1. Can you introduce yourself? Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do? What is your background?
Hi, my name is Yevgeniya, you know me as Yev on Instagram.
I'm Ukrainian and I lived in France for almost 11 years, mainly for my studies. I started in Montpellier studying languages and then pursued a Master's degree in International Project Negotiation. I then moved to Nice to join my best friend and took the opportunity to complete my studies in translation, writing, and subtitling for businesses, in English, French, Russian, and Portuguese.
I started working as an entrepreneur as a translator for two years. I loved it, but I really missed the artistic and visual creation side.
Ever since I was little, I've loved drawing. I used to draw lots of models of dresses, pants, etc. I spent hours and hours imagining, creating, and especially drawing inspiration from my mother's magazines, watching movies, and imagining myself playing in them. I have a memory of myself at 14, imagining myself with a bob or very short hair and a very Parisian style. It seems I haven't changed my mind since *laughs*.
For me, at the time, Parisian style was defined by Coco Chanel, not necessarily minimalist, but with lots of tweed, white, black. Sometimes a few touches of color: French chic, so to speak. I think it was this memory that motivated me to come and live in France at the age of 18.
A few months ago, my family and I moved to the Netherlands and settled in Amsterdam. Today, I work as a content creator full-time. I'm also an influencer and model. I'm a mom to a 2-year-old son, and this role has changed a lot for me. My vision of fashion has evolved: it shouldn't just be pretty, it should also be comfortable. You should feel comfortable and be yourself all day long, whether you're working or going out for a party or dinner. Being self-employed has helped me a lot.
Being self-employed isn't always easy, but it's still very motivating and challenging.
To sum up the first question: I'm Yev, I'm 29 years old, I'm married to an amazing man named Jorik, who is incredibly supportive of everything I do, both in creating content and being a mom. He's always there. I live between Amsterdam and Paris.
Ow, I forgot to tell you: we adopted a Beagle and so we are a happy family of 4.
2. What are your sources of inspiration on a daily basis?
I would say everyday life, the people I meet in the streets of Paris, Amsterdam or on the Côte d'Azur, who have very particular and very different atmospheres.
There are so many very stylish people, across all generations, and it's super inspiring. There are also films, books, music, and especially films from the New Wave era with chic, simple looks, but always with a little vintage touch. A little sexy, obviously *laughs*, but always comfortable.
3. How would you describe your style?
I think I've just described my style a bit in the previous answer, but I would say it's chic, sexy, elegant, vintage, timeless and comfortable.
4. What is your favorite look? What is your must-have?
It's a difficult question because it depends on several factors such as the season, the weather, whether I'm going out alone or with friends, with my husband or my child, or even the dog *laughs*. But for summer, I would say a linen outfit because I love wearing this material, it's great. Either a small white or black outfit: flared pants, crop top, blouse with puffed or sleeveless linen sleeves, espadrilles, and especially a basket. I love baskets, I have about ten of them. The essential item in my wardrobe, which I wear endlessly from spring to early fall: the scarf. I wear it in my hair, around my neck, on my bags, or as a belt. In fact, I wear it all year round *laughs* because I hate hats, except for the beret. When the temperatures are lower, I wear a lot of thick scarves in the Matroushka style.
The look that I always find timeless, sexy, elegant, comfortable, is a little black dress but not too mini, down to the knee. A thick black dress, long sleeves paired with espadrilles or high patent leather ankle boots with a comfortable heel, a touch of lipstick for the glam side and off you go!
To accessorize, I obviously add a small basket and a trench coat. I would say it's my favorite look all year round, no matter the season.
5. What is your favorite item of clothing and why?
My favorite piece of clothing: a scarf. Like I said, it's something I wear all year round, and I find it spices up my look and pairs perfectly with any outfit. You can use it anywhere and for everything. You can wear it on your bag, jeans, a dress, and even in your hair.
For example, having short hair, I often wear it as a headband. Girls with long hair have even more options. There are so many creative possibilities with this accessory, I love it!
The second thing I never part with is a large or small basket because it's very chic, very feminine and very vintage but especially Nouvelle Vague. In addition to that, it's quite useful on a daily basis. When I'm with my little boy, I always carry a basket because you have to bring a mountain of things and it remains quite stylish.
6. Why this collection with FRNCH?
There's a strong and very special connection with FRNCH. This brand has been with me since the beginning of my career as a content creator. The team has always trusted me, and we've been collaborating together for a very long time. For my first co-creation, I wanted to do it with a brand that understands me and, above all, has always supported me. FRNCH seemed like an obvious choice for this project. Above all, FRNCH is a very representative and inclusive brand, a value that is close to my heart and that I am delighted to share with the brand.
FRNCH has chosen to create clothes that give you self-confidence! It's a brand that doesn't just follow trends but dares to offer bold silhouettes for all women, all moments of life, from the most everyday to the most special. Clothing shouldn't just be pretty or trendy, it should be comfortable so you feel at ease and confident in your body and your look. That's what's most important in fashion, and I find that sometimes we forget it because of trends.
7. What were your inspirations for co-creating this collection?
This question is very interesting and I want to answer it in great detail, but I will try to organize and summarize my ideas *laughs*.
I love, love, absolutely love vintage style. I think fashion is very cyclical. In fact, if you look at what's trendy today, it's actually exactly what was trendy in the 60s, 70s, and 90s. Personally, I find myself more drawn to the looks of the 60s and 70s. I'm a huge fan of Françoise Hardy; she really inspired me to create the little Françoise dress.
I'm very inspired by the New Wave era and I wanted to pay homage to it in this collection, and that was very evident when creating the mood board. I was also very inspired by Jane Birkin, who for me embodies class par excellence. By co-creating, I wanted to bring a touch of color because we tend to darken our looks when fall arrives. I thought that a pop print with seventies accents would bring a touch of brightness to this fall 2022.
8. Which piece of the capsule appeals to you the most?
Unsurprisingly, the bodycon mesh dress. I love it; in addition to being ultra-comfortable, it's very elegant, and the side slit adds a sensual touch.
I completely fell in love when I saw her.
Plus, it can be worn with heels for a very chic look or with small flat derbies for a more casual, working girl look.
9. What does FRNCH mean to you in three words? How would you define a FRNCH woman?
For me, FRNCH is a brand that represents a woman, a woman of all body types and origins. She can be both very elegant and adopt a casual look. FRNCH pieces can be worn at work or at the beach, but also for an evening or homewear. Conclusion: the FRNCH woman is a “Woman of the world”!
10. A final word?
Thank you, thank you very much to the FRNCH team for trusting me to co-create this collection. Thank you to my followers. I hope you like this collection and that it gives you the confidence to wear these pieces anywhere throughout the season to add color to your back-to-school season. I also hope that these pieces will become strong pieces in your wardrobe because that was my idea. I wanted to create bold pieces that you can wear for a long time and that will become your timeless pieces.
