Meet the French "It" Girl
Featured in Align Magazine's 2020 "Live Undone" Issue
She walks with purpose. Her destination is unclear but her style, impeccable. On the most average of days, you’ll find her dressed in a trenchcoat, light-wash jeans, small-frame sunglasses, and layered gold jewellery all topped off with a beret that turns heads. She’s confident and elegant, that perfect balance between modest and bold. She knows a classic beige look is never boring if you know how to style it right. She’s not afraid of that striking pop of colour in a shoe, top or lip. Oversized blazers are her jacket of choice, unbothered by the incessant itch of wool. Tucking in a top is chic, she thinks. Her trench coat might be tied tightly around her waist to keep out the chill or flying open to show off that silk top that shines when the light hits it just right. Her favourite colour is red like the Rouje lipstick she just bought in shade Camille. This girl is put together and eye-catching in that subtle way you can’t help but admire.
At the local café, she orders a cappuccino or a shot of espresso—no sugar needed. She loves a good French bread or pastry, as any honest girl should. Her favourite flavour of macaron is pistache with that subtle, mint green tint that reminds her of spring. She might say she can cook but if she could snack on bread, cheese, and wine for the rest of her life, she would.
On a sunny spring afternoon, you’ll likely find her spread out on a blanket in the park surrounded by books, bread, an assortment of cheeses, and a wicker basket full of freshly picked wildflowers, in iconic Jane Birkin fashion. She finds joy in artfully crafted charcuterie boards, vases of flowers in every room, and a pair of lovingly worn mules or leather boots. Whatever her passion may be, she believes it’s best done out in the sun or in a cozy café that plays Vendredi sur Mer or Françoise Hardy and serves the richest of espresso.
This French “It” Girl might not have an ounce of French blood in her, but her soul is tied as tightly to its culture as the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile is to Paris. She may look like she’s meant to walk the winding, historic streets of France yet here she is in the small town of Eugene, Oregon. You don’t have to be French to sport this elegant look but an appreciation for baguettes, leather boots, and a classic red lip certainly helps.
Team: Art directed by Sophie Ackerman / Photographed by Allison Barr / Written by Kaeleigh James / Models Jaycie Kimball, Kaycee Roe, and Veronica Marianna