Iris Law is no stranger to making a fashion statement. Whether it's turning up at the Fashion Awards in AW07 Comme des Garçons, mixing an H&M X Rabanne metal mesh skirt with bejewelled knitwear or wearing an olive-green vintage Versace (previously worn by Beyoncé in 2003) number with finesse. Law's dedication to a standout fashion moment – which tends to oscillate between eclectic and romantic – is not to be overlooked, and the British model put her skills to use earlier this week at the celebratory launch of H&M's latest SS24 Studio collection a stone's throw away from the iconic opera house, Palais Garnier.
Dressed in a deep-V neck snake-print dress from the line and black heels, the 23-year-old, with slits in her brows and bleach blonde locks parted in the middle and slicked back, your eyes can't help but gravitate towards her. ‘It's so easy to wear, and it has pockets!’, Law excitedly told ELLE UK of her daring look, standing beside Alex Chung looking equally beguiling in a beige trench, striped shirt and 70s-style flared denim jeans.
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Looking at her immaculate glam and edgy dress, you'd never know the model spent the day relaxing in her hotel, a rarity for the model during Paris Fashion Week, and all thanks to the drizzly Parisian weather. ‘Usually I'll have meetings or spend the day in a gallery but I got to spend it in bed! When I knew I had the day off, I was like, “Woohoo!”’.
Milling about the space, which served as a temporary exhibition spot called La Maison during fashion week ahead of the upcoming collection (shoppable to the public on March 12), Law eyed plinths with standout looks from the collection. She marveled over a duck-egg blue leather trench as well as a twinkling number.
Just what are her plans for the rest of fashion week, the final stretch of shows from the big four? ‘I love meeting new ceramists and seeing artwork,’ said Law, who has her pottery studio. With a good few days of fashion week left, ELLE UK caught up with the model to find out her favourite food haunts, where she does her vintage shopping, taking up pottery and her current beauty obsession.
The Studio AW24 collection has over 40 pieces. What's your favourite item from the collection?
‘This snake-print dress I chose to wear to celebrate the launch is probably my favourite piece. It's super cute and easy to style – it's a one-and-done outfit. Plus, it’s not too tight and you can just pair it with some boots. I also love the blue trench coat!’
How would you style the snake-print dress as an everyday item in your wardrobe?
‘I'd pop a shirt underneath the dress with some knitted tights a pair of flat boots or heels, actually.’
Naturally, as we're in Paris, we have to know what you love doing here the most.
‘Eating and seeing my friends. There's so much good food in Paris. And when it's not raining it's just as nice as London in my opinion. You can walk around and have a seamless day – you go to a shop; a cafe, or have a nice drink. Paris Fashion Week allows you to explore the art and see great fashion.’
What's your go-to restaurant in the city?
‘Probably Chez Janou. It's fun and French and yummy. They have everything from ravioli to chocolate mousse. Jah Jah Paris has great vegan Jamaican food. It's run by a young team and they just create what they feel like on that day. There's also amazing Asian food in Paris and I want to try this place called Dong Nè. There are a lot of traditional Korean, it's a smaller menu with interesting things including shaved ice dessert.’
What do you do when you're alone in Paris?
‘Vintage shopping. Nuovo Paris is run by the sweetest girl and there's such a wide range of designer pieces and independent brands. Every time I go in there, I always find something. I've never visited the store and not left with something.’
Do you have a most-played artist or song at the moment?
‘I get hyper-fixated on songs. My music tastes change depending on my mood, and currently, I've been in a sleepy, gentle vibe. I've just been listening to Daniel Caesar's cover of “Waiting In Vain” for the film Bob Marley: One Love – I've been playing it a lot. I listen to my friend Mustafa The Poet loads, and the Bugsy Malone soundtrack. It's all very 'sad-girl-bored-of-winter-needs-a-hug' via headphones vibes.’
What item of clothing are you wearing on repeat right now?
‘Me and my agent were laughing about this earlier but I have a grey button-up cardigan that I've worn for three years straight. I wore it today! It's like a comfort blanket. If I looked on my phone at what I was wearing in the last few years, I guarantee I'd have been wearing it at some point in the day.’
You love a glittery eye and an accentuated eye look. What's your secret?
‘I have a glitter eyeliner which I bought from Daiso in Japan for £1, and I just put the glitter in different places on my face. Sometimes it's on the top of my lip; sometimes it's under my eyes, above my eyes or in between my eyebrows slits. I like having glitter on and that's something I find myself doing even if I'm on my own going to my pottery studio or having dinner alone. I love the Isamaya Ffrench silver lip gloss and any sort of orange, rust gloss.’
You took a pottery course and now have your own pottery studio. What do you love most about pottery?
‘When I was working in Fuji in a ceramics workshop, the teachers would say sometimes the clay just falls off the wheel or there could be like a bubble in the clay. So, it like teaches you patience, and to not get too attached to things because, even when it's done, it could break in the kiln.’
What have you learnt about yourself in the process?
‘Finding something outside of modelling has been great. I went to uni for textiles and I've always been creative. When I finished uni, I knew I wanted to find some sort of balance outside of modelling – it feels nice to have another outlet. Now, whenever I'm travelling, I always go to ceramic exhibitions, or try to meet new ceramicists.’
The H&M Studio S/S24 collection will launch globally in selected stores and on hm.com on March 12.
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