Film: Mademoiselle C (2013)
Cast includes: Carine Roitfeld, Tom Ford, Donatella Versace, Karl Lagerfeld
Director: Fabien Constant (The Vogue Paris Fashion Night Out)
Genre: Documentary | Fashion (93 minutes) Partly in French with subtitles
It’s a whirlwind of impressions and color… designer shoes on wet pavement, taxis, limos, fashion details, a society gala… but we start on August 5, 2012. “You’re a goddess to people who love fashion.” Certainly not the first time Carine Roitfeld has heard those sentiments. Stylist, fashion editor, image editor, muse… Carine has a hard time defining her occupation… she has an eye. She recently left Paris Vogue, where she was the editor-in-chief for 10 years and is now pursuing a personal project. In New York City, she hopes to find her next stage. “A great performer will always need a stage” She’s planning to launch a new magazine… a big risk, but Carine has many former colleagues who are willing to take the leap with her.
Back to February 2012… they decide on a title… CR. Those are Carine’s initials, but they’re also her husband’s initials, and that makes Carine happy. With 6 months until the launch of CR, there’s a daunting amount of work to do. The first issue needs a theme. For Carine, it’s about life and rebirth. Her daughter’s having a baby, and the art department creates a cover featuring a baby. It’s not just about fashion… “I’m not interested in showcasing the latest bag or collection… but showing what you can do with them… I tell stories on paper with pictures.” Carine wants to give young photographers a prominent role. She has strong ideas, and she looks for people who are in sync. It’s never the girl next door! “She changed the way everyone looks at fashion.” In the 90s she pioneered neo-punk / porno-chic… blurring the line between provocative and chic… and the industry followed. But Carine never loses her Parisian flair. Images should “make you dream of another world and want to be a part of it.” Carine hoped leaving Paris Vogue would give her some newfound freedom, but she’s never worked harder. With the new venture well on its way, the team gets a rude awakening… other fashion publications have gotten wind of the project and “declared all out war.”
Director Fabien Constant is well versed in the fashion world and has long wanted to make a documentary, featuring Carine Roitfeld. But he didn’t want to make a movie without a story. So when he learned that Carine was leaving Paris Vogue and starting a new project, he approached her, and she said yes. Unlike other fashion icons, Carine is not afraid to be seen with her sleeves rolled up. This isn’t a documentary that answers all one’s questions about Carine Roitfeld and her world… it’s not Wikipedia. He takes us into her world as events unfold. Along the way, we learn what motivates Carine and why she’s had such influence on the industry, despite the fact that she’s not as well known as, say, Anna Wintour. Perhaps it’s odd to describe Carine as “normal”… a woman who regularly jets between New York, Paris, Tokyo, Miami, London and Milan… but there’s a down-to-earth quality that’s totally unexpected. Without hysteria or histrionics, Carine and her team launch CR Fashion Book, a totally unique kind of fashion publication. It’s a magical world and an enjoyable hour and a half. Carine is indeed a superstar, but she’s also a generous collaborator. “Most people are better when they work with Carine.” It’s inspirational… in a dazzling kind of way.
3 popped kernels
In a fast moving whirlwind of color and fashion, we watch as former Paris Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Carine Roitfeld, launches a new project
Popcorn Profile
Audience: Grown-ups
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Primary Drivers: Artistry, information and character study
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Informative
