Crystal Renn | Carine Roitfeld | Smart Sensuality French Family | Aug 2010

When it comes to Carine Roitfeld and her role as editor of French Vogue, I feel as if I’m watching a basketball game in America. Here comes Roitfeld, dribbling down the court with full control of the basketball.

Days after stunning the world with her explicitly erotic photo of Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci’s long-time assistant Lea T, Roitfeld picks up size-10 model Crystal Renn, caught in the body image debate with new fears that Renn’s losing weight to please the fashion industry. (See Jul 22, 2010: Crystal Renn Inspires Healthy Weight | Body Image.)

Kaiser Karl swears that he loves Renn this size, but Lagerfeld’s on probation in our playbook. You don’t get out of misogyny jail so easily monsieur.

Lagerfeld is just a really intelligent guy sayins “woops, maybe those Smart Sensuality women are serious about running me out of the fashion ball game, without an attitude adjustment. Perhaps women aren’t dead yet. I’d better pay attention here. See Karl Lagerfeld’s Preferred Vision: No Women Allowed (except to buy is clothes).

Photographed by David Sims, Crystal Renn in French Vogue Aug 2010 is positioned for the “sexy, healthy, mama-mia Madonna mother in an intimate relationship with her husband jump shot”. Roitfeld scores again! Sensual motherhood and transgender models in one great issue. Ole! In France the crowd cheers “viva Carine”.

In America, we are dour with our checklists: an exposed bosom, a woman actually sensually intimate with her husband. This is not motherhood in 2010. This is outrageously sinful! Get the priest! Well maybe not a priest. Get a self-help book on how to make a better husband, who understands that sex has no place in modern marriage. Who is working on this baby’s brain development?

We Americans cry: “Bad Carine, you are just a French slut woman old enough to know better. Bad grandmother!!! Babies comes first, not your own sensuality and your marriage. Husbands have rights in retirement.”

If anyone will change our perceptions of sexy motherhood the French way, it’s Carine Roitfeld. All who fear that Crystal Renn is wasting away to nothing should feel better. She hasn’t been photoshopped into oblivion and actually maybe the camera angles — always designed to make a woman look slim — distorted reality.

All is right in the world, thanks to the superstar editor of the fashion, culture world: Carine Roitfeld. If only she could edit American Vogue and not be jailed for indecent exposure! Anne