Laetitia Paul on Owning the Tomboy Look

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON Lyst - january 2016

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Laetitia Paul is Fashion Editor of GQ France. Based in Paris, she’s become a staple of the menswear fashion week circuit, continually shot by the street style paparazzi who love her quintessentially Gallic style. Here she tells us what it’s like being a woman in a man’s fashion world.

How did you get into fashion—did you always want to work in the industry?

As soon as I finished high school I moved from Cannes, where I grew up, to Paris to attend L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne (one of the most prestigious fashion schools). I started to develop an interest in fashion during my early teens, which just built as I got older. I knew it was really competitive to get a place at fashion college and that there were very few jobs available, but that almost made me more determined.

How has growing up in France influenced the way you dress, and who were your fashion icons when you were younger?

French style has definitely influenced the way I dress, but it wasn’t though lessons passed down from my mother or anything like that. In terms of fashion icons, I see it more as childhood souvenirs—like the image of a Chanel catwalk during the supermodel era, with those 90s brightly colored suits, for example. But my style has also been really influenced by 80s and 90s pop culture—Beverly Hills 90210, MTV videos and so on. I have a lot of American reference points style-wise.

That whole French je ne sais quoi thing—do French women really just have better style?

I think it’s just a myth. Sure, there are many stylish French girls, but you can find just as many well dressed English or Italians. The appeal of the ‘French look’ is the idea that women here don’t try too much. But I’m not entirely sure that is true either—they are just good at looking like they haven’t made an effort.

How would you describe typical French men’s style?

It’s very simple and pared-back. He’ll definitely be wearing APC denim and Stan Smith sneakers.

As a woman working in menswear, do you want to dress like the boys or is there an urge to dress in a more feminine way?

My style definitely has a tomboy element to it and I love most of the staples you’ll find in a man’s wardrobe. Men’s shirts, for example, are sometimes even better on women than guys, and I love men’s sneakers and denim without a question. I also wear men’s coats cut in XS. There’s just something about menswear that you can’t replicate even when you buy ‘masculine’ womenswear cuts. It has to be the real deal.

Do you have a signature piece that you return to again and again?

The thing that I buy every season, whatever the weather, is white T-shirts. I have so many of them, but it is something I can never resist. My absolute favorites come from Hanes, Muji and Petit Bateau. They all have slightly different fits, but I always buy them slightly too big and slouchy.

Working in menswear, do you sometimes feel disconnected from the womenswear world?

Really I don’t feel that at all. At the end of the day, fashion is fashion, and there’s something so nice about being able enjoy womenswear as a customer rather than as a professional.

A lot of designers were sending girls down the runway at London Collections Men—how do you feel about this move towards gender fluidity in clothing?

I think it’s a really good thing—where else these days do we split the genders so distinctly? Especially when you think how many women buy menswear and vice versa. Alessandro Michele, the new Creative Director at Gucci, has definitely had a part to play in this new attitude. I mean, it’s the reality—what girl hasn’t taken something from her boyfriend’s wardrobe?!

Do you find yourself wearing a lot of men’s brands? Who are your favourites?

I wear men’s brands all the time. Sometimes I wear men’s pieces head-to-toe, but mostly mixed in with womenswear. My favorite labels are Supreme, Visvim, Ralph Lauren for men’s shirts and AMI.

We’re seeing a rise of celebrity male models—Lucky Blue Smith for example—how has this changed in the time since you’ve been at GQ?

It was less hysterical at the beginning of my career. We are moving into a new era for male models, and definitely seeing edgier guys on the catwalk. Models like Piero Mendez and Michael Lockley are taking centre stage. It used to be all about the women’s world, but digital fame is now having a big impact in menswear too.