Julia Restoin-Roitfeld likes to say that fashion was “always around” when she was growing up. This typical bit of understatement pretty much summarizes her iconoclastic approach to building a career in the fashion industry: Rather than assuming the role of heir apparent to, say, her mom—Carine Roitfeld, editor in chief of Paris Vogue—Restoin-Roitfeld has charted a path through the family business as peripatetic as that of any average Parsons grad. There was the internship at Visionaire, another one working with Craig McDean, some freelance gigs, a little modeling on the side. Normal-normal. Now, Restoin-Roitfeld is coming into her own, on her own. The up-and-coming art director conceived the new Rock & Republic ad campaign set to feature in September’s fat fashion books, and more projects are underway. Here, she talks to Style.com about keeping fashion in the family.

How did you connect with Rock & Republic?

My friend Keegan Singh works with them as a consultant, and he introduced me. I pitched them my idea for a campaign, and here we are.

Singh styled the shoot, which stars your brother (and Malgosia Bela). Was it strange working with Vladimir? I mean, it’s got to be a stretch to have to look at your brother in terms of those model-y qualities like, um, sex appeal.

Everything was very professional. And part of the reason we cast Vladimir, in fact, was that the campaign seemed to call for a real guy, and not a model. I mean, that was my pitch—the previous campaigns weren’t embodying the strength of the brand’s name, and its products, and I felt like it was important to express a rock “attitude,” in an authentic way, rather than do something like, oh, here’s a bunch of guys pretending to be a band and fake-playing the guitar. When I think “rock attitude,” I think confidence, I think strength; the choice of model reflects that. You have to be yourself, not someone playing a role.

You’ve done some modeling yourself—the Black Orchid campaign for Tom Ford, for example, and you’re in the new Gap ads, as well. Does that experience influence the way you think as an art director?

Well, seeing the business from a different perspective is always interesting and helpful. I’d say the same thing about working with Craig McDean—interning for him gave me another point of view.

And surely, there’s another point of view that comes from watching your mom work. Were you ever wary about going into the family business, as it were?

I don’t really think of myself as being involved in the “family business.” I’ve done some graphic design and a bit of consulting, I’ve worked with people like Fabien Baron and done jobs for VMan and Zac Posen and Teen Vogue. I’d like to add packaging projects to my portfolio. This is my career. I always wanted to do something artistic; art direction, that came naturally.—Maya Singer

Photo: Courtesy of Rock & Republic

“It’s going back tomorrow,” master of ceremonies Robert Verdi quipped of his Thom Browne jacket at last night’s Gen Art Styles 2008 competition, fishing a tag from his pocket and grinning mischievously. Seriously though, Verdi, who ad-libbed much of his dialogue and even poked fun at the event’s sponsor, Botox, was glad to support the organization. “I think that young designers need a forum,” he said. “Often times a forum is the catalyst to big opportunities for the individuals, and I think that comes with a group effort.” The winners of the $5,000 awards were Yujin Song (ready-to-wear), Timothy Franklin (menswear), Ninaki (accessories), Marie Potesta (avant-garde), Louisa Parris (eveningwear), and Jolibe (the Tone Radiance award).—Sarah Fones

Photo: Brian Ach/WireImage.com

Summers on the eastern end of Long Island and divorce—two rituals fashion folk are extremely familiar with. These two topics set the scene for Laura Dave’s sophomore novel, “The Divorce Party.” Set in Montauk, N.Y., because the author “wanted to capture the glamour and exclusivity” of the area, it tells the story of a young engaged couple who are visiting the future groom’s family for the first time. Although they don’t know it on the drive out, their engagement announcement will be celebrated at his parents’ divorce party. “The Divorce Party” has already caught the eye of at least one person who has dealt with divorce and weekends by the ocean: Echo Films, the production company Jennifer Aniston founded with Kristin Hahn, has a movie based on the book in pre-production with Universal Studios. “I am really excited,” Dave says about the future flick. “I think I’ll wait till after that to think about what comes next for the Huntingtons.”Derek Blasberg

If you’ve ever considered getting a tattoo and, possibly in a moment of questionable sobriety, thought of forgoing the usual floral fare for, say, a large rendering of Dr. Phil’s face on your back, it might be worth your while to flip through Aviva Yael, P. M. Chen, and David Cross’ “No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever” (Grand Central Publishing) before taking the plunge. The epic book chronicles a year’s worth of reporting and photographing at tattoo conventions and studios all over the country, documenting just about every motif you could possibly dream up (and some that transcend the limits of the human imagination), needled in ink—for perpetuity. #$%*ing ridiculous, indeed. Yael sat down with Style.com to discuss her adventures in body art.

What prompted you to embark on this veritable tattoo safari?

It basically started as a joke in a bar. Some friends of mine were sitting around and someone started telling us about an awful date he’d just had with a girl who had Lucky Charms cereal tattooed across her toes. It was around the time that those oversized fishnets were in—I think 2003—so she was able to poke her toes through her stockings, a vision he described as “vile.”

Did you find a general consensus as to why people choose exaggeration over subtlety when it comes to tattoos?

Everyone has different reasons for getting their tattoos. People who get these crazy tattoos for the most part love them. They know what they’re doing. For instance, the girl who got a lower-back piece that says in block letters, “I’M GONNA KILL YOU, RAY ROMANO,” got that with her best friend. They decided to pick the worst tattoos they could imagine for each other. But it’s obviously hilarious and that joke will never get old. Anyone who sees it on her for the rest of her life is going to crack up laughing, and she knows that. That’s my favorite tattoo in the book.

