Carine Roitfeld, the former editor of French Vogue, returned to the world of magazines in September, when she released CR Fashion Book — a highly artistic glossy dedicated to “rebirth” and themed around babies (it even included a picture of Kate Upton holding a baby on the cover.) 

Now, she’s back with her second installment, this one inspired by ballet. For the past year and a half, Roitfeld has been taking private dance lessons, which she says have transformed her body and mind—and served as inspiration for the issue. “I’m obsessed with the body of the ballet dancer, obsessed with the music and obsessed with the Russian tradition in ballet,” she told WWD. “When you are a dancer, you don’t get money. You do it because you love it. It’s so pure and beautiful— the freedom, the movement, the gestures.” One cover of the book features the Ukranian ballet star Sergei Polunin (photographed by Gus Van Sant); the other side offers a dramatic photograph of a ballet shoe by artist Brigitte Niedermair. 

The issue, which will hit newsstands next week, features an interview with Misty Copeland, the black Swan of American Ballet, a conversation with the “spirit” of Vaslav Nijinsky, who died over 60 years ago, and a fashion spread based on the life of a dancer who becomes a teacher (pictured here) teaching students the history of dance after Marie-Agnes Gillot, Michael Clark, Michel Fokine, Pina Bausch and Fanstasia. There’s even an interview with dancer Kiara Kabukuru, authored by Gisele Bundchen, and the first editorial shoot of Rick Owens. 

One surprising shoot features Big Ang of Mob Wives, photographed by Bruce Weber in Miami in a tiny red bikini. “I like surprises and I thought having Big Ang in the issue would be a big surprise,” Roitfeld says. “Bruce brought her to our attention and I immediately loved her. Why the red bikini? Because she is the star.” 

CR Fashion Book seems like it’s off to a good start: the print run for the magazine has gone from 50,000 copies to 65,000—and newsstand prices have increased from $15 to $20. The one thing Roitfeld says dance has taught her? “You can never be good enough.”