21 modern-day French fashion icons we can't get enough of
Birkin, Bardot, Deneuve, Huppert, Béart... French women have captivated the fashion imagination for decades with their unending chic and je ne sais quoi in the wardrobe department. We take a look at the 25 women carrying the style torch - and inspiring a new generation - today
Rex FeaturesLou Doillon
Occupation: Model, Actress, Musician
Style Note: Think boyish bohemia.
Style Quote: “It was such a relief to discover that I could be sexy. It made me much more open.”
Rex FeaturesJulia Restoin Roitfeld
Occupation: Model, Muse, Art Director
Style Note: Loves leather.
Style Quote: “I probably wore a lot of ugly things as a teenager, but I had to go through it.”
Rex FeaturesVanessa Paradis
Occupation: Actress, Model, Singer
Style Note: Puts the beat into off-beat.
Style Quote: “I don't think that much about fashion. I suppose I like putting together outfits without too much thought and seeing what the outcome is.”
Rex FeaturesCaroline Maigret
Occupation: Model, singer and author
Style Note: Androgynous, sexy tailoring - a very borrowed from the men approach with added lashings of mascara.
Style Quote: “The Parisian woman is a feminist which informs her style. I hate the idea of having an icon - I find it too restrictive, that's the beauty of a woman, it's more about character."
Rex FeaturesIsabel Marant
Occupation: Fashion designer
Style Note: Tomboyish bohemia is her USP.
Style Quote: “It's true that I am my own muse. I don't like this word, but when I studied fashion at Studio Bercot the director said, 'You shouldn't want others to wear things that you wouldn't wear yourself.' And that never left me.'"
Rex FeaturesMarion Cotillard
Occupation: Actress
Style Note: Rarely seen in anything but Christian Dior.
Style Quote: “I don't think that I'm that sophisticated. Maybe I'm not aware of it; I don't know.”
Rex FeaturesClémence Poésy
Occupation: Actress
Style Note: Enjoys a quirky accessory.
Style Quote: “I tend to wear exactly the same things at night that I wear during the day. I don’t really like dressing up unless I have to. I also tend to go out to places where you can wear a sweater and jeans.”
Rex FeaturesAudrey Tautou
Occupation: Actress
Style Note: Channelled Coco Chanel to perfection in 2009’s Coco Before Chanel.
Style Quote: “I am not girlie-girlie.”
Rex FeaturesJuliette Binoche
Occupation: Actress
Style Note: Owns grown-up, assured sexy.
Style Quote: “I'm not obsessed by looks. I think you can become a prisoner of your own image.”
Rex FeaturesCharlotte Gainsbourg
Occupation: Actress, Singer
Style Note: Balenciaga lover. Gamine; effortlessly cool.
Style Quote: “Style for me is a casual way of putting something on. It’s not thought out but needs to suit your way of life.”
PA PhotosJoséphine de la Baume
Occupation: Actress, Singer
Style Note: Where the Champs Elysées meets Hackey.
Style Quote: “French girls don't wash their hair as much as you girls do here and they don't wear much make-up. Everything is very discreet, except for nonchalant touches - say a bag or a pair of shoes.”
PA PhotosAstrid Bergès-Frisbey
Occupation: Actress, Singer
Style Note: Polished, classic. One of the Chanel set.
Style Quote: [On being part of the Chanel Little Black Jacket project] “When they approached me for the project, I didn’t think it would be so interesting. I thought it would just be some talents wearing the jackets in front of the camera, but they’ve made incredible images with different styles.”
Léa Seydoux
Occupation: Actress
Style Note: Low-key is key.
Style Quote: “The thing is, when I wear too much make-up, or I’m too dressed up, I look like a clown. I would love to take more risks — have pink hair — but it doesn’t look right on me.”
PA PhotosAnna Mouglalis
Occupation: Actress
Style Note: If you cut her, she’d bleed Chanel.
Style Quote: “I love to wear beautiful things that look thrown together. I like to forget what I’m wearing. The only thing I look for is freedom.”
PA PhotosCarla Bruni
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Model, Former First Lady of France
Style Note: Avant garde turned establishment. Flat shoes essential.
Style Quote: “The total head-to-toe designer look is ridiculous. It's the opposite of fashion. A matching bag and shoe and hat makes you look like a Christmas tree.”
WennElisa Sednaoui
Occupation: Model, Actress, Director
Style Note: The mistress of subtle sexy.
Style Quote: “I like things that are very minimal, and I never wear too many accessories.”
Getty ImagesCarine Roitfeld
Occupation: Former Editor-In-Chief, French Vogue
Style Note: Black is the new black.
Style Quote: “A lot of people talk about me as the queen of porno chic—I don’t like this, but I like the word 'chic'... I like glamour.”
Rex FeaturesInes de la Fressange
Occupation: Model, Muse, Designer
Style Note: A long-time lover of luxe separates.
Style Quote: “Women should dress up for themselves, not for showing off but to feel better - and if you feel better, you look better.”
Rex FeaturesConstance Jablonski
Occupation: Model
Style Note: Blond with ice-cool style to match.
Style Quote: “I like flat shoes, in general, because I’m tall enough. I like clothes for my age: jeans, leggings, and comfortable stuff.”
Rex FeaturesLaetitia Casta
Occupation: Actress, Model
Style Note: Her fashion soulmate was the late Yves Saint Laurent.
Style Quote: “Real beauty is to be true to oneself. That's what makes me feel good.”
Rex FeaturesEmmanuelle Alt
Occupation: Editor-In-Chief, French Vogue
Style Note: Surprisingly, refreshingly casual.
Style Quote: “Make-up? I just black my eyes and that's it. My hair? I get it cut on set. I never go to a hairdresser. I'm not sure I'm French.”
