Wearing 10 of pre-fall’s game-changing new pieces, model CONSTANCE JABLONSKI talks to ALISON PRATO about fashion, friendships and standing out from the crowd.
Lille native Constance Jablonski is no stranger to the global fashion sphere. The 24-year-old model is one of the current faces of Estée Lauder; has walked in five Victoria’s Secret shows; starred in campaigns for Barneys, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana and H&M; and appeared on numerous international Vogue covers – including Vogue China and Vogue Brasil, to name a few. But at the present moment, sitting on a couch in a downtown New York café, Jablonski is talking emphatically about goats. More specifically, her favorite Instagram account, Goats of Anarchy, starring a handful of furry creatures named after characters from the hit US TV show, Sons of Anarchy. “Oh my God, they’re just goats, but they’re amazing goats,” she says, giggling. “There’s a brown one, a black one, one with a heart on its back... They’re so cute!”
With her cut-glass cheekbones, cool-blond hair and piercing ice- blue gaze, one might not initially think of Jablonski as someone who finds goats doing yoga amusing, but it makes sense considering her upbringing. She grew up in a farm village outside of Lille, northern France, with her mother, a pharmacist, and her father, a dermatologist, with a lot of pets. “I had the luckiest, most beautiful childhood,” says the model. “We were really in the countryside, with cows everywhere.”
A tomboy and athlete who excelled at tennis, Jablonski was not amused when her older brother sent her photo to a modeling agency, stating that she was the most beautiful woman in France. “I was so upset,” she says. “I was 15 at the time, and didn’t care about fashion at all. I loved sports and my friends. I was actually pretty insecure. For me, posing in front of a camera and trying to look pretty was not happening.”
Then, in August 2008, when Jablonski was on vacation with her mother in New York, a model scout from the Marilyn Agency approached her on the street, and asked her to stay for the next month’s Fashion Week. Jablonski was supposed to be attending university a month later to study medicine. In fact, she never left New York.
In the seven years since, Jablonski has not only been highly in demand (in her third season, she was the model who walked in the most shows – an impressive 73), she has also earned a reputation as one of the friendliest girls in the business. She is passionate about female empowerment, working as an ambassador and coach for NY-based non-profit organization Urban Dove, which aims to provide young people with critical development skills through sports. She also has a fierce loyalty to her friends, which include fellow Estée Lauder spokesmodels Arizona Muse and Joan Smalls.
“I’m friends with a bunch of models,” says Jablonski, twisting her messy side braid. “There was that era where there were just ten supermodels, and there was often one big job and they had to fight for it. Now, there are so many brands, designers and models, so it’s nice when you have a good group and you can help each other. It’s about collaboration. But that’s life in general... Whether you’re a doctor or in finance or in fashion, you are never successful alone.”
Jablonski credits singer Taylor Swift, whom she met while walking in the 2013 Victoria’s Secret show, for championing the “female friendship thing” in Hollywood. “[Taylor] is so smart, and I really admire her for doing that,” she says. “I’ve done the V.S. show for five years, and Taylor was the only artist to come up to the girls and say hi. She never puts herself above anyone. She is super-accessible and super-nice. She’s the coolest ever.”
Off-duty, Jablonski likes to bring a bit of home to the Big Apple, hanging out with French friends for dinner at restaurants like Cercle Rouge or The Little Prince. Her style has remained nonchalantly Gallic, too. “My look is comfortable, laid-back, a little boyish,” she says. Today, she’s wearing an Acne Studios T-shirt, Frame Denim jeans and not a scrap of makeup. “I can’t deal with uncomfortable clothes, even if they’re in fashion,” she says. “I don’t wear high heels often. I’m always in sneakers.”
At this year’s Met Gala, for the theme China: Through the Looking Glass, Jablonski went against the status quo by wearing a black silk top, pants and flats, all by Theory. “It was the opposite of what [other women wore]. My top was like a kimono from the back. And I wore these little Asian slippers...” She pauses and breaks into a sly smile. “It didn’t work so well. I didn’t see much enthusiasm about it. Everyone was like, ‘What is wrong with her? Why doesn’t she wear heels?’ But I loved it. I think flats are so much cooler.”
The criticism only crystallized Jablonski’s feelings about fashion: “Trends are so subjective; I care more about the designer. When you inspire a designer and have a connection with them, they want to make you beautiful.” Her favorite designers include Olivier Theyskens, Olivier Rousteing and Wes Gordon. This season, she’s also very excited about a pair of super- long Chloé flared pants. “I don’t want to say there are no trends,” she says, finishing her coffee, “but at the same time, you should wear what you feel comfortable in.”
but she always looks great at events apart from that, so i guess it was just one mistake 
i would love to see her in person
