Françoise Hardy at the Airport

An ode to a French style icon who didn't want to be

When I think of Françoise Hardy’s celebrated sense of style, the first images that come to mind are those taken of her at the airport. There’s something so alluring about these photos—it was back in the ‘60s when people dressed up to go to the airport and smoked cigarettes mid-flight.

Hardy’s airport looks had this constant presence of Masculin-Féminin; a push and pull between traditionally considered masculine and feminine style elements. I think that that was what was so captivating about her style for so many fans and fashion aficionados.

📸 From top left clockwise: Françoise Hardy in London, Feb. 20, 1964 (Keystone-France\Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images), unknown, unknown, & Françoise Hardy in Paris-Orly Airport, Feb. 1966 (DALMAS/SIPA).

Last month, Hardy passed away after a 20-year-long battle against cancer. She was the darling of the ‘60s pop music scene in France and is perhaps best known for her 1962 debut single, Tous les garçons et les filles. (A hit that became an anthem for a generation with over a million copies sold.) But as many news outlets have reported this past month, she was also an égérie for designers like André Courrèges and Paco Rabanne.

But Hardy hated the attention her looks gave her. “If it weren’t for the way I dress, no one would notice me,” she told a Vogue reporter in 1969. Throughout her life in the public eye, she reiterated this sentiment in her interviews with the press. Knowing this, the way she dressed could perhaps be seen as a wish not to be perceived. Or maybe it was an attempt to steer public interest toward her music instead of her wardrobe.

Either way, it’s almost ironic that her tom-boyish approach to fashion later served as one of the original influences behind Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic Le Smoking.

A few Françoise Hardy-coded items I have on my wishlist: 1. Vintage 9ct gold curb bracelet, 2. Celine “Triomphe” Sunglasses, 3. vintage 9ct gold figaro chain bracelet, 4. & Other Stories “Linen A-Line” dress, 5. vintage Chanel bag, 6. Chanel Cambon ballet flats (size EU 37), 7. Ganni single-breasted “Herringbone” blazer (size FR 34), 8. vintage Gucci loafers (size EU 37.5), 9. Ganni “Checked Wool-Blend” blazer (size UK 8), 10. Métier “Market” bag, 11. vintage blue/white striped Ralph Lauren button-up (size XS/S), 12. Métier “Private Eye” bag, 13. Jones New York pant suit (size US 10), & 14. Chanel slingbacks (size EU 39.5).

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