Hitting all the right notes
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
While you may not be familiar with the music of French chanteuse Francoise Hardy (Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles? Comment Te Dire Adieu? Anyone?), just one look at her in her \'60s heyday confirms why she\'s handbag.com\'s fashion icon this month.
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Adhering hard and fast to the maxim of legs or cleavage, never both, Hardy always balanced out her mini skirts with a neat pie-crust collar or roll-neck jumper, knee-high boots and a très chic line in coats. Despite having a penchant for a feminine silhouette, her look was never twee but always given an edge with a touch of biker chick flare or androgynous tailoring.
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It seems fairly logical to conclude that the independent streak in Francoise\'s style stems from her achieving mega-stardom in her native France at a very young age. Having been gifted a guitar on her 16th birthday as a reward for passing her baccalauréat, she began writing the songs that made her name and that would be later translated into English, Italian, Spanish, and German.
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As well as coming fifth for Monaco in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest with L\'Amour S\'En Va, Francoise collaborated with Blur for their La Comedie version of To The End, and it was one of her songs that inspired Rei Kawakubo to name her fashion line Comme des Garcons.
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Flick through our gallery to check out the looks that have made Franciose a fashion legend.
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Picture: Francoise Hardy out and about wearing a chunky roll-neck jumper, white tailored shorts, long socks and mannish slip-ons in 1967.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Heavy metal
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
In an all-in-one metal-link outfit for a photo shoot at The Embankment Gardens, London, in 1968. The photographer noted that the outfit took Francoise an impressive hour to put on.
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Trend translated: Global nomad
Trench talk
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
At Brands Hatch in 1966, preparing to film John Frankenheimer\'s racing drama Grand Prix, in a classic camel trench coat, black roll-neck and square-framed sunglasses.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Get shorty
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
Francoise wears a white felt hat, brogue-detail shoes and a black jacket, shorts and tights ensemble on a modelling assignment between record contracts in April 1967.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Biker chic
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
In top-to-toe leather - what else? - for a shoot involving a motorbike in 1969.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Ebony and ivories
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
Francoise relaxes in front of a white piano in her suite at the Savoy Hotel, London, in 1966 wearing a white shirt, black trousers and long leather boots prior to appearing in cabaret.
Trend translated: Global nomad
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Lady in red
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
In a rare display of look-at-me glamour, Francoise opted for a red maxi dress cinched in with a thick black belt and accessorised with a gold pendant for a performance in Paris in February 1970.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Collared!
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
Francoise pictured circa 1970, wearing an on-trend, high neck cream blouse, navy mini skirt and tights.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Time for tie
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
With fellow French singer Antoine, in mannish separates - including tie - in 1960.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Shine on
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
Francoise attending the opening night Roger Vadim\'s film Chateau en Suede in France, 1963, wearing a white wool jacket over a sequinned dress and accompanied by actor, director and socialite Jean-Claude Brialy.
Trend translated: Global nomad
Fur-bulous
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
Wearing sunglasses and a long fur coat over a black shift dress and a trademark roll-neck during a performance, circa 1965.
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Trend translated: Global nomad
Mini me
Fashion icon,Francoise Hardy
Francoise Hardy
Reading in the sun in a white turtle neck, mini skirt and sandals in an undated photo from the \'60s.
Trend translated: Global nomad
