Style Icon - Jennifer Connelly

Way back when, when I had a passion for fashion but the only "fashion" magazine available for girls my age was Dolly; and teen celebrity culture was an unheard of phenomenon in the way it is today, I found one of my formative style icons in my favorite film. The pubescent Jennifer Connelly in the Jim Henson fantasy, Labyrinth. I must have watched this film every Sunday afternoon for almost a year I loved it so much. And while the film appealed to me on so many different levels (I'll leave that for another day), it was Connelly and her character that sparked my imagination.

Not having the disposable cash of teens today (and yes I had to walk a mile in the snow to the mall) or the cheap fashion selections, I always had to create my outfits from what I already had in my wardrobe, things pinched from mum or miscellanea from the dress up box. So with a pair of jeans I had, a Pirate style shirt loaned from mum and a vest pinched from one of Dad's old suits, I styled myself into quite a passable imitation of Ms. Connelly. And I loved it. The moment I put on that outfit, I could inhabit her character in much the same way as an actor on the stage, except to me, it was real. I was suddenly so much more romantic, floating around looking wistfully into the distance and trying to find old first editions novels to pose strategically with. But it was more than just a girl playing dress ups, it was a fashion epiphany. Clothes were not merely something to have for "good" or "everyday", clothes had a secret language. A language that held the power to tell the world who I really was. (In this case a raven haired, goblin charming adventuress). And the rest for me was, as the say, history.

But not only did Jennifer Connelly play a staring role in my introduction to the power of fashion, she went on to become a style icon in her own right. Given, she flys under the radar when it comes to celebs that court the front covers of checkout magazines, but if I know my readers you'll agree that this only adds to her charm. When it comes to the red carpet, Jennifer isn't afraid of a statement piece. Case in point, her sculptural floral dress from the Balenciaga S/S 08 collection. (Seen out on the town just prior to being seen as part of the advertising campaign) Unlike many a celeb, Jennifer inhabits the clothes as an extension of her personality rather than coming off like an uncomfortable clothes horse with a stylist on her last pay cheque.

In Balenciaga

Photo Getty Images

For me the most inspiring elements of her style is the way she always looks lady like, but never dowdy or overly conservative. She mixes it up, takes risks and carries it of with a strong sense of self assurance. As a mother of two, I'm sure it would be easy for her to scrub up for these big events and then let it all go when out of the spotlight. But once again, contrary to many a candid celeb shot, this example of Ms. Connelly out for coffee with her two boys, shows me that she just GETS it. It's jeans, it's a t-shirt, it's a pony tail - but it works!

Photo by Flynet

So all I can say is, "You remind me of a Babe."