Speaking of favorites, what were the worst and most ridiculous pieces you saw?

I feel like I’m always on a quest to find the all-time funniest, most ridiculous tattoo, but the ideas floating around out there on people’s skin are endless—I wish I could see them all. Even the worst tattoos are sometimes the best. There was one girl who wouldn’t let us put her in the book, but I’d say her Oprah Winfrey bench-pressing with a warm-up jacket was pretty up there.

Are there any specific shops that stand out for their fine—or not so fine—craftsmanship?

Definitely Marco and his team at Lit Fuse Tattoo in Olympia, Washington. They have a great sense of humor and they’re really skilled. Then there are the famous artists who contributed, like Scott Campbell from Saved in Brooklyn—he designed the Olympic uniforms and did the Camel campaign recently. There are a few that aren’t in the book who I genuinely admire, too, like Roman and Cholo from Artistic Element in Yucaipa, California.

Do you have any tattoos—or any ideas in the works for future tattoos?

No tattoos for me. I’m still too scared to commit! I hope to get one someday, but I think I need to make sure it’s one I can live with forever, especially after seeing all the crazy stuff in this book. I’ve been thinking about that awful moon-faced, piano-playing, Sinatra-singing “Mac Tonight” guy who wears Ray-Bans. I hated him so much when I was little and I still cringe when I think about those awful McDonald’s commercials—but as a tattoo I think it would be hilarious forever and sort of mean something to me.—Celia Ellenberg

“I think it’s innate for us. In terms of giving back, women have the ability to do it really, really well,” Kelly Rutherford explained at last night’s Step Up Women’s Network tenth anniversary Inspiration Awards Gala at Chelsea’s IAC Center. Rutherford, honored alongside CAA’s Lisa Shotland for her work with the national nonprofit, an organization promoting education, advocacy, and social networking programs for underserved teens, garnered some serious accolades from “Gossip Girl” castmate Lydia Hearst. “Kelly is so sweet—I think she’s great,” the actress gushed. Like Hearst, event host Veronica Webb cited her mother as muse, along with another glamorous, increasingly high-profile wife and mom. “I’m very inspired by Michelle Obama—by her strength and her confidence and also [her] being in a very traditional role and doing something new with it,” Webb said.—Sarah Fones

Photo: Jemal Countess/WireImage.com

Judging by the fashion at last night’s Ferragamo-sponsored New York City Ballet “Dance With the Dancers” benefit at Lincoln Center, costume parties shouldn’t be relegated to Halloween. Nor should the evening’s theme, “When in Rome,” immediately conjure visions of gladiators and chariots. “When I think of Rome, I think of Valentino, Sophia Loren,” Dennis Basso explained. “The Roman influence never goes away. On the right woman, it could be smashing.” Case in point: event chairwoman Allison Sarofim, who donned a one-shouldered, white Lanvin dress. “I love this party because people are extremely creative,” she enthused. “They either do a full-on costume—which I always love—or they do a more fashion-y version of it.” The evening’s highlight, a performance from the NYCB dancers, evoked some nostalgia from Sarofim, a one-time ballerina herself. “I think that’s why I’m so involved in the ballet now,” she said of her short-lived dance career. “I didn’t get very far!”—Sarah Fones

Photo: CLINT SPAULDING/PatrickMcMullan.com

Sometimes it’s the finer details that really make a show. Apart from a rocking soundtrack (think Johann Strauss with a beat thrown behind it), it was the tights at Tsumori Chisato that set everyone alight. “Ombré!” cheered Erin Fetherston when the first pair, which graduated from pink to blue beneath a cloudlike dress, came out. “Don’t you just think they’re great?” she asked as a purple-to-nude set went by. Everyone did: After the show, there were so many journalists backstage asking about the legwear that the designer was forced to announce (via a translator) that the tights had been produced by a company in Kyoto “using a special Japanese technique,” and that while she wouldn’t be disclosing the source, they would be available for sale.—Gudrun Willcocks

Although most of us are passingly familiar with "The Twilight Zone," it takes a real Rod Serling fanatic to name-drop "Night Gallery," the impresario’s seventies follow-up to his iconic TV hit. Artist Megan Pflug is that fanatic. "None of the images I used are taken from the show, but you know, I was Netflixing ‘Night Gallery’ for a while and stuff kind of filters in," explains Pflug of the oblique inspiration behind her new work, which goes on view today at the V&A gallery (her second solo show at the space) in Chinatown. Pflug’s works on paper and sculpture combine "disparate-seeming" types of art in order to create an opening for viewers to come up with their own interpretations of her references. "What I really like are images that can send people in a variety of directions, like a digital capture I made of a still from Roman Polanski’s ‘Repulsion.’ It’s just two hands, one young and one old, grasping together across the sky. And you might think, oh, Catherine Deneuve. Or you might think, Sistine Chapel, or you might think, cheesy religious greeting card. But really, who knows?"

—Maya SingerPhoto: Megan Pflug, courtesy of V&A

I’ve had this A.P.C. bag on my wish list since we got the lookbook in December. It’s available in yellow or blue, but I think I have to go with the former, as it’s easier for me to indulge my love of color with accessories than with clothing.—Laird Borrelli-Persson

Photo: Courtesy of A.P.C.