Isabel Marant: ALLEZ!

“Who doesn’t want to be like Isabel Marant?” asks Gigi Hadid on a French chat show that sees the founder and creative director of her now 30-year-old brand and the supermodel laughing and sparing like old pals. In riposte, Marant who is now in her mid 50s compliments Gigi “she’s a cool girl and so warm.”

Marant with her grey hair pinned into a loose bun, her trademark thick framed glasses and wide smile exudes the energy and spirit of her clothes – a sporty, rock tinged, bohemian melange that continues to appeal to cross generational women across the globe.

Although she plays her empire building skills down asserting that she is an average woman, Marant is a pioneer who like Donatella Versace, Miuccia Prada or Tory Burch is the driver and the embodiment of the brand. For Marant’s part here is a woman who carries Rizla, swims daily and rides a moped while overseeing a $320m. business that attracted a 51% stake investment from fund Montefiore in 2016.

She looks to working women around her for inspiration observing gestures and body language to interpret the status quo and locate that degage style. Her easy to wear, insouciant, freewheeling and sense of imperfect wins a place in our lives again and again. Right now, Marant and her design partner Kim Bekker’s sensibility for supple fabrics, ruching, fringes, 80s new wave and yes! lots of pockets makes her a great choice in this new chapter of boho/bobo chic. They are dubbing it ‘unquiet luxury.’ How noisy? Well, there are roomy flying suits, flyweight parka coats, lingerie dresses, lipstick red crop leather jackets and T shirt sleeved tunics with plenty of pitstop glamour. This is a picnic of cool girl styles delivered with a sprinkling of retro flair and it is cut and styled for the woman on the go – lovers, life, work – the whole 360.

Peruse our favourites here. Allez!