How do you begin to describe the alien beauty that is Tilda Swinton?
Words like androgynous and ethereal often get bandied about but fail to truly capture Swinton's minimalist elegance. Model, muse and Oscar winner, Swinton is the kind of woman that commands a real presence and is never one to let her wardrobe wear her.
Characterised by sharp masculine tailoring, unusual architectural finishes and a limited colour palette, Swinton has marked herself as an unlikely style icon. Shying away from over the top glamour and typically 'pretty' clothes, Swinton instead draws influence from her own fashion icons: David Bowie and her father, Major General Sir John Swinton. More attracted to the sharp clean tailoring and embroidered finishes of her father's military uniform than her mother's evening dresses, her formative influences refined over time have turned Swinton into one of the most imaginative dressers going.
She's got her favourites, of course. Lanvin, Celine, Haider Ackermann and Jil Sander are all firm favourites of Tilda Swinton, with a shared quirky minimalist aesthetic. Swinton also played muse to Viktor and Rolf with their 2003 One Woman Show. With an army of Swintons on the runway, this remains one of their most iconic runway shows to date and really encapsulated Swinton's off the wall elegance.
She's strange, otherworldly and undoubtedly beautiful. Her choices are never obvious and yet at the same time never feel contrived. She predominantly keeps to neutral colours - navies, whites and blacks, breaking this up with gorgeous tarnished metallics in brass and classic jewel tones, often opting to wear one colour head to toe.
To channel your inner Swinton, we focus more on classic elegant shapes. H&M knocks it out the park with the rounded shoulders in this jacquard weave coat. The straight cut coupled with the trumped sleeves casts a unique silhouette and makes it a gorgeous addition to your wardrobe for layering. Swinton has often been spotted in a well cut pair of wide legged trousers, so, if looking for this easy to wear classic trend piece, River Island has some spectacular options in at the moment.
The navy pleated trousers are a personal favourite. If you crave unique tailored details and a refined palette look no further than Cos. Truly anything from their store would be perfect for anyone hoping to try to capture Swinton'sje ne sais quoi, but this versatile square cut white dress is a favourite. Finish off your look with the Jayda sandals from London based shoe company Miista. Their unique architectural detail, buttery soft leather and lucite heel make for a striking finish to any outfit.
A unique dresser and true style visionary, Swinton's deliberate and focused aesthetic cements her as a modern fashion icon.
Get the look: 1 Square cut cotton dress, £69, COS; 2 Coat, £69.99, H&M; 3 Wide legged trousers, £35, River Island; 4 Jayda shoes, £200, Miista
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