cat who got the cream

"I like clean, clean, clean, clean. It's my new Zen attitude, you know? The less you have, the more you enjoy."
Carine Roitfeld, NY Mag, Spring 08 Fashion Issue

Not exactly what you'd expect to hear I guess from one of the most important fashion editors today. But that's what I like about her, her sort of "atypical" view on things. She goes on to say how she doesn't like handbags, despite them being basically the bread and butter of many designers' sales figures. She also says that people's notion of success is "really American," which is interesting because I think people here at least like to think it's a universal thing, to strive in the same way towards supposed success. But it's sort of refreshing in a way, to think that even though she is this woman at the very top of her field, she doesn't seem to view it that way, doesn't want to stay in the job forever, it's more just a part of the rest of her life, a phase between here and there. I wish it were easier to remember this, to be happy with where you are and take it with a grain of salt, and not always be focused on getting to the next step.
"Because of this, Roitfeld's French Vogue is the polar opposite of most American fashion magazines. It is unconcerned with making fashion wearable or accessible to its readers. It is not inclusive: There is no advice on how to dress if you're shaped like a pear or about to turn 50. In Roitfeld's world, models are never too skinny, diamonds are never too expensive."
And I also sort of like this, because it's more honest. Fashion these days isn't really about accessibility to everyone, just like it's not really about "pretty" anymore. To pretend it is and go half-way is really just more cruel than keeping it completely a sort of fantasy, out of people's reach.