Michelle Elie’s Decade in Street Style

Photographed by Phil Oh

Does anyone have more fun at fashion week than Michelle Elie? Of the 32 photos we’ve pulled from the past decade, she’s smiling in nearly all of them. It’s no wonder she’s become one of Phil Oh’s favorite people to photograph over the years; she appears in almost every slideshow he’s shot for Vogue since 2011. Elie’s photos are routinely among the best of the season, not only because she’s wearing full Comme des Garçons (or head-to-toe Marni, or an emerging label we’ve yet to discover), but because you can really sense her joy and excitement through the screen. She’s running through the Tuileries, waving at confused bystanders, and actually interacting with the photographers—she’s genuinely happy to be there.

It isn’t just for the cameras, of course. The designer, stylist, and former model is a devoted collector and regards her CDG, Junya Watanabe, Prada, and archival vintage pieces as art, not status symbols; she doesn’t pay attention to trends, nor does she change her wardrobe every season just for the hell of it. “I wear brands I believe in and have a passion for. It’s more than just a look for me: It is a way of life, living, and ideology,” Elie told Vogue back in 2017. She’s the ultimate maximalist and likely has an expansive wardrobe, but it isn’t just stuff—and, as Oh’s photos illustrate, she really does wear it.

More recently, Elie shared her philosophy on finding pieces you can cherish for years and years: “I believe that before social media, fashion was fashion. Today, there is little left for real creativity and long-term vision. Everything is an instant hit with no real substance. We have entered an age of blending in. [But] one knows immediately when they see something that they will wear forever… You develop a personal story with that piece and it becomes an icon for you. One should only invest in fashion pieces that one loves from the very beginning. The best investment is one made with passion.”

Revisiting her best street-style moments through the decade, it seems her passion has only grown. Scroll through 32 of our favorite photos of Elie, in chronological order; chances are you’ll be inspired to add a little more color and exuberance to your life in 2020.