Spotlight on Style: Inès de la Fressange
Image courtesy: Tagwalk
Like so many other bonafide style icons, Inès de la Fressange is modest and not as personally impressed with herself as others are with her.
The French model, author and onetime muse to Karl Lagerfeld, possesses that enviable innate knowledge of looking effortlessly chic that we all wish we had.
Try telling her that and de la Fressange will laughingly brush you off. “I’m not a muse,” she has said “Amusing, but not a muse!”
However, in addition to being an inspiration for the legendary Lagerfeld, this “non-muse” has also served as a brand ambassador for the French accessories house Roger Vivier, as well as being a one-time collaborator with the Japanese fast-fashion brand Uniqlo.
De La Fressange’s go-to outfit of choice is often a fitted navy blazer, cashmere sweater, silky trousers and satin slippers.
As is typical of a classic and confident French beauty, de la Fressange is willing to wear trends, but extremely selectively. A fan of clothing by Celine, De La Fressange is a firm believer in buying in multiples when she finds something she likes.
She favors Roger Vivier slippers so much that in addition to several different styles of satin pairs, Fressange owns the same slippers in velvet, navy blue, violet and black.
Since de la Fressange is tall and slim, she does whatever is necessary to find pieces that compliment her figure. She purchases her navy blue blazers in a Paris children’s shop called Soeur in boys’ size 16, which suits her proportions perfectly.
De La Fressange not only dips into the boys’ section for her wardrobe, she goes straight to the men’s department when it’s time to stock up on cashmere socks.
“They’re long, which is nice. I buy them in navy blue and brown, or sometimes pink, mustard, pale gray. I don’t like socks with flowers, sushi or monkeys.”
While de la Fressange cites that legendary Jane Birkin is someone who has influenced her sense of style, but her own unique qualities are hers and hers alone.
“Fashion and good taste are made with a little bit of bad taste,” she has said.
“It’s like perfume. To make a fantastic, mythical perfume, you need the most incredible flowers, the best quality of products. But you need another product that really smells terrible to make the whole thing work. Fashion is like this. Somebody who looks totally perfect would be a little bit boring.”
xo
SS