Vogue Paris Editorials

There are some really controversial campaigns that were published by Vogue Paris under Roitfeld. Apparently they were one of the reasons why she left (or was laid off). They can be described as disturbing, weird, gross or brilliant ...but whats remarkable is that they initiate dialogue. Just google Roitfeld-Vogue-Controversy and you will find millions of links. That is not  to say that her intention was to create controversy, because she didn't.  Yes, she capitalized on shock value, but that had a lot to do with her own personal vision as well.- which ended up sparking so many debates. There are her avid supporters, people who worship her ,and then there are others who loather everything she stands for.

Take a look :

Crystal Renn and Gluttony

This one was interesting especially because Renn battled anorexia as a model, and then became a "plus size" model. Some people thought it was gross,  I personally love it. See this is where you see the Roitfeld genius; fashion and food together. No one even dreams of doing that.












Little girls dressed up like older women
I don't think I need to tell anyone here how crazy people went on VP and Roitfeld's ass. They took serious offense at this. Advertisers seriously complained about his to Conde Nast- and so the story continues. I don't see why this is considered extremely offensive and in bad taste,  yet in the United States you see reality TV based on baby beauty pageants. Really, I think that is much much more disturbing than this.Its called Toddlers and Tiaras, seriously google it. Its We-iiird.

There was Tom Ford's take on Plastic Surgery.
See, now you can see that this is a provocation. The intent to provoke is most certainly present along with the shock-value. It is meant to disturb. The intent isn't to be soothing on the eyes. But at the same time , Ford is also tackling a major trend of the twenty-first century, and through pictorial depiction he keeps his contribution to the magazine relevant ,current and buzz-worthy. Plastic Surgery is hardly something that is kept behind closed doors these days, in fact articles are written about it in the same glossies that  feigned disgust and offense at this editorial. Come on, its Tom Ford what did you expect? Models hand in hand pretending to be walking in air ?

The old people getting it on.
I don't need to explain why and what. You can see for yourself. I personally love the audacity. Makes me laugh.Oh and no airbrushing or Photoshopping.

So what do we think?

Carine Roitfeld and her Irreverence.

Carine Roitfeld is a Rockstar. and I don't even like using that word unless its for someone who is actually a 'Rockstar' , but there is just no other way to describe her. Everything she does is so bad ass its hard not to love her.
For those of you who don't know who she is, Roitfeld was the Editor at Vogue Paris for the  ten years until her resignation in Jan 2011. During her tenure at the publication, Roitfeld constantly challenged and pushed boundaries of what is considered "acceptable" and "beautiful". Her own look is unbelievably stylish -chic, edgy  and androgynous.Mostly black.
Roitfeld, during her time at VP challenged the fundamentals of aesthetics as set by media and society and skillfully  subverted them. She never shyed away from taboos, or toned her editorials down for the benefit of the advertisers of the magazine. She played around with fashion, had fun with with it. Through collaboration with guest-editors like Tom Ford she kept things interesting and different in her editorials.In short, she made Vogue Paris the iconic publication it is today.
There is a vast difference between American Vogue and Vogue Paris, and it is there for all to see. Yes of course, the American Vogue has a larger readership, and the society is far more conservative, so it could never take the direction that Roitfeld took with Vogue Paris.But that's not it. My main issue with AV is that its become a temple for celeb  worship. You hardly ever see models on the cover of AV. One actress  prstarlet after the other, and that's all you get. Maybe one issue out of the twelve in the year has  a model on the cover.But that's it.Second, AV just doesn't take any risks, not the kind Roitfeld's VP takes in its editorials. The editorials in VP  take you out of your comfort zone, make you come face to face with something that might be slightly weird but is brilliant nonetheless. Each photograph tells a story, and can be stared at for a long, long time. Roitfeld was not afraid of showcasing the grotesque, the vulgar, the crass - because those extremes are very real and they are very much a part of the world we live in. Some would argue that they don't need to be showcased and  perhaps celebrated the way Roitfeld did, and that may be true, but that's not much fun is it?

"In a way, I envy the freedom artists have. Artists can push themselves beyond their limits, in pursuit of their ideas and their vision, even if they are inhabited by demons that can also play tricks on them.”

Gorge.

It is widely rumored that Roitfeld resigned (or was fired) after the flak she got for her Dec-Jan issue that was guest edited by Tom Ford ( yep, they're pals and both share their love for porno-chic), making the March 2011 her last issue,and perhaps the most awaited issue in all of fashion history. Her tenure with VP may have ended, but she has announced she will be starting her own magazine - for which the first issue will be published next September.  So yay!!!