Carine Roitfeld
My father was very chic. My mum was always encouraging me. Some parents would say, 'Why don't you be a lawyer, a doctor, or something more important?' They never said that.
I started as a writer for magazines, and soon they asked me to illustrate my stories. I started from the bottom of the bottom. And I climbed the stairs, one by one.
When you're writing, you're on your own, and I like to work as a team.
I think it is good when something can stay interesting for a long time. It's not just a trend for one month.
What is chic is just to be perfect, like magical, no?
I miss my parents. But still, my granddaughter, my daughter, my grandma, you know, so it's very important for me. You lost your parents, but a new baby comes. It's like the cycle of fashion.
People say I look like my father. My son is very much like him.
A magazine is not just one person. And a fashion shoot is the same!
I'm not a superhero - I'm a super worker!
I do think fashion is fun! Much more than people think.
I know that people in fashion and people in general hate to be filmed.
Yes, I can speak a bit and I can read and write in Russian. I learned it from my grandmother who raised me with all the Russian fairytales.
The Russians are extreme people: they are generous but crazy at the same time. They always have something to say, and I really like that.
I'm not a nostalgic person: I never look back; I always forget.
Paris is mostly retired people - I love it, and it's a beautiful city, but it's quite slow.
Fashion shows used to be more crazy. Now they've become a bit too serious.
It's very difficult for designers today. How can someone produce so many shows? Now the minimum is four a year.
Most makeup campaigns are not in black and white.
When a designer creates, he looks at the world around him.
The hair and makeup is very important in a fashion picture. When I create a look for a girl, it starts with the makeup. Sometimes it takes an entire day to find the look.
Makeup can help you capture a moment.
In photo shoots, I rely on instinct. Which is not to say I don't bring ideas to a project or consider it beforehand.
I hate people who over intellectualize. It bores me deeply.
Either you are a good Virgo or a crazy Virgo! The good Virgo side of me is educating and raising the children - being there for them.
I've always used black girls on the runway, because I think they're beautiful. I don't need people to tell me, 'You need to use black girls.' I did for 20 years; it's not a new thing for me.
If Kate Moss hadn't been booked when she was 14, Kate Moss might not exist.
If you listen too much, you won't be able to create.
If I like a make-up artist's look, even if nobody knows about her, I use her. New people give me energy.
'Vogue' is a bigger name than my name.
I think when I became a grandmother my life changed a lot, and I think I changed personally.
In Japan, you can learn how to make a bunch of flowers. This is an art. Tea ceremony, it's an art.
I think that Americans, they love comfort more than Europeans. Americans created the T-shirt, the sweat pants, and they create the best sporting shoes.
I hate mules. I hate the noise when someone walks with mules. Clomp, clomp, clomp. I think it's very not chic. I don't even like a flip-flop. I don't like this noise.
The reason I call my book 'Irreverent' is because there were a lot of pictures that were very irreverent. Maybe I could call my book 'Forgiving' because maybe I made a lot of errors, too.
If I'm doing something in fashion, I will try to respect the 'laws' of the business, but I will try to keep my integrity and my respect for the designers and for my readers.
I am very excited to be able to work more with young designers and support them.
As you get older, you see life is very short, so you have to appreciate more and more and to enjoy it.
Here in France, I've seen some very good young designers, but they don't have this ability to be good businessmen, too. I think America gives you this.
I am just doing photo shoots. It's not something that extraordinary. I'm not a great artist, I'm not writing books, I'm not a painter, and people in the streets ask me for a picture or a note, and I say, 'Why?'
Sometimes you think you aren't a good mama; you always feel a bit guilty when you're a mom. You want to be everywhere.
I have good legs, so I prefer my skirt lengths and my high heels. It's like my uniform.
If people ask me to describe my look, I always say: 'Quite classic with an edge.'
We have the sort of beautiful older woman here in Paris. People like Loulou de la Falaise and Betty Catroux, all these beautiful looking women over 60... So there is culture here in France that even if you are older, you can stay beautiful.
I think it's less common in France that a man at the age of 50 buys a Porsche and gets a young girlfriend.
I think that ballet is very good for the body. It's very similar to yoga, because you have to hold a position.
If I could choose something besides fashion, I would love to be a ballerina.
I have a couture body.
I think beauty can be everywhere.
I want more women to run countries. There'd be more peace on Earth.