Timeless looks of Paris: This is Maeva.

Why blend in when you can stand out? That’s the motto by which Maeva – the youngest of five kids – lives by. And somehow, even when wearing neutrals on Rue de Madrid, where the buildings are bathed in Paris’ famous cream coloured stone, she manages to stand out. 

“You have to dress for yourself – for the person you are,” Maeva tells us. “When I dress, I try to pick things that are unique for me – and I do it to make myself happy. I think that’s the most important. If you dress for other people, you’re always going to wonder about their opinion.” In this, she says, she is not unique. “When you are in school in Paris, when you are young, you learn that you have to do things for yourself and to love yourself. You learn to be confident in who you are. I think that on some level it is individual, but I know that a lot of women in Paris think the same. They are tired of people telling them what to wear, how to dress or passing judgment. They just don’t care anymore; they don’t have time for it.” 

“It’s a little different in Korea,” Maeva continues, recalling the time she spent living and working in the country. She tells us that she found the local approach to fashion to be much more uniform. “Everyone tries to look the same and wear the same things. If you dress differently, they’re going to think you’re weird.” The last sentence rolls out with a good natured laugh, before Maeva reassures us that the experience allowed her to deepen her understanding of her own individual style. 

“I loved it there,” she says. “I felt very accepted. I could dress like me, how I wanted. People did look at me. Yes, I got some stares, but I think it’s because the people weren’t used to seeing someone like me. It wasn’t disrespectful. And, you know, they gave me a chance at modeling that I would not have had in France. I hope I can go back one day.”

“One of the most unusual photo shoots I took part in was for a university project. I was wearing a swimsuit. It was grey. And I had wings like a butterfly and long boots. Knee-high boots. So it was very different. And I remember an airplane passing overhead at just the right time. It was a lot of fun,” Maeva smiles.

Although it’s only subtle, her energy shifts when she speaks about fashion. It is clear that it is a passion. She tells us she spends several hours every day looking at different looks across multiple websites. 

“I like to see what people are doing with fashion. How they are combining clothes. How they are experimenting,” she says. In particular, she pays attention to people or brands doing something unusual. 

“There’s a very good brand in Korea – one of my favourites – that recently put together a long skirt with a sweater and sneakers. And the way they did it was special. It was unique. I like that,” she says.

But Maeva stays firm in staying true to her own aesthetic. When pressed on whether she’s ever tempted to copy a look she admires online, her answer is clear: “Never!” 

“I know what suits me and what doesn’t so I experiment and combine things in ways that work for me. Not in any particular style. Sometimes it’s sporty, sometimes classy. I like to play, but it’s always me.” 

In the moment she lets out a laugh, as a recollection of all the times her fashion experiments didn’t work. “Sometimes I think something looks good and it rarely, really doesn’t,” she says laughing. “But that’s okay. I like to try. It’s me.”

• Get inspired – See how many different ways you can wear your clothes. Combine them in unexpected ways. There’s nothing to lose and a lto to gain
• Stay true to yourself – do not follow trends blindly. Be discerning and interpret what you see in your own unique way
• 30 degrees of separation – be kind to the clothes you have – separate all colours and use a cold wash setting to ensure they look good
• Rethink second-hand – look for modern applications for pre-loved and vintage clothes

Image credits:
© Yolanda NG Photography
© Antoine Doyen