Karl Lagerfeld interview Carine Roitfeld for "Interview" - You're photos are erotic. I want to ask you: How did you come to be the stylist you are?



KARL LAGERFELD: How far can you take an image?

CARINE ROITFELD: I think that when you're taking pictures with my principles, you can try anything. Dare to do a lot of things-dare with sexuality, dare to break taboos as long as it remains photogenic. As long as I find an elegance and beauty in it, I am not afraid to tackle anything.

LAGERFELD: I think it was Marlow who said, "There is no beauty wit
hout some strangeness in the proportions."

ROITFELD: Exactly. I think that something needs to be weird in order to have a real beauty. Beauty can be quite boring, especially if you're talking about beauty that doesn't last. And what lasts is exactly the thing that maybe wasn't pretty at first-it comes over time to be beautiful or interesting or exciting-

LAGERFELD: For example, during the golden age of movie stars, there were plenty of actresses who were deemed unattractive at the start of their careers, but struggled and finally appeared more beautiful and more iconic. Sometimes that idea of being truly iconic has something to do with not necessarily being beautiful and thus trying harder.

ROITFELD: Because they had to fight and struggle more than others. Absolutely. And there are certain models who might not be considered beautiful either

LAGERFELD: Some who aren't the most beautiful end up becoming the greatest of all time.

ROITFELD: Exactly, look today at a model like Mariacarla [Boscono]. She might not be one of the prettiest girls in the classical sense but she outlives everyone and everyone wants to work with her. I think personality is more important than looks.

LAGERFELD: When do you think a photograph become erotic? And when does it cross that boundary into the x-rated or pornography?

ROITFELD: It's very difficult to know when you're crossing the boundary. I hate the word boundary because I never think about it when taking a picture. Very often it doesn't mean anything because it depends on who's looking at the picture more than the content of the picture itself.
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To see the full interview - http://www.interviewmagazine.com/fashion/carine-roitfeld/