Vogue Paris: Paradis Bleu

Anastasia Barbieri styled the sexy editorial "Paradis Bleu" for the June/July issue of Vogue Paris and it is hot! Starring the sultry Karmen Pedaru as shot by Cedric Buchet, the spread captures the energy of summer perfectly. If this does not make you crave turquoise seas and sandy beaches then you are clearly immune to the call of the siren. The vibrant blues of paradise are certainly beckoning me... Coming, dear, as fast as I can...

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Emmanuelle Alt On Vogue Paris June/July 2011

I have translated into English Emmanuelle Alt's thoughts about the June/July issue of Vogue Paris; also new to the photo gallery is the editorial "Canicule" featuring cover model Isabeli Fontana as shot by Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas and styled by Emmanuelle.

"A un peu plus de trois heures de vol de Paris, la Grèce est ce paradis bleu dont le soleil est la richesse nationale", écrit Emmanuelle Alt, rédactrice en chef de Vogue Paris, dans l'édito du numéro de juin/juillet 2011. Cap sur les îles grecques et sur l'été, avec un plongeon en bikini dans l'eau turquoise de la méditerranée, une escale dans le sud du Péloponnèse et des rencontres avec la nouvelle génération d'artistes, créateurs, galeristes et noctambules grecques qui font bouger le pays. Isabeli Fontana qui fête cette année ses 15 ans de carrière, est la cover girl du mois. Elle pose dans la série de mode "Canicule" signée Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, et confie ses adresses préférées et ses projects à Vogue. Côté beauté, l'heure est au bronzage anticipé, aux produits organiques et aux fragrances solaires, pour faire le plein de'énergie.

Le magazine s'accompagne d'un supplément spécial été, avec les essentiels mode, beauté et joaillerie à emporter dans sa valise en fonction des destinations en vogue du moment : de Saint-Tropez à Ibiza en passant par les Hamptons, Santa Monica, Tulum ou Asilah.

"At a little over three hours from Paris, Greece is this blue paradise where the sun is the national wealth," writes Emmanuelle Alt, editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, in the editorial of the issue for June/July 2011. Head for the Greek islands and summer with a dip in a bikini in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, a stopover in the south of Peloponnese and meetings with the new generation of artists, designers, gallery owners and the Greek nightlife which is shaking the country. Isabeli Fontana, who is celebrating 15 years in her career, is the cover girl of the month. She poses in the editorial "Heat Wave" shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and confides her favorite addresses and projects for Vogue. Beauty aside, the time to tan is anticipated, with organic products and solar fragrances to replenish energy.

The magazine comes with an extra special summer supplement, with the fashion, beauty, and jewelry essentials to be carried in a suitcase according to the popular destinations in vogue: from St. Tropez to Ibiza via the Hamptons, Santa Monica, Tulum, or Asilah.

Vogue Paris editorial images © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris Collections Automne-Hiver 2012

Emmanuelle Alt now directs the publication of the Vogue Paris Collections special edition each season in addition to her role as editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris. A delightful and handy visual reference to each fashion season, Vogue Paris Collections neatly catalogues the clothing and accessories from the shows in Paris, New York, London, and Milan. This limited edition is indispensable for devoted fashionistas as well as a collector's item so be sure to pick up your copy.

What are Emmanuelle's thoughts on the new collections?

When the weather turns cold, dress up warmly. It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Of course it does, and on the whole designers seem to have done just that this season, for the overall feel of the latest collections is about protecting the wearer from the elements. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the use of fur — both false and genuine — at the ready to fend off the freezing winter onslaught; and capes, which are the rising star in every woman's must-have wardrobe. And yet, oddly enough, the general mood isn't that cozy. Silhouettes are uncluttered and prim, largely in a color palette of sombre shades. Looks play the armour game, taking turns with a strictly tailored masculine-feminine aesthetic for the most part, the idea being to reveal nothing or very little, apart from an arm or a leg here and there. In contrast to last summer's abundance of neons and pizzazz, the bright-is-right credo has given way to more a "might-is-right" approach. The result is a sleek, rigorous line, with a self-confident stride, and a preference for suits, whose powers of persuasion are matched only by their powers of seduction. That said, fashion, even at its most ascetic, is always about getting noticed, and the way to get noticed this season is by mixing myriad finishes and effects to run the gamut of styles, from matte and soft to a glossier, more iridescent shimmer. For Autumn/Winter 2011-2012, the texture and feel of the materials have reached new heights of refinement and subtle lustre. Which is a different way of attracting light... and attention.

As for the season's accessories, Emmanuelle says:

We've been accustomed to seeing accessories brighten up an otherwise somewhat austere look, but things are different this time round. For Autumn/Winter 2011-2012, accessories are in total harmony with the season's fashions, at one with the latest trends, starting with the rather sombre natural colors and rigorous, streamlined edge (you only have to look at the great majority of handbags and clutches). By the same token, the proportions give voice to the masculine-feminine philosophy that's very much of the moment. This can be seen in the return of ample ankle boots, derbies, moccasins, and oxfords, while skins, suede, leathers — of the exotic kind in particular — furs, too, set an altogether stricter, more serious-minded tone. Not forgetting the matte and glossy, patent and velvety contrasts, or the metallic hints designed to energize and "breathe light" into the silhouette. All in all, the season has revised its classics, which, short of  injecting pizzazz or flights of fancy into the equation, still have the timeless virtue of being sound, sure-footed mainstays for every woman's winter wardrobe.

Vogue Paris Collections Autumn 2011/Winter 2012 cover image © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Vogue Paris June/July 2011: Isabeli Fontana

The June/July cover of Vogue Paris features Brazilian beauty Isabeli Fontana as photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (note that this is their second consecutive Vogue Paris cover for Emmanuelle Alt). Inside beckons a sun drenched fantasy: "Escale en Grèce — Ses iles, ses mythes, ses heroes, ses plaisirs," or in English, "Stopover in Greece — Its islands, its myths, its heroes, its pleasures." I like the color scheme, it calls attention to Fontana's eyes beautifully.

Vogue Paris June/July 2011 issue cover image © 2011 Condé Nast. All Rights Reserved.

Happy 44th Birthday Emmanuelle Alt!

Emmanuelle Alt photograph courtesy of Fashion Spot. Birthday modification by Kellina de Boer.