Though the sidewalks of Copenhagen Fashion Week and its various international iterations may be filled with over-the-top and for-the-cameras-only outré street style looks, and while models like Hanne Gaby, Gigi, Kendall, and Binx have long since capitalized on their much-lensed, asphalt-stomping ensembles, nobody comes close to the furor which once surrounded the O.G. of "Model-off-Duty" style: Freja Beha Erichsen. Back in the mid-2000s, everyone wanted to be the lanky model hailing from Roskilde, Denmark, from her shag of tousled wisps to her well-earned air of insouciance: The model exploded across fashion forums, ad campaigns, and blogs alike. Her cooler-than-thou ability to make airy tank tops and ripped jeans look both entirely intentional and utterly aspirational was addictive to look at. Erichsen never seemed to try—and she never had to: Everything fell into place, usually loosely. Angular in her poise, her sartorial fame came with her personal brand of slouchy-chic tomboy, ranging from punkish (a simple oversize white T-shirt, long-limbed black skinny jeans, and some heavy-duty footwear) to a chilled-out take on summer-in-the-city, courtesy of denim cutoffs, thick-soled boots, and an army green tee—always sans bra, nipple piercing evident, if not necessarily akimbo. “Freja” became an explanation for everything from why a person was cutting bangs to why they were buying biker boots. She still might be.
Even almost a decade later, Erichsen’s devil-may-care knack for a certain tomboyish appeal hasn’t changed—it’s just gotten more gamine. She may have been less present on the runway, as well as the surrounding streets, for a few years, but her look is still unmistakable—and she doesn’t need to wear something theatrical to prove it. Her skater-hoodie days seem to have passed, with the model opting lately for collared shirts tucked into a pair of low-slung jeans, though her head-to-toe black uniform (as captured outside the Louis Vuitton fall 2015 show) still looks as good as ever, even with longer locks and a button-up in lieu of a baggy tank topped off with a long tailored jacket. Have faith, fashion bloggers! Growing up looks good on her, too.
