If you read interviews with Carine Roitfeld, they inevitably seem to include one comment addressing her distaste for handbags. In part it seems she finds toting around your personal belongings in a sack vulgar (and in a way it is!), but also there are hints she felt forced as the editor of Vogue to promote them in her shoots, no doubt as a “thank you” for the many ad dollars spent adveritising them in her magazine.

Now that she’s left Vogue, it seems her position on bags has begun to soften, in part because she no longer has an office to store all her junk, but perhaps also because they no longer represent what had to have been one of the more odious parts of her job–being forced to make something artful out of items she felt completely uninspired by. Here is her recent, more upbeat on handbags:

“I have discovered how useful it is to carry a book, perfume, agenda,” she laughs, glancing at her capacious black leather Alexander McQueen bag by the table. “It’s a new life.” –Financialtimes, May 2011

And here are a collection of her more angry views on handbags, dating back five years:

“I don’t change my handbag every season. I believe in the Yves Saint Laurent woman who either has her hands in the pockets of her pantsuit or is holding her lover’s hand. She doesn’t need a bag.” –Spiegel, April 2011

Q: What do you always have in your handbag?
Roitfeld: I do not wear bags. BlackBerry in my pocket, spare glasses at work, or cosmetics, or comb. Even makeup has never corrected. –Russian Vogue, December 2009

“Right now I think that fashion in the world becomes a bit boring. There is so much money, and I feel a bit when you go to shows they want to sell so many handbags, and for me, well, I do not like handbags. I do not wear handbags. It is not a nice look, to carry a handbag.” –Nymag, February 2008

“Handbags?  You can wear a completely transparent shirt and show all the breasts, I don’t care. But I prefer to have my hands in my pocket than to have a nice little bag. So I am not good for all these fashions. They have to sell bags, bags, bags, bags, bags, bags. I hate handbags.” –Telegraph, November 2005

In the image above from a recent Cannes event, note Roitfeld carrying the smallest of clutches. One more image of Roitfeld carrying what appears to be another micro purse–though it’s so small it might be a keychain–on the next page.

How long does this Cannes Film Festival go on for?? Because frankly I’m easily bored and have just about had it with the parade of expensive long dresses, but now that I started I feel obliged to finish. One thing I’ve learned, a lot of super models attend this event. Lots! It’s like a Karl Lagerfeld show–so perhaps this is a French theme whereby beauty is not just viewed as fleeting and shallow, it’s a necessity of life.

Above model Karolina Kurkova who exhibits why she makes the big bucks. After the flip, a Carine Roitfeld spotting (she’s really into lace this year!), plus Kursten Dunst, Naomi with her badboy Russian boyfriend, Laetitia Casta, Milla Jovovich and a bunch more.

The always fab Gwen Stefani on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, rocking a Stella McCartney sequin jumpsuit, accompanied by her fella, Gavin Rossdale.

We posted a bunch of pose strikers from the Cannes film festival last week and here are a whole lot more from a few different events. That’s Sarah Jess Parker above, enjoying her flowy dress by Ellie Saab. A lot of these women, we have no idea who they are, but they sure looked pretty. Enjoy!

Karolina Kurkova, Uma Thurman, Natalia Vodianova, Lara Stone and more on the next page.

The images featured here are from the opening ceremony for France’s Cannes Film Festival and the “Midnight In Paris” movie premiere. Above is actress Fan Bingbing, whose gown we liked (and whose last name is so fun to pronounce!). In general the red carpet theme du jour was grown-woman elegance, reflected in form-fitting, strapless gowns in solid colors. Nothing earth-shattering from a fashion perspective but plenty of above-average pageantry–worth a look if only to spot the subtle differences from a typical U.S. red carpet event.  

There are many more images, including Uma Thurman, Karolina Kurkova, Bianca Balti, Grace Hightower, Rachel McAdams, etc., on the next page. Enjoy!

Here’s Madonna making her second, red carpet apperance at Cannes, this time in a red dress. It’s not nearly as haute as the Chanel dress, but she looks a thousand times better ’cause this one suits her frame better. She even seeme to feel more confident.

^^The shoes are kick ass, too!

Lois: HighSnobette at Hotmail dot com

Straight up, the dress, which is Chanel, is amazing. You see a garment like this and it’s one of those moments when you are made to understand the difference between ready to wear and coutoure. My issue with Madge in this dress, however, is that she’s so tiny that it doesn’t look as good on her. And she has a tendency to do that–wear outfits that fit her personality rather than her frame. But oh well, she’s Mo. Her critics over the past quarter of a century have come and gone and she remains standing. A bad-ass female if ever there was one!

My other issue is that I’m not crazy about this kind of stark, black, white color contrast. To my eye, it breaks up the dress’s lines too much.

More images (which are all from Wire.com) of the dress, Mo’s accessories and her shoes after the flip.

Lois