Emmanuelle Alt, the new editor of the coveted Paris Vogue, who was surprisingly passed on the baton by Carine Roitfeld who quit to pursue “meaningful goals”, has inspired a new look — biker chic — and this trend seems to be a catching on like wild fire on the spring-summer 2011 runway.
No greenhorn to fashion, being at the helm of affairs at the trend spotting magazine for over ten fruitful years, Alt’s androgynous, almost borderline masculine style has even got the fickle and often uptight czar of fashion Karl Lagerfeld pretty excited and almost jumping out of his stovepipe pants.
Skin-tight leather pants, leg defining, thigh high boots and of course, the lovable cropped jacket with chains, zips and rivets are Alt’s favourites besides her lovely daughter. And to top it all, that boyfriend blazer and make-up free face completes her charming look.
What makes her irresistible is the fact that she never tries too hard to fit in amongst the powdered ladies flaunting enviable curves covered by sheath dresses. Many may admire her but some feel she is a bit too over-the-top, like textile lover Poonam Bhagat. “Military chic is turning a woman into a dominatrix, only the whips and handcuffs are missing,” she laughs.
Her boyish hips may be the perfect size for those sequined gowns but Alt is a lover of all things quirky. As Anjana Bhargav says, “I think what I like most about her is her effortless style, those irreverent shredded tees, fierce peep toes, brown hair left loose, she is quite a diva in her own right.”
No, we aren’t going to mention Kat Von D and her love for tattoos and Jesse James, but rather how her edgy love for chains and metallic studs have been given a more refined twist by Ms Alt. Though the former is still struggling with her love life, the latter seems to have graduated to a style icon. And style gurus say that this sassy lady is sure to inspire many more style gurus to incorporate the military chic look in their spring-summer looks.