Carine's world

Carine Roitfeld in Rick Owens

China Machado in Derek Lam

Fei Fei Sun in Bottega Veneta

Joan Smalls in Commes des Garcons & Gianvito Rossi

Julia Restoin Roitfeld in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Theodora Richards in Rodarte

Victoire de Castellane in Alaia

Mary Frey in Stella McCartney

For one of her first high profile post-Vogue gigs, Carine Roitfeld was hired by Barneys New York to "style" their big fall catalogue, corralling her signature edgy-chic amalgam of models and style stars (her own children included) to be photographed by Mario Sorrenti wearing some of the store's finest offerings and presenting a perfect visual manifestation of Barneys' new creative strategy outlined in New York's fall fashion issue - that is, to make shopping at Barneys, whether online or in store, a coveted, high-end experience edited by and for those who love fashion and not just clothes.

I am not the only one, of course, looking forward to the upcoming coffee table book surveying her career thus far, Irreverent, out with Rizzoli on October 18 and benefiting amfAR.

Up with olives

One of my favorite New York City experiences is to sit at the brushed stainless steel bar at Schiller's Liquor Bar in my neighborhood on the Lower East Side and have a Tanqueray martini or two - on the dry side, up with olives.  When I am with my friend Lindsay, we always share a medium rare cheeseburger (one of the best in the city) and some pommes frites.  The bartenders are chic and friendly, the lighting is just how I like it (low), and the music is pitch perfect.  It can be tough to find a bar stool and on busier nights the crowd can run a little finance frat for my taste, but it is just right to wind down on a Sunday or Tuesday night.

I love the latest Tanqueray ad campaign, "Tonight We Tanqueray," featuring Karen Elson (above), Aloe Blacc and others - sounds like a plan to me!

Woman on the verge

V Spain's latest issue is dedicated to genius filmmaker and Spanish national treasure Pedro Almodovar, with superstar Naomi Campbell on the cover shot by Sebastian Faena in a nod to Almodovar's film "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"

Karmen by Hedi

Karmen Pedaru is one of my very favorite models, and these shots by Hedi Slimane for Vogue China give you a good idea why.

Bull market

Alexander McQueen

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Rick Owens

Bottega Veneta

Lanvin

Mulberry

Were money and space no object, as previously mentioned, I wouldn't mind owning the above items for my fall wardrobe.  If anyone has a spare $7-8,000, you can find them all on Mr. Porter - send me a Tweet for my shipping address.  Many thanks!

Perf walk

This young woman had it just right strutting up Broadway after some late summer rainfall.

Investment advice

Ludicrous stock market ups and downs aside, I'm trying not to over-shop this autumn.  I really have more than my various closets and under-bed containers can bear as it is, and I've been thinking about exploring this idea of "investment buying" I keep reading about - one usually espoused by those for whom "investments" are a nice half-dozen multi-thousand dollar items per season.  I am not one of those people, but I can probably spring for the above, both of which will compliment the million t-shirts, 300 coats and 8,000 pairs of jeans I already own quite nicely.  

The first is the lightweight wool Masai print scarf that Thakoon just released to benefit the tragic, outrageous East African famine (100% of net proceeds will go to various charities).  I've been wanting to make a decently sized donation toward the famine relief efforts, and I figure at least $150 of the price must go toward them - in addition to the fact that the Thakoon scarf is probably the cheapest and closest I'll get to a piece of Kim Jones's first (Masai-inspired) collection for Louis Vuitton menswear.  Get yours today!  The second item is the essential pair of perfect Gucci Chelsea boots, for $595 on my new favourite shopping site Mr. Porter, with which I will wear everything.  These two items, paired with some Rick Owens basics and crisp Levi's denim, should get me through NYFW with aplomb.

What do you plan to purchase this season?

Speaking of Givenchy...

I couldn't resist posting these shots from Givenchy's fall 2011 womenswear ad campaign, starring from above, Kristen McMenamy, Mariacarla Boscono, Naomi Campbell & Natalia Vodianova.  Styled by Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Mert & Marcus.

Culture Kings & Queens

Watch The Throne album cover, in molded cardboard, by Riccardo Tisci

I was paging through Gwyneth Paltrow's delightful new cookbook, My Father's Daughter, at my mother's recently, and couldn't help but laugh at the dedication, in which she thanks her closest friends for being the reason for a good dinner party.  Among the not-so-subtly dropped names are Bulgarian royalty, Stella McCartney, and "the Carters" - aka Beyoncé Knowles Carter and her husband Shawn.

These are the kings and queens of high mass culture, a notion made ever the more clear by the release of Jay-Z's much-anticipated joint album with Kanye West, Watch The Throne, and the various promotion of Beyoncé's 4.  Watch The Throne's physical album is a piece of commercial fashion, a gold nugget, created by Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, who designed all the album's artwork and is listed as its Creative Director.

Riccardo is the king of the cool kids these days, as well as a hugely influential arbiter and salesman of popular high culture himself.  Beyoncé wore a brand new Givenchy Haute Couture gown while yanking the chains of attack dogs in her very fashion video for "Run the World (Girls)," and rocked the hell out of some fall'11 feline Givenchy in the pages of W's Music + Style Issue. Kanye has been attending Riccardo's shows and wearing his menswear for a few years now.  Givenchy's last two men's collections permeate the various artwork for Watch The Throne, from the Rottweiler bandana motif (fall'11) on the "H.A.M." single to the bird of paradise print (spring'12) in the full album's insert.

Kanye and Jay-Z celebrated the release of their album amidst a tornado of ultra-cool marketing, from the chic listening party at NYC's American Museum of Natural History to the hip-hop hipster NoLIta "pop-up shop" selling the CD, complete with the tricked out Maybach from the Spike Jonze-helmed "Otis" video (now on auction to benefit the East African famine) and a Friday night party attended by Jay, 'Ye, and Beyoncé.  For her part, Beyoncé's 4 debuted at #1, and she's currently in the middle of a 4-night run at New York's Roseland Ballroom that sold out in 22 seconds online.

The Watch The Throne pop-up at 201 Mulberry Street in New York City

Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci in "Run the World (Girls)" video 

Album insert artwork by Riccardo Tisci

Watch The Throne album artwork

"H.A.M." single cover by Riccardo Tisci

Kanye West in a Rottweiler T from Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, with the designer

Beyoncé Knowles Carter in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci in W Magazine

Beyoncé in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci in W

Is your head spinning?  Welcome to New York.

Child of a certain world

Frances Bean Cobain shot by her mother's friend Hedi Slimane.  Makes me wonder if Courtney and FB are speaking again.  I hope so.  She bears a striking resemblance, looks gorgeous (if a little thin), and has certainly learned from mommy dearest how to work a cigarette.  Wish you well, Bean.

photo Hedi Slimane Diary