Feeds to Follow: @eleonoretoulin

Model, photographer and Chanel muse Eleonore Toulin has French girl style down to a science. In fact, you don't have to look much further than her star turn in the satirical Oui yogurt ads for a series of shots in which Toulin dines on pastries and red wine and strolls along the Seine. Better yet? Her Instagram bio contains the emojis 🇫🇷 🍷 🚬  – it doesn't really get more French than that.

🌞🌞🌞 📸 @andres__altamirano

A post shared by Eleonore Toulin 🇫🇷🍷🚬 (@eleonoretoulin) on Mar 3, 2018 at 10:10am PST

@eve_denim ❤️

A post shared by Eleonore Toulin 🇫🇷🍷🚬 (@eleonoretoulin) on Feb 26, 2018 at 6:14am PST

From documenting behind-the-scenes chaos at Chanel shows to partying with her close friend, designer Simon Porte Jacquemus (of the brand JACQUEMUS), and enjoying cigarettes on balconies overlooking Paris, Toulin unabashedly embraces all of the quintessential French girl tropes with her tousled hair, loose fitting denim and affinity for red wine.

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Perhaps most compelling, however, is her stunning collection of film photography in which she documents her travels with friends around the world. From vacationing in Milan to gritty New York City street shots and her treks throughout the French countryside, Toulin's photography lends the environments and people around her a certain dreamlike, introspective quality. See the gallery below for some examples of her work:

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Follow Eleonore Toulin on Instagram and check out her photography on Tumblr.

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Feeds to Follow: @allylwalsh

LA and NYC based model and coffee aficionado Ally Walsh masters Cali girl cool through her sepia-toned, wanderlust inspired Instagram feed.

Walsh travels up and down the California coast and around the world with her musician and Canyon Coffee cofounder boyfriend in tow. From Big Sur road trips to sunny San Francisco brunches, Walsh masters an enviable bohemian vibe with ease.

Feature image and all other images via @allylwalsh.

Keeping up with Kaia

The breakout model of the season was none other than Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford's sixteen-year-old daughter (and occasional doppelgänger). From fronting the latest cover of Teen Vogue, to walking in some of the most exciting shows of NYFW, Kaia has proven she has star power and professionalism in spades–with a killer runway walk and supermodel genes for added bonus.

Calvin Klein

Kaia started off her week walking for Calvin Klein, the first show of NYFW (and no small feat for her breakthrough season). The fashion label has been known to launch the careers of a slew of familiar faces in the modeling world, such as Kate Moss and Karlie Kloss–perhaps Kaia will star as the label's next muse. 

Alexander Wang

Kaia followed her Fashion Week debut by opening Alexander Wang's much buzzed about show, which had a party bus transport models to three different locations across New York, utilizing the city's streets as their runway. Later on, she joined the likes of Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner to party at Wang's infamous #WangOver NYFW afterparty.

Fenty x Puma

One of the coolest NYFW moments was undoubtedly Rihanna's runway turned motorbike trick showcase. As professional bikers flipped overhead across pink sand dunes, Kaia joined the sporty ranks of RiRi's models, stomping down the runway in a biker inspired two-piece. 

Coach

Fresh off the heels of a series of buzzy fashion parties, magazine promotions and the launch of her mother's latest collaboration for RE/DONE, Kaia took her turn on Coach's silver glitter coated runway. 

Marc Jacobs

Kaia shut down NYFW by closing Marc Jacobs mammoth of a show. Kaia is currently the face of the line's Daisy fragrance and Marc Jacobs Beauty, so it's only fitting that she was chosen for the collection's final, standout look.

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Candice at the MET: A Case for Classics

MET Gala 2017 brought about many buzz-worthy looks (think Rihanna's Comme des Garçons confection, Kendall's La Perla silk-crystal creation, P. Diddy's Rick Owens suit...) as designers and celebrities grappled with this year's theme: "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between". 

However, within the aesthetic excess and visual overload, Candice Swanepoel managed to stand out. Her outfit was deceptively familiar—a classic-cut Topshop dress accented by Lorraine Schwartz diamonds, a high ponytail, and a thick swoop of eyeliner—and that's what made it so breathtaking. The look plays upon silhouettes and contrast; it is the in-between of minimalist versus maximalist philosophies of style.

Candice herself completes the look—it's undeniable that the gown was made for her, and that her interpretation elevates it to something special. Be sure to check out Gordon von Steiner x VOGUE's video portrait of her below!

A post shared by Gordon von Steiner (@gvsgvs) on May 1, 2017 at 10:38pm PDT

3,857 Likes, 102 Comments - Gordon von Steiner (@gvsgvs) on Instagram: "Candice came to slay. 🌷 @angelcandices @voguemagazine @kelmcgee23 @silasveta @toddbanhazl"

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Feeds to Follow: @joja

You don't always need to be in a gym to get those tricep dips in!! Go for a morning hike, find a bench or a sturdy rock and go for it🌟I aim for 3 sets of 15.. you can bend your legs to make it a little easier if needed ;) #jojalife

11.6k Likes, 67 Comments - @joja on Instagram: "You don't always need to be in a gym to get those tricep dips in!! Go for a morning hike, find a..."

