Photo: Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist1/422006: The Models
In the nascent days of street style, models were perfect fodder for the few on-the-street photographers. Everyone from Freja Beha Erichsen to Lily Cole and Liya Kebede were papped outside the shows, kicking off the public’s fascination with model-off-duty style.
Photo: Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist2/422007: Carine Roitfeld
Before people started peacocking to get noticed at the shows, photographers focused on women with intrinsically noteworthy taste. Among the favorites was then French Vogue Editor in Chief Carine Roitfeld, whose pencil skirts, wide belts, and slinky black blazers still resonate today.
Photo: Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist3/422008: Giovanna Battaglia
Yes, Giovanna Battaglia is still as present in street style today as ever, but in 2008, she was far and away the most photographed woman from New York to Paris. In flowing mid-length dresses and chic, standout accessories, the stylist gained particular traction on The Sartorialist.
Photo: Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist4/422009: Taylor Tomasi Hill
Taylor Tomasi Hill made her first street style appearance in 2006, when Scott Schuman mentioned her flame-hued hair on The Sartorialist. In the years following, she turned that hair into her calling card, but became equally known for her collectsion of Comme des Garçons, Sacai, and Junya Watanabe.
Photo: Tommy Ton5/422010: Kate Lanphear
By 2010, street style had evolved beyond just a few blogs into a fashion industry obsession. Its first true star was stylist and editor Kate Lanphear, whose graphic, studded, and well-heeled style spawned hundreds of Tumblrs dedicated to chronicling and imitating her edgy look.
Photo: Tommy Ton6/422010: Emmanuelle Alt
Emmanuelle Alt’s trop parisienne style resonated with photographers who, at the time, were drawn to something masculin-féminin, black-hued, and, well, alt in nature. The editor was often shot with other French Vogue staffers, but it was clear she was the style setter of the sleek and skinny-trousered bunch.
Photo: Tommy Ton7/422010: Caroline Sieber
Can’t go wrong with a Chanel suit or a Christopher Kane minidress! This ethos may very well have been Austrian stylist Caroline Sieber’s sartorial philosophy; it made her one of the more popular subjects in 2010.
Photo: Tommy Ton8/422010: Marina Muñoz
Argentina-born stylist Marina Muñoz was instantly recognizable for her collectsion of worn fedora hats. She worked it from the neck down, too, in loose workwear with a tomboyish edge.
Photo: Tommy Ton9/422010: Anya Ziourova
Unlike her Russian counterparts, Anya Ziourova’s style is pared down—something that made her popular in the less-is-more days of 2010. In trenches, Breton stripes, and the occasional Balmain blazer, Ziourova was the first of the Russians to really leave a mark on the street style scene.
Photographed by Phil Oh10/422011: Anna Dello Russo
Let’s be clear: Every year is essentially the year of Anna Dello Russo in the street style world. Still, she really broke out as the photographer favorite in 2011, when she kicked off her cherry-fascinator phase and adopted the ADR moniker that she still carries to this day.
Photographed by Phil Oh11/422011: Shala Monroque
Shala Monroque might be the only woman who can wear Prada’s teal paillette dresses as easily as she does a T-shirt. The editor’s mix of ladylike and fun pieces made her an instant hit on the street style scene.
Photographed by Phil Oh12/422011: Hanneli Mustaparta
Hanneli Mustaparta, a blogger in her own right, hit her stride in 2011, when she captured the eyes—and lenses—of photogs in bright Stella McCartney and Vika Gazinskaya pieces in Paris.
Photo: Tommy Ton13/422012: Elena Perminova, Ulyana Sergeenko, Vika Gazinskaya, and Miroslava Duma
The rise of the Russian Federation was percolating for some time, but 2012 was their breakout year. Together, the band of über-stylish women donned straight-off-the-runway looks decked out with eye-catching accessories. Put simply: When the Russians were in the Tuileries, you could not look anywhere else.
Photo: Tommy Ton14/422012: Julia Sarr-Jamois
British stylist Julia Sarr-Jamois is no stranger to bright colors, big coats, and statement-making accessories, which made her an instant hit for photographers.
