Watch This Face: Gwenola Guichard
Every week, Bazaar's bookings team highlights one name to note, from the industry's best-known faces to girls who are just starting out. This week, we turn our attention to Gwenola Guichard.
The 28-year-old newcomer Guichard might be one of our favourite French faces. Gallic cool can be hard to quantify, either you have that special je ne sais quoi or you don't, and Guichard has it in spades.
"Gwenola is effortlessly cool, she has an elevated elegance with an edge," says Stacy Bell at Wilhelmina. "She possesses a critical mind and a kind spirit, a rare combination which makes her a dream to work with."
The Parisian beauty has a regal, arresting beauty and charming intellect that makes us one of her biggest fans - and we're not the only ones who are smitten. Guichard has already enjoyed face time with the top female photographers Harley Weir and Zoe Ghertner, landed the Céline look book and walked for the cult brand Vetements. We chat to her about writing, her hometown of Lille and Kristen McMenamy.
How were you discovered?
"I was discovered at the age of 18 in my hometown, Lille, by a local agency. Due to my studies, modelling has always been on and off and so I have actually been discovered several times."
If you weren't modelling, which career would you pursue and why?
"I would work in politics because ideas and society issues interest me a lot, and I studied political communication for five years. If I didn't work in politics I would be a writer or journalist because my life is about writing."
What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
"My biggest highlight was meeting Zoe Ghertner and working with her for Céline, The Gentlewoman and i-D magazines. She's a great mind, smart and calm. She has her own vision about photography and life, women and beauty and her still lifes seem beyond reality."
How do you spend your free time?
"Right now I am learning sociology by myself. I like to read the news and novels, I love to write, work on my blog, listen to interesting radio podcasts, sing, go to the cinema, hike in the countryside in Normandy where I live with my boyfriend (and two cats), and hang around with my friends in Paris of course."
Do you have any travel tips for those visiting your hometown?
"I come from Lille in the north of France. I would say don't miss the Vieux Lille (old town), visit the architectural Villa Cavrois and the Tripostal contemporary museum. You have to also eat Flemish food in a traditional estaminet of course."
What are the three products you can't live without?
"My skin is really dry so I use various products to take care of it. I recommend Dr Hauschka ice plant face cream, Nuxe Bio Beauté vitamin-rich detox mask and Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin cream."
What is your favourite form of exercise?
"I gave up the subway and the car, I bike at home and walk in Paris and I go for big walks in the forest whenever I can. I try to move a bit every day all of the year, rather than doing sport from time to time. It is much more efficient."
What is your dream shoot?
"I'd love to shoot with Tim Walker in Iceland."
Name your essential items you wouldn't leave the house without?
"My green coat, newspaper, hand cream and phone."
If you had to wear only one designer, who would it be?
"Proenza Schouler."
What kind of advice would you give to new girls to the industry?
"Don't start too young, always have something important for you beside modelling (hobbies or projects), stay true to yourself and don't try to 'play' the model, it is not what inspires people."
Is there a model's career that you admire and why?
"Kristen McMenamy. She's a real character, she didn't fit the standards at the time but she refused to bend, she stayed herself and made it anyway. She's out of this world and her face become more and more interesting as time passed."
Let's talk about favourites. What about…
…music? "Tame Impala."
…movies? "Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky."
…books? "Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline."
…food? "Foie gras."
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