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The model of the moment, Agyness Deyn, is talking me through her outfit. “I’m wearing men’s lace-up boots from a secondhand shop in New York, white punk pants from Trash and Vaudeville, a Clash T-shirt, a vintage spotty shirt, a man’s cardigan with an old brooch, a coat from a brand called Buckler, and a leather cap I got in Tokyo,” she says in her broad Coronation Street accent. It’s a typical Agyness ensemble – “Proper mad,” as she might say – made up of random, inexpensive bits thrown together on the spur of the moment. She should look like a walking jumble sale, but instead she looks like the fifth Beatle.
The Manchester supermodel is having a day off from the Milan catwalks and explains that this is her version of comfort dressing. The day before, when she starred in the Burberry show, she made a big effort. Most models slip between shows in slouchy jeans and tees, but Deyn treats life as one big catwalk. “I was wearing serious Burberry heels and a dress that was this short,” she says, gesturing at her crotch. “It’s nice to go looking the part.”
Deyn’s rapid ascent to fame over the past year has seen her anointed as the Kate Moss of the MySpace generation. Like Moss, she is a one-woman trend factory. “Sometimes, I think it would be funny to do random stuff and see if it catches on,” she jokes. It’s all a long way from her Lancashire childhood; even 18 months ago, she was still a jobbing model. Deyn is only just getting used to signing autographs. “I never know what to write. I always say, ‘Nice to see you, to see you, nice. Aggy.’ Then I put a love heart.”
She now lives in New York with her boyfriend, Josh Hubbard, guitarist with the Paddingtons, and misses the British high street like mad. “It’s great for English kids. You’ve got your New Looks and your Claire’s Accessories. And if you love fashion, they reproduce it so fast, you can get it before the designer stuff comes out. I used to buy loads of stuff from New Look before I moved to New York. That’s why I did the Giles thing,” she says of her latest gig as the face of Giles Deacon’s Gold range for the high-street chain.
Deyn can’t remember not being into fashion. “My mum was always trying to get me into Laura Ashley floral dresses, and I’d be, like, ‘No, Mum.’ But now I love those floral dresses – with a pair of Dr Martens,” she says. For her, it’s not so much what you wear but how you wear it. These days, she loves slipping on men’s cotton or silk pyjamas with a jacket and heels. Her own fashion icon? The Queen, of course. “I love her Barbour jacket and welly thing when she goes out walking her dogs. Ladylike, but a bit quirky.” She collects royal memorabilia, which she displays next to Sex Pistols souvenirs in her apartment. “Plates, coronation pictures, tea towels and flags. It’s bonkers,” she says. And very Agyness.
Get Agyness Deyn's look from the High Street
LOOK 1
1 Ciaté Paint Pot in 3am Girl, £7.50; 020 8466 5200.
2 Graphic top, £270, by Balenciaga, from Matches; www.matchesfashion.com.
3 Memphis tuxedo, £895, by David Szeto, from Browns.
4 Black skinny jeans, £45, from Topshop.
5 Blue patent-leather shopper, £635, by Pauric Sweeney, from Browns.
6 Plastic sunglasses, £15
7 black-and-white pencil skirt, £35, from Topshop.
8 Dress, £60, sunglasses, £12, and earrings, £5, by Gold by Giles at New Look; available from March 19. Ribbed over-the-knee socks, £2.50, from New Look
