As former Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld‘s distinctive aesthetic has been famously summed up in one word: Irreverent.

Although Carine Roitfeld is no longer the editor of FrenchVogue, she remains steadily at the perch of the fashion world, standing atop those super-high bondage-referencing heels that she partly made a staple of Parisian style (along with close-fitting pencil skirts, black leather, cinch-waist toppers, and if any woman dared follow her dictates, a little nipple). But la femme parisienne, which Roitfeld very much is, makes her own ground wherever she walks. After all, it is Roitfeld who, with Tom Ford and Mario Testino, started a movement of overt sexuality in fashion with their campaign for Gucci in the ’90s, which she later polemicized with her redesign for the French edition of Vogue as the hard-edged emblem of “erotic chic” during her aughties tenure at the magazine.

CR: the look

Known for her smokey eye makeup, mussy brown hair, and perpetual tan, Carine Roitfeld exudes that sexy, slightly undone attitude that French women are celebrated for. As the editor of FrenchVogue from 2001 to 2011, she developed a trademark look of pencil skirts, sharp stilettos, and silky collared shirts (usually made by Equipment, the brand founded by her longtime partner Christian Restoin) unbuttoned to show a glimpse of her lacy black bra. She’s also a fan of luxurious furs, black leather, and the occasional sheer red carpet gown, but almost never wears color.

I recommend to check the interview Karl Lagerfeld did with CR for Interview magazine.

PS: christmas is at the door and a gift idea can be the books CR:Irreverent and  The Little Black Jacket: A Classic Revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld

What do you think about CR?Do you find her inspirational?