The launch of Carine Roitfeld's new magazine, CR Fashion Book, hasn't been without its controversies. As you will know, Condé Nast reportedly banned several photographers, models and stylists from collaborating with the former Vogue Paris editor but despite all of that, Roitfeld is flying high. The preview of the issue has gone down well and this weekend, just about everyone turned up to congratulate her at the party she hosted to celebrate the debut issue.
'It's very different from my last party,' she told The Cut, having a look at the guests in the marble-floored atrium of the Frick Museum. Around the same time last year Roitfeld through a karaoke party to celebrate her Barneys campaign at a strip club on the West Side Highway so basically the polar opposite of this year's swanky 'do. 'I want to do something different, more classic,' she said about the formal Mercedez Benz-sponsored black tie event. 'After all, I am a grandma now.'
Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld sure knows how to throw a party. Despite fashion week being in full swing and having to be up for show at 9am this morning, just about every editor and model came out to party last night co celebrate his touring exhibition with Richard Hambleton.
Guests included mother Carine and sister Julia Restoin Roitfeld along with Giovanna Battaglia, naturally, and the likes of Mario Sorrenti, Jessica Hart and Doutzen Kroes.
As you know, we're really big fans of Carine Roitfeld and the whole Restoin-Roitfeld brood so you can imagine our delight when these images hit my inbox today.
Until now we all thought that Roitfeld would appear in the Barneys campaign alone but the former Vogue Paris editor has been joined by her children Vladimir and Julia in the Fall 2011 campaign and Natasha Poly makes a surprise appearance. Roitfeld got decked out in Rick Owens and Julia sported a sexy two piece number from the Givenchy collection.
If recent reports are anything to go by, Garance Doré isn't the only woman moving across the pond to be with her loved one. Giovanna Battaglia, who has styled for magazines like Vogue Paris and Vogue Italia, has decided to move to New York in order to be closer to partner Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld. But don't be fooled - it's not just love that's caused the move. Sources claim that the Italian has secured a place at W but whether she'll join the magazine on a full time basis or will simply freelance is still unclear.
Having already shown in New York, Milan and Cannes, it's finally our turn to see what Richard Hambleton has to offer. From November 19th, 45 pieces of the elusive designer's work, 25 of which has never been seen, will be exhbited in a pop-up gallery in London's Dairy.
The showcase is curated by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld and Andy Valmorbida in collaboration with Giorgio Armani and is not the first time they have all worked together on this project. Last September, the exhibition took place in New York and with everyone from Mary J Blige to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in attendance.
"Richard Hambleton’s brush stroke as an artist is genius and is in a league of its own," Restoin-Roitfeld and Valmobida said. "Most significantly, he is the most important and influential living street artist in the world today, with a story and career that is unparalleled. It is also a privilege for us to collaborate again with Giorgio Armani and we’re pleased to present it in such a prestigious space."
Last month saw Restoin-Roitfeld also curate a sell-out exhibition for painter Nicolas Pol. At the event he made it clear that we can expect him to continue to work closely with Giorgio Armani. "I don’t see why it is so bad for an artist to do something with such a credible person as Mr. Armani," he said. "I don’t see how it hurts the artist to do suddenly a huge show in Milan and New York with Armani, which had thousands of people coming and was all over the press. If the art is good and this element doesn’t take too much away from the creative side, then it doesn’t hurt." And Armani is pleased to continue working with the designer saying that he "stands as a reminder that art in all its forms is first and foremost driven by individual passion and creativity”
The exhibition will be open from November 19th - December 3rd at Dairy at 7 Wakefield St in London
Being born the son of clothier Christian Restoin and editor of French Vogue Carine Roitfeld, you would expect 25 year-old Vladimir to have become accustomed to the idea of exclusivity within the industry's elite, however it seems the young curator (or 'art tailor' as he prefers), begs to differ. “I was going to different exhibitions and it always had this feeling of a closed circle, and it was something very hard to enter for many,” he revealed. “So I thought if I just did it in a different way, I could capture the interest of a different crowd of people."
And that was precisely what he did, attracting a fabulous, fashionable and eclectic crowd of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jean Paul Gaultier, Mary-Kate Olsen and Patrick Demarchelier to name a few, with the three art shows he has held so far in New York. “I am still discovering everything as I’m doing it,” he told The Observer recently, “I love New York. When you’re young and studying a business, it’s a city that inspires you to do a lot.”
