On Monday evening, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, one of fashion’s most prolific – and enigmatic – women, Carine Roitfeld, talked candidly to Klaud Biesenbach, director of MoMa’s PS1.
On following a ballet-inspired workout to keep in shape, “If I had another life I’d come back as a ballerina, I hear I have a good foot. It’s the last pure sport around, there’s no Nike or Coca Cola (endorsement) behind it.”
On France not being as liberal as we’re led to believe, “Karl Lagerfeld decided to come to my ball in Paris [for French Vogue’s 90th anniversary] dressed in a burqa so he wouldn’t be recognised … he was arrested outside so he didn’t come to the party, but there were three our four people that came dressed as Karl Lagerfeld, so it made up for it in a way.”
On coming back down to earth post Vogue, “I think it’s good to go back to reality, now I know what it’s like to fight for a cab in the street again. We are very lucky to work in fashion and not work in a hospital or something where the biggest deal we come across is perhaps the length of a skirt.”
On her controversial styling (although not literally) of the “G” pubic topiary for the Gucci ad campaign in 2003, Carine explained that, “a lot of people talk about me as the queen of porno chic—I don’t like this, but I like the word chic … I like glamour.”
On The September Issue, “it had something missing, it was about business and not creativity. I think it was a bit sad.
On her position as Harper’s Bazaar’s Global Fashion Director, “It’s a global world in fashion right now. I’ve gone from 50,000 readers [at French Vogue] to 11 million readers. I think it’s a very unique and amazing arrangement. It’s never been done before.”
On filming in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, “They say when you have everything against you, you get the best of what you do, I’m very proud of the outcome.”