Carine Roitfeld is always good for a fun quote or two -- her chat with Karl Lagerfeld for the September issue of Interview was chock full of them.
But her latest talk with the New York Times may just be the pièce de résistance. In it, we learned many peculiar things from the former editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Our five favorite factoids:
1. Mink coats smell. Sheepskin coats do not.
I like fur, but there’s a sort of smell on it that now I don’t like. ...[] Sheepskin is different. But I can’t say I will never wear fur again because I will lie. Maybe tomorrow I’m going to see a beautiful mink coat, and I’ll really want it, even if there is some smell in it. I will put perfume on.
2. Americans dress for comfort. That's why they look worse than Europeans.
Americans created the T-shirt, the sweat pants, and they create the best sporting shoes. When I see a woman in the street, sometimes I think, Oh, it’s a bit too comfortable the way she is dressing, you know? And not in a nice way.
3. Bondage is just like making tea. Or arranging flowers.
But did you know that for Japanese people, bondage is like an art. In Japan you can learn how to make a bunch of flowers. This is an art. Tea ceremony, it’s an art. And bondage is an art, too.
4. Mules (as in the shoe) are her biggest fashion faux pas.
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.
5. Tom Ford is gay. Sorta.
O.K., Tom, unfortunately for the woman, is gay. But he is very not so gay.
We feel enlightened -- really, we do. For all the silly things she says, the humorous Carine has a good amount of perspective on fashion and fame, for which we've got to respect her.
She once admitted to Style.com, "It's an honor and you smile to the people. But is it normal? I think there is something a bit weird, that more people want to see these looks than want to see what John Galliano or Dolce & Gabbana did for the show."
She's a wise one, that Roitfeld.