Miriam KildareRecently reported to play the lead role in the forthcoming biopic about the iconic French designer Yves Saint Laurent, Gaspard Ulliel, a highly acclaimed French actor and model, has himself become an unparalleled French style icon for his nonchalant sartorial excellence. Directed by Bertrand Bonello and set to start filming in spring 2013, Ulliel will star as the legendary designer in his younger years in the hugely anticipated biopic Saint Laurent, which will chronicle the creation of the revolutionary fashion house that is today known as Saint Laurent (formerly Yves Saint Laurent). Since his acting breakthrough in the early 2000s, popular for his roles in A Very Long Engagement (2004), Hannibal Rising (2007), and The Princess of Montpensier (2010), Ulliel has in the recent years gone onto project his indisputable Parisian cool demeanour as a model. With his dishevelled beauty Ulliel is soon becoming a worldwide phenomenon after having graced our television screens and billboards as the face of Chanel’s ‘Bleu de Chanel’ men’s fragrance ad campaign as well as starring alongside Kate Moss in the ad campaign for the French luxury goods brand Longchamp. Even outside of his work projects, Ulliel’s personal style renders him a style icon.
Unlike your typical suited and booted male dresser (can anyone say James Bond?), Ulliel’s casual elegance proves that you do not have to wear a bow tie and a white shirt, or even bold colours to become a style icon. Let’s look no further than to Monsieur Gaspard Ulliel for a masterclass in effortless style:
Along with his trademark facial scar and quasi-groomed hairstyles, Ulliel’s style shakes up the traditional suit attire with subtle details which makes a classic look more contemporary. Instead of wearing a blazer with a shirt, he tends to style his blazer with a crew neck top (a v neck top works just as well), which is the optimum way to nail the often troublesome smart/casual dress. Ulliel also shows how to work the suit in a more contemporary manner from accessorising with a chic black scarf –un style très parisien – to wearing different shades of grey in one ensemble (or different shades of blue could even work in this case). On the more casual side, Ulliel shows how to revive an ultra casual outfit by dressing a distressed pair of jeans with either a white or two-toned brown pair of classic lace up shoes. Likewise, adding a distressed coloured jacket (with or without a shearling lining) to a casual outfit is the perfect way to achieve Ulliel’s nonchalant sartorial excellence.
Create the look
Here are some more inspired pieces which we can use as inspiration from the style of Gaspard Ulliel
The key features to creating this look is to mix casual pieces with traditional attire, and wear an item with a distressed or two-toned colour to make for a rugged handsome look. Even if you are not a fan of the attire that makes Ulliel’s casual elegance, you can still achieve his cool factor with your traditional attire by simply rolling up your shirt sleeves, flicking up the shirt collar and leaving your top button undone. From Gaspard Ulliel, one can master how to always be à la mode.