Many consider France as the fashion capital of the world. One big reason for that is the magnificent French fashion icons setting the standards for quality style. Here are the most prominent women in the French fashion industry.
Inès De La Fressange
At 64 years old, Inès De La Fressange continues to dominate the fashion world with her evergreen looks and impeccable fashion sense. She is well-known as a successful model and fashion designer.
She first gained popularity as “the talking mannequin” when she was 17. De La Fressange has always been an outspoken, free-thinking artist and this is why many women in France look up to her.
Françoise Hardy
Françoise Madeleine Hardy is another classic fashion figure who personifies timelessness. She has been at the forefront of fashion and style since the 60s, and she is still going strong at 78 years old.
Hardy is a musician who is well-recognized for her somber compositions. Hardy deserves to be in the fashion history books as her hair and clothing choices defined a generation.
Caroline de Maigret
Acknowledged by many as the prime example of Parisian fashion, Caroline de Maigret is a multi-talented personality. She is a model, author, music producer, actress, and director.
Caroline was discovered by a modeling agency while still in college in 1993. After that, she had the chance to model for major fashion houses, such as Dior, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton.
Carla Bruni
The former First Lady of France, Carla Bruni, is one of the most influential French fashion icons today. Both before and after marrying former president Nicolas Sarkozy, she made an impact on fashion and politics.
Prior to this, Bruni had an established career as a model and singer. She started modeling when she was 19 but eventually quit to focus on making music. As the president’s wife, she continued to be a role model for fashion lovers.
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot is arguably the most iconic style icon in France. She was dubbed the “French Marilyn Monroe” for representing feminine sexuality in the mid-century era. Despite leaving the entertainment industry in 1973, she is still regarded as an important cultural figure.
Before retiring, Bardot’s luscious lips, smokey eyes, and blonde hair appeared in a slew of critically acclaimed performances in a variety of films. She also wrote songs during her career.
Loulou de la Falaise
The late Loulou de la Falaise was a fashion model who reigned in the 1970s. She embodied the bohemian style of the laidback Parisians who live along the Rive Gauche.
She became the muse of renowned designer Yves Saint Laurent. While modeling, Loulou also worked as an accessory and jewelry designer with her own fashion line.
Jane Birkin
Jane Birkin is most known for her doe-eyed appearance and her romantic relationship with French composer Serge Gainsbourg. She also had a remarkable acting career in British and French films.
Her simple outfits influenced a generation of casually stylish Parisians. Her wardrobe choices not only influenced the UK and France, but also the rest of the world.
Carine Roitfeld
Former model Carine Roitfeld impacts the fashion industry today as a fashion editor. Roitfeld started as a model at 18. Then, she worked as a fashion writer for French Elle.
The media executive was Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris for 10 years, between 2001 to 2011. She then founded her own editorial magazine, CR Fashion Book, a bi-annual print publication in New York City.
Catherine Deneuve
Widely regarded as one of Europe’s best actresses, Catherine Deneuve’s impressive career also encompasses producing, modeling, and singing. She is often seen portraying the mysterious charmer in movies.
Catherine had a great filmmaking career throughout the 1960s French New Wave movement, earning her a reputation as one of the most significant French fashion icons of all time.
Laetitia Casta
Laetitia Casta swiftly established herself in the modeling business after being discovered on a beach in Corsica in 1994. She was Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier’s muse.
When she tried her hand at acting, she was equally successful. She epitomizes the French flair better than anyone, thanks to her brilliant appeal that never disappoints.
Juliette Récamier
Juliette is the OG French style influencer! The neoclassical figure Juliette Récamier was a socialite whose salon attracted members of Paris’ elite political and literary organizations in the early nineteenth century.
She developed a public character as a magnificent beauty, and her name spread fast throughout Europe. Récamier modeled for the age’s greatest artists and turned down Prince Augustus of Prussia’s marriage proposal.
Emmanuelle Alt
Emmanuelle Alt is a fashion journalist who took the place of Carine Roitfeld and served as editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris. She held the position from February 2011 to May 2021.
After seeing a Jean Paul Gaultier presentation at Porte de la Villette at the age of 19, Emmanuelle fell in love with fashion. She landed her first major break as an assistant at French Elle.
Garance Doré
Garance Doré is known primarily for her fashion blog, but she is also a photographer, author, and illustrator. Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Gap have all used her distinctive illustrations.
She started including photographs of people from around Paris on her blog in 2007, a technique now dubbed “street style.” In a New York Times feature, she was labeled the “guardian of all style.”
Today she has less of a role in the fashion industry, and instead prefers to focus on wellness and her skincare line, Dore.
Jeanne Damas
It-girl Jeanne Damas is one of the more modern French fashion icons. She is a model and influencer who has long stated that people’s infatuation with the French style is less about garments and more about subtleties. She gained a rapid following thanks to the internet and particularly Instagram.
Her laid-back-luxe attitude to clothing has earned her over a million Instagram followers. Rouje, her own apparel and cosmetics company, launched her career as a designer and artistic director in 2016.
Betty Catroux
Betty Catroux is a French model of Brazilian origin who has been a muse for Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent. She dislikes the term “muse,” but it’s difficult to see her any other way.
Saint Laurent first noticed her in 1967 at a Paris nightclub, and their bond became stronger over time. From her hip belts to her high boots, Betty’s imprint on French 70s fashion is impossible to overlook.
Which one of these French fashion icons do you admire the most?
