into irreverant swipes at organized religion and in this month’s issue, a half-curtsey to the Middle East.

Unlike me, who is prone to digital temper tantrums, French Vogue speaks through photos.

Lara Stone’s Sexy Body Debate Gets Religious

Always cool and above the crowds, French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld has her ‘say’ through the camera lens, styling not only the clothes but mood, gestures, the lasting impressions of her editorial vision.

Roitfeld is a social provocateur in a country that regularly mixes fashion and politics. Yes, clothes or jewels or skin bronzers are the focus of the printed pages. We explore how they are styled; what is ‘the look’. But there’s usually a larger, bolder statement beneath the surface. The pages ask us to move beyond the obvious, exploring the settings, the gestures, the facial expressions that also help define the editorial vision.

In America, digging beneath the gloss is rarely fruitful. In fact we frown on intellectualism as a sign of snobbery and false pretenses. Only slackers think about the meaning of events, while doers get in line — a very straight line, I might add.

Don’t be fooled by tea parties. That party line is very straight, even if the traffic lights appear chaotic this minute.