Photo: Tommy Ton15/422012: Caroline Issa
In the circus of street style wannabes, Carolina Issa stands out for her tailored, streamlined, and effortless sense of chic. The love of red lipstick, too, helped make her one of 2012’s most snapped women.
Photo: Tommy Ton16/422012: Caroline Brasch Nielsen
Some models get papped outside the shows simply for being models—not the case for Caroline Brasch Nielsen. The Dane has markedly cool taste (and an ever-growing collectsion of Chanel accessories) that continues to evolve and inspire.
Photo: Tommy Ton17/422012: Elisa Nalin
2012 was the year of the bright and the bold on the streets, and no one did it better than peroxide blonde Elisa Nalin. Her multihued looks inspired legions of retailers (most notably, J.Crew) to embrace the color-block trend.
Photo: Tommy Ton18/422013: Susie Lau
Susie Lau was heavily photographed from the very beginning of street style, but it’s safe to say 2013 was really the year she stepped out of the pack. Her unique style, taste for mixing prints and unusual silhouettes, and unabashed love of fashion is what makes her an exciting subject to this day.
Photo: Tommy Ton19/422013: Hanne Gaby Odiele
Hanne Gaby Odiele doesn’t have an “off-duty” look. Leaving fashion shows, she mixes designer duds—in 2013, she preferred Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière—serving up high-fashion poses along the way.
Photo: Tommy Ton20/422013: Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele
2013 was the year that sparked the Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele renaissance. The French stylist wore a string of Comme des Garçons coats to the Paris shows, turning her into an instant street style star. Today, she favors gold jewelry, Adidas tracksuits, and a bevy of Chanel bags.
Photo: Tommy Ton21/422013: Gaia Repossi
In minimalist Céline and Balenciaga ensembles, jewelry designer Gaia Repossi helped to usher in the new vogue for minimalism as a palate cleanser on the bright and busy streets—and her brand’s own best advertisement.
Photo: Tommy Ton22/422013: Michelle Elie
Hello, Comme! Michelle Elie’s wardrobe full of Comme des Garçons is a thing of wonder—as are her moves on the streets, where she runs, jumps, and even high-kicks for the street style photogs, who began to track her seriously in 2013.
Photo: Tommy Ton23/422013: Ursina Gysi
Stylist Ursina Gysi was doing that whole lowbrow-highbrow thing, pairing hoodies, bomber jackets, and heels in 2013, way before it was trending on the runways.
Photo: Tommy Ton24/422013: Christine Centenera
Another long-standing street style star, Christine Centenera really began to take hold internationally in 2013 with her peaked-shoulder jackets and sexy suiting. It’s little surprise she’s the woman responsible for no less an influencer than Kim Kardashian West’s new monochrome look.
Photo: Tommy Ton25/422013: Yasmin Sewell
Mixing runway pieces with kooky accessories, buyer Yasmin Sewell made an impression on the streets that began in 2013 and continues today. We might also have her to thank for the resurgence of flatform sandals.
Photo: Tommy Ton26/422014: Binx Walton and Lexi Boling
There’s no denying that Binx Walton and Lexi Boling are the coolest models around. Together they ushered in a new era of bad gal models whose off-duty uniform is made in their image: skate tees, short shorts, and Vans sneakers.
Photo: Tommy Ton27/422014: Caroline de Maigret
Music producer Caroline de Maigret’s hair alone is enough to turn her into a street style star, but her boyish ensembles only up her allure. Unlike her other Parisian counterparts, she prefers mannish suiting and the occasional topknot.
Photo: Tommy Ton28/422014: Justin O’Shea and Veronika Heilbrunner
Justin O’Shea and Veronika Heilbrunner are the street style couple to beat. Arriving to shows hand in hand—and in straight-off-the-runway looks—the pair achieved instant celeb status. Their street style domination has propelled them into new endeavors, too; Heilbrunner runs a style website, while O’Shea was named the creative director of Brioni earlier this year.
