A Woman to Aspire To

As girls growing up we have several real life role models we seek to emulate; we also have celebrity role models that set a bar for the woman we want to be. For me, that was and is Catherine Deneuve.

As a child, my mother dragged me to see an art film because no one else wanted to go with her. I couldn't read the subtitles well but I found the visual interplay fascinating. The film was "Belle de Jour." I was only five years old, but the golden brilliance of Ms. Deneuve overwhelmed me. With her gleaming halo of hair, flashing eyes and overt sophistication, she was a woman I wanted to be. Now, I didn't actually realize this at age five, but the film interested me enough to later invest a fair amount of time watching a great deal of French cinema (I love you, Francois Truffaut!) and I came to appreciate Ms. Deneuve in particular. Not only was she the epitome of sensual and chic Parisian, she had touching depth of emotion as an actress. She was strong, she was undeniably womanly and well, she dressed so damned well. She always looked perfectly pulled together.

I sometimes think I keep the hairstyle that I do because of Ms. Deneuve's classic blond mane. I like her elegant style and confident sense of self as a woman. She makes a physical statement when she comes into a room. I wanted to do that too. As I've gotten older, I wonder if a woman can still maintain a sense of elegant, intriguing charm. Ms. Deneuve has done so; I hope I can do that too.