the iconic

"With French women you first see the woman and then you see the clothes," Carine Roitfeld has said when describing the essence of French style. "It's more the way you mix the clothes and how you move, how you open your bag, how you cross your legs — just little things that make a difference."

Roitfeld makes it sound simple, but that perfect mix of irreverence, glamour, beauty, effortlessness, sex appeal, and slouch? Easier said than done. "It’s the fantasy of the entire world of women, even French women, to be the perfect Parisienne," Le Figaro columnist Bertrand de Saint Vincent explained recently in The New York Times.

Elusive, yes, but not impossible. Brigitte Bardot did it. Francoise Hardy and Jane Birkin, too. And while there's no denying the allure of those indelible dames, they're not the only ones. In honor of Bastille Day, check out 24 totally modern French femmes who somehow embody that certain je nais se quoi to a T.

"I love things that age well — things that don't date, that stand the test of time, and that become living examples of the absolute best," Giorgio Armani has said. At age 78, with his trim figure, tanned skin, and jet-set lifestyle, the visionary designer seems to embody that philosophy to a T — a supersleek black one knit from the finest cotton, of course.

Whether aboard his $60 million yacht or entertaining friends at one of his nine homes or kicking back on his private island in the Ionian Sea, Armani knows a thing or two about maintaining the good life — and he should. Since launching his eponymous line in 1975, Armani has worked tirelessly to become Italy's most successful and iconic designer. His first year in business he made just $14,000; in 2012 the Armani empire — which includes ready-to-wear, couture, accessories, menswear, beauty, home goods, and a chain of hotels — is worth an estimated $7.2 billion.

In honor of our favorite sneaker-wearing, Mercedes-driving, beach-lounging designer's July 11 birthday, here are 78 fabulous snaps that are almost as fabulous as Armani himself.

She may be an unwilling style icon, but there's no denying that Meryl Streep has an innate elegance all her own. "For me, clothes are kind of character; I don't follow fashion or understand trends," the 16-time Oscar nominee has said. That may be, but who else wears clothing with such natural grace that they've inspired dozens of designers' collections — as Streep did in her 1985 Out of Africa role — and who else but Streep could portray the ultimate Prada-wearing, fear-inducing fashion editor with such believable and transportative aplomb? In honor of her June 22 birthday, here's a look back at the iconic actress's most indelible style moments.

Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo will be honored with the International award at this Monday's CFDA Awards, and already the industry is getting a head start on celebrating.

Earlier this week, Style.com published a tribute in which notable fashionables — including Taylor Tomasi Hill, Shane Gabier, and Chris Peters — discuss their love for the avant-garde label. Then on Wednesday, Cathy Horyn offered her perspective on Kawakubo's 40-plus-year career. "No living designer, with the exception of Azzedine Alaïa, is held in higher esteem by her peers, and none has enriched our spirit in so many original and confounding ways," Horyn wrote. In an attempt to shed light on Kawakubo's creative process, Horyn also reprinted an email from the designer, an excerpt of which is below:

"My design process never starts or finishes. I am always hoping to find something through the mere act of living my daily life. I do not work from a desk, and do not have an exact starting point for any collection. There is never a mood board, I do not go through fabric swatches, I do not sketch, there is no eureka moment, there is no end to the search for something new. As I live my normal life, I hope to find something that click starts a thought, and then something totally unrelated would arise, and then maybe a third unconnected element would come from nowhere. Often in each collection, there are three or so seeds of things that come together accidentally to form what appears to everyone else as a final product, but for me it is never ending. There is never a moment when I think, 'this is working, this is clear.' If for one second I think something is finished, the next thing would be impossible to do."

Kawakubo will not be in New York to accept her award Monday, but she has asked her longtime friend filmmaker John Waters to present and accept the award on her behalf. In the slideshow, a look back at some of our favorite looks from recent Comme des Garcons collections.

She may be Madonna's latest Material Girl, but Georgia May Jagger has always been one of the coolest girls around. With model-mom Jerry Hall's stunning bone structure and dad Mick's iconic gap-toothed pout — not to mention both parents' rock 'n' roll vibe — the 5'7" progeny-turned-muse has already been featured in scores of magazines, from American Vogue to i-D. She's also been photographed by the likes of Mario Sorrenti and Hedi Slimane, fronted major campaigns for Chanel and Versace, and has long-standing contracts with Hudson Jeans and Rimmel London.

"To be handpicked by Madonna and Lola as the new face of Material Girl is truly amazing," Jagger said of her latest endeavor, the back-to-school campaign for junior line Material Girl, which bows this Summer. "My agent received a call from the Material Girl team saying Lola and Madonna wanted to work together with me. From talking with Lola, she and her mum liked my style and thought it would be a good fit," Jagger elaborated. "I've always admired Madonna's style and I'm thrilled to be working with her and Lola. I dressed up like her for a school dance once!"

A look at Jagger's muse-worthy style evolution — which includes plenty of animal print, primary hues, and body-con silhouettes — here, in the gallery.

It's been well over a year since Emmanuelle Alt took the helm of Vogue Paris, and while the aesthetic of that magazine may have changed, one thing's for certain: Alt's personal style has not. In fact, if there's one thing that can be said about Alt, it's that she definitely sticks to a look.

"Her style is her big shoulders, long legs, tight jeans, sleeves up to the elbow, one hip out. I personally like her. She’s a handsome French woman," Karl Lagerfeld has said of the minimalistic, admittedly low-maintenance editor in chief. "I don't look after myself. I don't do yoga, Pilates, those things. I hate physical effort, I don't run anywhere, but I am superenergetic. Makeup? I just black my eyes, and that's it. My hair? I get it cut on set. I never go to a hairdresser. I'm not sure I'm French," Alt has said.

Regardless, we think the überstylist's French appeal is quite apparent. So in honor of her May 18 birthday — and her refreshingly low-key chic — we've gathered up some of our favorite Alt-in-uniform style moments. Bon anniversaire!

Sofia Coppola's style cred is no secret: not only is the revered director best friends with Marc Jacobs, but she also married in knee-length Alaia, lensed the Marni for H&M campaign, and collaborated on a collection for Louis Vuitton — and that's all just within the last year. So, in honor of our favorite ankle-strap-wearing, double-cuff-sporting, rock-star-marrying filmmaker's May 14 birthday, here's a look back at some of her chicest moments — from the early '90s to today.