Visionaire 60 Religion: Carine Roitfeld by Karl Lagerfeld.

"Riccardo Tisci’s issue of Visionaire explores religion as liberating force, complete with its share of saints, sinners, and supermodels.

If you don’t believe that fashion is a religious sect unto itself—and a fast-growing one at that—well, maybe you should pray a little harder. Need you be reminded that today’s most awe-inspiring transfigurations are achieved by supermodels, not saints? (Easy to confuse the two, granted.) Should you be one of these lamentable non-believers, you might want to check out Visionaire’s latest issue, devoted to religion and guest-edited by Riccardo Tisci in collaboration with Givenchy."

Carine Roitfeld, 2011. Photography Karl Lagerfeld

The issue covers Ricardo Tisci’s view on religion that is influenced by him growing up in a 70’s Italian family. He discusses how important religion is for him, the force and energy he gets out of it. Furthermore he conceptualises religion not per se as something Catholic, but he stresses the importance in believing in something (Love, work, family…). However the issue itself is Catholically inspired as you can tell looking at the picture. Karl Lagerfeld (The Kaiser’ quote; “Religion is anything you believe in.”) shot a series of, and now I quote, haunting portraits.  

The rest of the issue features contributors like Giovanna Battaglia styling and Pierpaolo Ferrari shooting model Lea T (the famous transgender model) in an exuberant visual editorial. Further on we get to see Franca Sozzani (Editor in chief Vogue Italia) photographed by Francesco Carrozzini (her son) in a religious scene that is recreated by Paolo Canevari (at least I suspect that, because Canevari is a contemporary artist).

The magazine comes as a limited edition of only 3000 issues. You can preorder it, buy it at selected bookstores and in Givenchy flagship stores. I think that would be the perfect excuse for a little Givenchy shopping wasn’t it for the fact that there is no Givenchy store in Belgium.

The picture itself certainly has a religious vibe to it. You wouldn’t believe Carine Roitfeld is actually 57.  Another thing that is hard to imagine, at least by the look of that photo, is that she actually has a body to match her floating head. I’m just kidding, it’s a beautiful and inspirational picture and it has even become the new background on my cell phone.

Rumour 1: Carine Roitfeld is starting her own clothing line! If you ask me, the perfect name for a brand. I can actually hear people say: “I bought a Roitfeld.” It does sound very chique.

Rumour 2: Carine’s getting her own reality show.
Either way I’m very curious about all her future projects because I believe that in the past she has done some amazing things. Hopefully we’ll get more news soon.

Inspiration via http://www.vmagazine.com/2011/04/book-of-god/ and http://www.iwanttobearoitfeld.com/, picture via http://www.iwanttobearoitfeld.com/