This week’s most Loved image features a smouldering Romy Schneider in a shot from the 1962 film Le Combat dans I’île. With her trademark flick of black eyeliner, a fur hat encasing her hair, exquisitely groomed brows and a sardonic air, she exudes
This week’s most Loved image features a smouldering Romy Schneider in a shot from the 1962 film Le Combat dans I’île. With her trademark flick of black eyeliner, a fur hat encasing her hair, exquisitely groomed brows and a sardonic air, she exudes an inimitable chic rarely seen on the modern silver screen.
Born in Austria, Schneider soon left the German language behind her, forging her career in the lucrative film studios of Paris and Hollywood, and becoming the lover of Alain Delon. She was a favourite of Coco Chanel – one of the only clients the designer would meet personally – and following performances in La Piscine (1969) and Les choses de la vie (1970), she began to represent a uniquely French glamour. However, a torturous private life ensured that all was not golden – when Delon broke off their engagement, Schneider slashed her wrists in misery. Her subsequent marriage ended in her husband’s suicide, and her premature death in 1982, at the age of just 43, was caused by alcoholism brought on by the death of her 14-year-old son the year before. However, her legacy has been untarnished by these tragedies, and she is recalled fondly as one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of her era, with her style a continual inspiration to us all, not least to copy editor Felicity Shaw who loved this image. Here we talk to Shaw about what it is that makes Romy so special, and where she finds her own style inspiration.
Why did you love this picture?
It stems from the AnOther post on women with thick eyebrows – I was reading the article and, because Romy Schneider is one of my favourite actresses, I did a general search and it came up. It's quite a rare image, not one that I’ve ever seen before, and I think it shows her in the best light – very elegant, very chic.
What’s your favourite Romy Schneider film?
It has to be La Piscine – it’s such a cult film, one of the best of her career. The story really resonates for me because it’s set on the Cote d’Azur, which is one of my favourite locations. There is also the close connection to my other favourite film, The Dreamers – based in the 60s, ménage à trois scenario, all these conflicting relationships...that’s the kind of movie I like.
If you could have any film star’s style, who would it be?
There’s quite a few that I love – I have to say they’re nearly all from the sixties, and not necessarily film stars. I pull things from all over but Schneider is definitely up there with the best of them, along with the Hepburns, all the classics really. However one of my absolute favourites has to be Debbie Harry.
Where do you go for style inspiration?
Old photographs – I love going through vintage photograph blogs, looking at archive pictures of Studio 54 parties. In the S/S12 issue of AnOther Magazine, there are some amazing narratives of these incredible parties that were thrown throughout the last century, and they are so inspirational, with their Arabian Nights and Cleopatra themes; so romantic, so grandiose. I’m a fan of the costume inspiration, and looking back at old movies and most of my favourite films have a French noir look to them, but then people on the street influence me too.
And what is your favourite online shop?
It would have to be Etsy, an American online vintage shop. They ship to the UK and have most things you could ever want.
Text by Tish Wrigley
