She knows the influence, she knows the impact, and she knows the vibes, and the girlies do, in fact, love the vibes. Julia Fox is a self-aware icon with no filter and a woman of many talents. Fox has become more than just a style icon; she is a curator of her narrative through the language of fashion. She has proved time and time again that she is more than just a collection of soundbites on TikTok. Fox is an advocate for sustainable fashion, self-perseverance, self-expression and sobriety. Her memoir Down The Drain showed the public how much of her life she has lived and how she is more than what the media has portrayed her as. Her creativity and determination know no bounds. Julia Fox and her avant-garde style have left a lasting mark on the fashion industry.
It’s no secret that Julia’s style is anything but ordinary. She cites herself and Anna Nicole Smith as her most significant influences on her style. Fox’s bold fashion choices are not a day-to-day occurrence; her everyday outfit consists of “boxers, stained dirty t-shirt and Adidas slides”. A partial reason for going “all out” is she believes her real life to be so unglamorous”. Her style evokes varying opinions amongst audiences, specifically between men and women. In an interview with the New Yorker, Fox comments, “The losing of the weight, the eyebrows, the clothes, all the things I did. I think I was going for grotesque. I wanted to look a certain way where the girls would appreciate it, and the men would despise it”. She also commented that men hate her for not resembling her character from her breakout film Uncut Gems. While the message of dressing for yourself isn’t groundbreaking, Julia is not only aware of her audience (young girls and gays) but also aware that this message, while simple, can act as that little bit of support for many youth struggling with self-expression and identity.
“She knows the influence, she knows the impact, and she knows the vibes, and the girlies do, in fact, love the vibes. Julia Fox is a self-aware icon with no filter and a woman of many talents. Fox has become more than just a style icon; she is a curator of her narrative through the language of fashion.”
When you think of Julia Fox and her style, many think of Latex and black graphic eye shadow. One of Julia’s most memorable outfits was the cone bra denim Schiaparelli look alongside Kanye West in 2022. This look featured one of the first sightings of her bold “fox eye” look and a denim cone bra cropped jacket and denim jeans taken off by the designer of Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry, that day. In an interview with Capital FM, she mentions her only regret is the heavy gold earrings. While this era of her life is not something Fox fondly looks back on (her relationship with West consists of approximately six pages in her 300-page memoir), this is where her avant-garde style began to blossom. Many people argue that West is to be credited for Julia’s style, but this is not true at all.
Since her short-lived relationship with West, her looks have increasingly caught audiences’ attention. Wiederhoeft’s spring/summer 2024 show gave us one of Julia’s most ethereal and iconic looks. As Julia sat silently vaping in the front row, other guests and photographers took in the stunning mini-corseted dress Wiederhoeft had designed. The top half of the dress was reminiscent of many Vivienne Westwood-esque boning styles; connecting the corset to the tulle skirt was a circle of silk bows. Keeping with the bridal theme mini bag with “Til death do us part” bejewelled across the front. The silhouette du jour Marc Jacobs Kiki boots platform height allowed for the floor-length veil to graze the floor as Julia walked. Fox herself described this look as “Devine, Spectacular and Ethereal”.
No one exudes confidence quite like Julia. Having hailed her memoir as a “masterpiece” when she hadn’t yet written a word for the book, her self-assurance pushes her forward to produce work that oozes honesty and creativity. Upon finishing her memoir, it is clear that Fox is a woman who has lived many lifetimes. From abusive relationships to her career as a dominatrix and her dealings with a heroin addiction, as well as witnessing multiple friend’s deaths, Julia’s time in the public eye is only the tip of the iceberg. Fox shows her transition from girlhood to womanhood: the good, the bad, and the latex. From an outcast to an icon, her book takes us through the motions page after page. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version where Julia herself reads. Hearing Fox unapologetically recall her encounter with a sugar daddy and her life as a dominatrix is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and will leave you standing in the middle of the arts block, questioning how one woman can be so iconic; I speak from experience with that one.
“It’s no secret that Julia’s style is anything but ordinary. She cites herself and Anna Nicole Smith as her most significant influences on her style”
In her final pages, she gives hope to readers regarding that nothing is more potent than delusion; “the truth is, anyone who is someone first started out as a delusional dreamer”. Looking back on her younger self, who thought there was no place for her in this world, to a woman who is consistently shaking up fashion and has many youths in awe of her strength and style, Julia Fox thanks god she dared to survive and to persevere. The last page solidifies this as she reflects on this courage and perseverance, writing, “Everywhere I turn, I see girls dressed like me…I was ridiculed for being different and for doing whatever I had to do to survive. But now everyone is wearing latex.”
Julia Fox has established herself in the hall of ‘it girls’ not only with her trailblazing experimental style but also as a woman of many talents and a strong advocate for self-expression and self-perseverance. Her memoir, Down The Drain, has shown so many areas of Julia’s life it’s a wonder that one person can experience so much and still have so much life to live. Fox has proved timelessly that she is more than “Uncuh Jaahmz” or Kanye West’s ex-girlfriend; she is so much more than the media portrays her as. Her unique and bold style has left a lasting impact on the fashion industry, and her journey from an outcast to an icon serves as an inspiration to many.
WORDS: Sarah Kerr
