Carine Roitfeld Reveals Why She Quit To NYT’s Cathy Horyn

by Justin Fenner | 10:48 am, December 17th, 2010

While everyone else was busy mulling over who would replace Carine Roitfeld as editor in chief of Vogue Paris, Cathy Horyn was on the phone with her trying to figure out where there is to go from the top.

But even Horyn, the usually incisive and straightforward New York Times fashion critic, couldn’t get Roitfeld to talk about her plans for the future. Because she just doesn’t have any.

The two talked about Roitfeld’s decision to leave in the simplest of terms — Roitfeld says she wasn’t fired, and that she never had any problems with her work, controversial and forward-thinking though it might have been. In fact, it’s the leeway Roitfeld was given at the helm of the magazine that has allowed it to blossom and grow during her ten year tenure.

Ms. Roitfeld often did the styling for photo shoots. “I had so much freedom to do everything I wanted. I think I did a good job.” But she added, “When everything is good, maybe I think it’s the time to do something else.” She expects to complete issues through March. She said she was not sure what she would do after that. “I have no plan at all,” she said.

Roitfeld is not one to be coy or shy, but still we have trouble reconciling the idea that Roitfeld’s talent and vision doesn’t have a landing spot yet. But wherever she goes — even if she just ends up hanging out on the couch with a bag of Cheetos — she’ll always have a spot in our hearts and in fashion history.

Carine Roitfeld Resigns From French Vogue [On The Runway]