I have a new girl crush. Someone rather unexpected who is generally quite underestimated and largely ignored by most mainstream fashion publications; albeit online she seems to have far more of a following (and simultaneously a large group of haters).
Zoe Kravitz is my age, 21, yet she has the extraordinary luck of being the progeny of both an extremely sexy male rock god, Lenny Kravitz, and a beautiful actress/model, Lisa Bonnet. Whether it is as a result of her parentage or not, Zoe herself is very attractive, has the slender curves which inspire adoration from men and envy from girls, and has a seemingly effortless boho/hobo chic style.
Several of her style choices in the past have ignited my adoration of her, mostly for the way she has reworked designer items to make them look funky and individual, in stark contrast to the overly-polished, affected look when the same pieces are worn by more renowned celebrities. For example, this gorgeous Matthew Williamson embellished fluoro mini-dress previously worn on the X Factor by Cheryl Cole:
Zoe mixes it up by losing the belt, adding nude cage sandals and adding extra bling with heavily embellished trophy jacket. The lack of styling with her hair and her natural toned make-up ensure that the look appears carefree and whimsical. Naturally sexy rather than the plastic 'Barbie' look of the overly made-up Cheryl.
Zoe is also seen wearing canonical designers which one would usually associate with a more refined, mature glamour, but which she adds spark to by her choice of items and accessories. For instance here she is wearing Chanel but with the accessory du jour of young Hollywood- Rayban wayfarers. A cute beret, two tone tights and current fashion fave, ankle boots, keep the look modern and prevent the hounds-tooth pattern from becoming stuffy and too traditional.
As I began to collect more pictures of Zoe I became increasingly enamoured with her style and several key themes which she sticks to.
Firstly, hair accessories. Zoe has naturally glossy, long and thick wavy locks (so a massive advantage over us mere mortals with thin wispy strands of hair), but she adds interest with a thick, blunt fringe and a number of headbands and decorative flowers. This is the kind of additional stylistic element which anyone can easily incorporate into their own everyday look.
Secondly, hats. A simple item which can instantly update any outfit and add a distinctive stamp of reference to a look. Beret, a traditional French item of headgear. The large floppy hat, a la Nicole Richie, is not just a beach staple but a piece which adds that extra hippy vibe.
Then there's the teen/young adult staple for bad-hair days, or bad moods when you're feeling a tad gloomy and self-reflexive- the beanie.
The daytime look of choice is loose fitting boho in pastels, white and muted greys. But as Zoe's appearance at several awards ceremonies recently proves, she is just as adept at transferring her iconic style into red-carpet glamour.
Here at the Independent Spirit Awards, in Chloe, the look is refined Boho. Still in a muted hue and loosely fitted for that carefree hippy feel, but the sheer chest panel and soft layers of the train give it a more refined edge. The simply pulled back hair with face framing layers keeps the look from looking too dowdy or matronly.
Zoe then took her evening, old-hollywood glamour look one degree hotter at the Oscars, where she walked the red carpet with dad Lenny. Zoe wears a cream and red velvet Alexis Mabille dress with stacked Fred Leighton diamond rings. Although the strapless style is a favourite among the young A-list (Zoe Saldana, Carey Mulligan, Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart all also wore strapless gowns), the cut and fabric of Zoe's gown is far more interesting than the typical sweat-heart cut, embellished style. The fabric hugs her body in a provocative (yet also demure) manner, but the sweeping train adds that extra kick of drama. Simple, yet very effective.
I loved her Oscars dress, so cool and different.
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