Victoria's Secret Angels Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes are not just professional partners in the modeling world, but also among the tightest of personal friends. Though their individual accounts (@josephineskriver and @jastookes) have a total of 5.2 million followers, as workout partners they decided to collaborate on a joint account featuring their favorite workout tips and routines: @joja. Their joint Instagram account proves that happiness, fitness, and strength really do go hand in hand!

Often, their workout moves, props, and tips are casually incorporated into their poses:

We both love traveling with resistance bands! This is a great move to do either alone or with a buddy to help sculpt and shape your bum and hips! #JojaLife #TrainLikeAnAngel @dogpound @victoriasport

7,240 Likes, 218 Comments - @joja on Instagram: "We both love traveling with resistance bands! This is a great move to do either alone or with a..."

They also share professional shots and candids from various Victoria Sport shoots:

Vacation is over! Let's do this 💪🏾 #jojalife

11.1k Likes, 93 Comments - @joja on Instagram: "Vacation is over! Let's do this 💪🏾 #jojalife"

The occasional personality pic adds a touch of playfulness:

happy birthday to @jastookes !! Everyone dance the night off in celebration of this babe!! 💃🏾

14.9k Likes, 56 Comments - @joja on Instagram: "happy birthday to @jastookes !! Everyone dance the night off in celebration of this babe!! 💃🏾"

But at the core of the shared account, Josephine and Jasmine focus on the workouts they perform, which they hope will inspire others to pursue equally active lifestyles:

ROPES

10.8k Likes, 290 Comments - @joja on Instagram: "ROPES"

They hope to some day push out a new line of custom designed @joja products, which is definitely something to look out for!

Do check out their account for a dose of positivity, energy, and inspiration! And read more about how these two supermodels have made friendship and fitness one in the same here and here.  

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Anatomy of the "It Girl"

What defines an "It Girl"? How healthy is our obsession with these pretty young things? Do they contribute anything of value to the fashion industry? Is our fixation with them a 21st Century novelty or an essential fixture of the fashion world? After all, before the likes of Cara Delevingne and Alexa Chung graced the covers of our magazines and served as front row staples, we idolized Marilyn Monroe, Jane Birkin and countless other women too. On the surface, it girls of past and present have always epitomized the beauty standards, sex appeal and fashion fads of their respective times. The 1960s had mod Twiggy and sultry Brigitte Bardot, Kate Moss and Chloe Sevigny defined 1990s heroin chic and the current fashion darlings are too numerous to keep track of. Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, these women are almost always young, quintessentially beautiful, thin and white, and for the most part, our fixations with them are fleeting. These women are propped up in the most covetable couture, claimed by designers as their muses of the moment, and paraded around fashion week in promotion of the latest trends. In essence, they're walking advertisements, and for good reason–they strike a chord with followers because they represent all that glitters in the fashion world.

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I think it's safe to say it girls have been a staple of the fashion industry ever since we started to value the cultural contributions of actresses, musicians and artists, but their influence has become increasingly visible with the rise of social media. Self-run blogs and popular apps like Instagram have also amplified the voices of aspiring bloggers, models and other women who aren't as visible in the traditional media circuits as movie stars or pop artists. The adoption of social media has allowed these individuals to cultivate their own platforms, resumes and images by selectively choosing what to reveal to their followers. Although it girls have massive potential to expose fashion brands to target audiences, which is especially beneficial for new and emerging designers, and provide their subscribers first hand access to fashion events, their main concern is naturally (and understandably) the promotion of their own product–whether that be their latest book, YouTube channel or shoe collaboration.

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Although it's easy to dismiss these women and our fascination with their Instagram feeds and Snapstories as superficial, there has been greater emphasis on substance in addition to style. In the past, a pretty face and decent acting chops was enough to launch any newcomer into the it girl stratosphere, but today the stage is much more crowded and much more competitive. Nowadays, to gain coveted it girl status, everyone seems to occupy themselves with being a model-DJ-actress-singer/songwriter on top of boasting of a covetable sense of style. Today's it girl roster draws from A-Listers like Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner and Zendaya, but there's also an growing cohort of independent bloggers like Chiara Ferragni and Nicole Warne who have become red carpet frequenters and important influencers in the fashion world in their own right. More and more, these women are carving out their places in the world of high fashion; to the extent that fashion week would lose its pomp and circumstance without these women present to document and review the runway shows and influence new street style trends. There has also been greater emphasis placed on individuals who bring something different to the table. The success of teen blogger Tavi Gevinson is inextricably linked to the authoress' defiant feminist musings and Karlie Kloss only cemented her status as a 21st Century supermodel after her charity work and promotion of girls in STEM reached the mainstream. Perhaps our shift in focus to it girls who build worthy platforms is indicative of a change in the mentality of the modern consumer. After all, it makes sense that we would crave the honesty, respectability and unique visions these women symbolize after decades of worshipping women without a cause.

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Even though the shift in focus towards it girls that represent a distinct voice or vision has become more commonplace, there are still a lot of missing links. There is an obvious lack of diversity in beauty, ethnicity, race, age and body image amongst the girls we laud as it girls, which is a greater reflection of standards within the fashion industry and consumer preferences. However, it's undeniable that social media has been crucial in cementing the successes of these emerging it girls, which is highly indicative of the public's power to promote certain individuals, trends and brands over others. In other words, we should pay closer attention to who we follow and what we "like" because our online preferences yield significant material results.

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