Fashion

Carine Roitfeld: the woman behind sexy Parisian fashion

By Amayzine | #!30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:003230#30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:00-8Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202630 19am30am-30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:008Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam2026302026Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200008006amFriday=9#!30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam6#06-19-2026#!30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:003230#/30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:00-8Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202630#!30Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:32 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam6#

If there is anyone who gave the word chic a completely different meaning, it is Carine Roitfeld. Not neat, not polished and certainly not tame, but dark, seductive and always with an edge. Or as she once said: “I think you are born chic. You cannot be chic. It is something you cannot learn.”

Carine Roitfeld, born in 1954, is a French fashion editor and stylist and is seen as one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry. For years she was the editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, where she gave the magazine a bold, sexy and dark aesthetic that was completely different from the classic, chic fashion magazines of that time. Through her work, she became a defining voice in how high fashion was presented in the 2000s and beyond.

Her personal style often revolved around black, sleek silhouettes: pencil skirts, high heels, corsets and leather details. She combined elegance with a kind of dangerous sensuality. Where other editors sometimes played it safe, Roitfeld opted for a look that was outspoken and sometimes controversial.

And then those eyes. Carine is almost always recognizable by her intense, smudged smoky eyes. Not a neat makeup look, but rather messy, dark and seductive. That eye look truly became her trademark and enhanced her “undone but powerful” appearance. It gave her an almost rock-and-roll edge, even within the high fashion world.

Her impact on fashion is significant. Roitfeld changed the way fashion was photographed and styled. She introduced a much darker, more sensual and narrative aesthetic in editorials. Luxury campaigns became less distant and more intimate under her influence: close-up images, strong feminine energy and a clear attitude, instead of just showcasing clothing.

Carine Roitfeld is therefore not just a style icon, but a fashion force in her own right. Sexy chic, smoky eyes, black silhouettes and that typical Parisian nonchalance: she created a language that is still spoken everywhere in the fashion world.