Photo: Tommy Ton29/422014: Giorgia Tordini
We dare you to look away from this snap of Giorgia Tordini: The Italian stylist in the flat-top shades was everywhere in 2014, inspiring others to adopt her understated style comprised of high-rise jeans and low-key outerwear, a trend she hopes will continue with the launch of Attico, a label she began in 2016 with Gilda Ambrosio (see number 34).
Photo: Tommy Ton30/422014: Sarah Harris
British Vogue editor Sarah Harris is as famous for her silvery locks as she is for her streamlined wardrobe. She first left an impression on the scene in 2014 with her covetable collectsion of Céline and continues to be a mainstay in street style snaps today.
Photo: Tommy Ton31/422014: Ada Kokosar
In pastel and white monochrome looks, stylist Ada Kokosar left a mark on 2013’s street style market. Her love of oversize outerwear and simple silhouettes even sparked a collaboration with & Other Stories in 2015 that brought her chic and unfussy style to the masses.
Photo: Tommy Ton32/422014: Ece Sukan
Favoring monochromatic outfits with defined waists, Ece Sukan’s done-up style resonated among the more casual ensembles that had become the norm in 2014. The Turkish stylist has since diversified her look slightly, but one thing that hasn’t changed? That body-conscious silhouette.
Photo: Tommy Ton33/422014: Leaf Greener
In Balenciaga, Givenchy, and that quilted dress with the doll’s face on it—you know the one—Chinese editor Leaf Greener became an instant fascination for street style photographers. Her penchant for posing didn’t hurt matters, either.
Photo: Tommy Ton34/422014: Gilda Ambrosio
The girl with the inky black hair slipped into the scene in 2014, bringing her streetwise looks with her. Favoring Nike x RT sneakers, T-shirts, and Loewe looks, Gilda Ambrosio quickly rose to the top of the street style circuit and made a move to maximize her potential with Attico (see number 29).
Photographed by Phil Oh35/422015: Sofía Sanchez de Betak
Art director Sofía Sanchez de Betak wears ethereal full looks from Rodarte and Valentino with an unstudied ease, though our favorite ensemble from the ultra-chic Argentine might just be the T-shirt she wore with her wedding hashtag on it.
Photo: Tommy Ton36/422015: Ana Gimeno Brugada
Ana Gimeno Brugada rocks menswear pieces better than most men and has a closet of accessories that would drive anyone wild, from Nike sneakers to Comme des Garçons for Louis Vuitton bags.
Photographed by Phil Oh37/422015: Yoyo Cao
Yoyo Cao has quickly differentiated herself from the pack with a series of Céline looks that captured Phil Oh’s eye at the Spring 2016 shows. Her simple elegance is a breath of fresh air among the peacocking that you often find outside the shows at Fashion Week.
Photo: Tommy Ton38/422015: Pernille Teisbaek
Danish blogger Pernille Teisbaek built up a closet of Céline, Loewe, and Acne Studios pieces that she turns into casual yet memorable outfits. From New York to Paris, she’s snapped on a near-daily basis during fashion month.
Photo: Tommy Ton39/422015: Irene Kim
Her rainbow locks certainly help her street style status, but Korean model and blogger Irene Kim also brings a sense of joy to her runway looks that’s unmatched.
Photo: Tommy Ton40/422015: Jenny Walton
The illustrator became a street style It girl after Tommy Ton snapped her in J.Crew earrings eating an ice-cream cone at the men’s Spring 2016 shows. Since then, her romantic liaison with Scott Schuman ensures she’s often featured on The Sartorialist website and Instagram feed, where she’s unmissable in pleated midi skirts and silk jackets.
Photographed by Phil Oh41/422015: Aymeline Valade
Model-turned-actress Aymeline Valade has become a street style mainstay for everything from her innately elegant bone structure to her ingenue-like quality to pulling off anything from a leather jacket and jeans to a full Chloé look.
Photographed by Phil Oh42/422015: Veronique Tristram
Veronique Tristram, the German stylist with the aviator glasses, was the breakaway star of the Spring 2016 season, appearing on an almost-daily basis in neutral looks accessorized with her trademark specs. Looks pretty smart, indeed.