LOOK 2
1 Studded bag, £25, by Red Herring, from Debenhams.
2 Guns N’ Roses T-shirt, £20, from Sugar Bullets; www.sugarbullets.co.uk.
3 Stripy blazer, £35, from New Look.
4 Flared jeans, £40, from Topshop
LOOK 3
1 Scarf, £1.50,from Beyond Retro; 020 7613 3636.
2 Long stripy socks, £5.50, by Pamela Mann; www.mytights.com.
3 Tux trousers, £135, by Buckler; 020 7377 2767.
4 BlondieT-shirt, £25, from Truffle Shuffle; www.truffleshuffle.co.uk.
5 Roxanne tote, £395, by Mulberry.
6 Brogues, £35, from Beyond Retro, as before.
7 Stripy vest, £18, print wedges, £30, plastic sunglasses, £12, and bracelet, £6, by Gold by Giles at New Look. Tights, £3, from New Look
LOOK 4
1 Croppped jacket, £40, from Debenhams.
2 Pearl brooch, £18, from www.madaboutjewellery.com.
3 Armani Privé Bois d’Encens perfume, £160, by Giorgio Armani.
4 Chine dress, £25, from Boohoo; www.boohoo.com.
5 Jazz shoes, £335, by Christian Louboutin, from Browns.
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It's 'laughable' that the people critizing her style probably wear the same boring primark tee and jeans everyday and could look around the high street and see there clothes on everybody else. At least she's original, you all care too much about what a man would like - err, SLUTTY.
Nicole, Iraq,
Allyson:
Although I do respect that you have your own opinion, I think the POINT, though, is to be sort of silly. She's sort of looking at everyone, and saying, I DARE you to judge me for this. It's the whole thing about being original. what you and other people might not like, me and others will.
Reine, Buxton, England
I do agree that Agyness looks like a blast from the 80's-but she can pull it off because she's dressing her own way. Fashion IS meant to be fun, as long as you're not wearing a hideous pair of leggings or a trapeze (ugh)-style dress. After all, what the magazines tell you is in fashion barely looks decent on the average woman anyway, so you may as well be inventive!
Jamaica, London,
She looks fantastic. British style at it's best has always been about being inventive. It's fun. Fun, you may have heard of it. Come on it's only a way of putting clothes together, why not have fun? The world would be dull beyond belief is everyone aspied to 'classy and chic' or dressed exclusively for some imagined future boyfriend (and for the record, my boyfriend quite fancies Agyness Deyn.) So the full-on look might not fit into everyone's lives. So what? What's so bad about lookng at the way you get dressed from a new angle? You're reading the fashion section people.
Anna, London,
This is a very silly fashion piece. Am not convinced about Deyn's look and her guide to high street chic is laughable. God help any gullible average-built 20-something who tries these 'fashionable' combos out.
Allyson, Dublin, Ireland
You kidding? This dreadful woman looks like a 1980's charity shop explosion. On a budget? What the hell does she know about fashion on a budget?
Laura Roberts, London, UK
She has the most hideaous sense dress I ever seen and you pretend she is going to give us "fashion tips"...in order to see our boyfriend or future boyfriend running away in laugher?What's wrong with you?
Nothing again her,but her face look common and even a bit vulgar.
And she is dressing like a punk,or a bit like Bjork,and you know what I do think she is even suffering from color blindness...
Because we already seen enough of her...She is even not that cute.
ring back our true Icon,Kate!
Marie, London, UK
She looks like a fashion victim. Give me timeless and classy like Lucia van der Post anytime!
Calista, cambridge,
Anybody of my friends (males) like her. She makes odd outfits with the clothes, and they are designer clothes !!!!!!!!!
Magazines say: the model of the moment, the new sensation, but people see her ridiculous and TTVH (to try very hard) pretending to be NTTVH .
Maria, Scotland,
Almost as good as Telegraph fashion page .
Jim, Sidcup/Kent,
Nothing against the woman, but I see better fashion on the streets of Dusseldorf every day.
Tina, Duesseldorf, Germany
She is far too punk for my liking and always looks punk, even in a pretty dress. To me punk, together with minimalism, is one of the greatest fashion evils. Vive Prada! Vive Dior!
Stephanella, Manchester,
Ummm, she's pretty and all that that but I don't like her style,its not very flattering on her (too 80'ish) and it wouldn't be very flattering on me either, as I like to look classy and chic rather than trendy or follow 2 week fads...
Emile, ON, Canada
now they impose this woman on us everywhere. she looks plain boring and always has the same expression in her blank face. Fashion! tips from her? No thank you, Miuccia Prada she ain't , pretty and stylish, she ain't either.
Anne, Paris, France