3 minute read
Isabelle Estrin
ISABELLE ESTRIN describes her Instagram as “Frenchcountryside meets a Prozac commercial.”
Swiping through Isabelle Estrin’s Instagram page can transport you to a dreamy European town or romantic New York apartment. Filled with images of fruits and flowers, mirror selfies, and snaps of Estrin lounging in her underwear, Estrin said her page is often described as “the French countryside meets a Prozac commercial.” New York based content creator first downloaded Instagram during her high school math class when she was 15 and “was really into heavy eyeliner.”
“Since then, my account has evolved as I have,” Estrin recalled. “It reflects my evolving style and interests, as well as what I’m drawing inspiration from at any given time.” Estrin’s feed has evolved from the days of her using Snapchat filters and posting pictures of polaroids. However, the overall essence has stayed the same: real images of Estrin with friends, eating or drinking red wine, pinned against the New York landscape.
“I spent most of my childhood coming to New York, where my parents met and most of my family still live, so New York was always a big part of my identity,” Estrin admitted. “I felt drawn to New York because so much of who I was is instilled in this city. Moving to New York shaped everything about me, I am who I am because of this city.”
Estrin grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta but went to college in Manhattan at The Fashion Institute of Technology. While at college, Estrin began interning for The Break, an onlinebased Vintage store, where she is now the Director of Wholesale and Customer Service for the company. “The Break became my family as well as my dream job,” Estrin said. “I was so lucky to be given the opportunities and the trust that The Break awarded me.”
Estrin in no stranger to working for fashion retail companies, with past experience at Free People and Reformation, but working for The Break has changed the way she dresses. “The Break also completely influenced my style and refined my taste,” Estrin admitted. “I learned to make better choices when it came to dressing myself, and that there is nothing quite as powerful as a woman in a well fitted blazer.”
While working for The Break has impacted her style, as her Instagram page showcases Estrin in cream dresses, vintage pieces and tulle skirts, various people play a role in her personal style. “Solange is my biggest style inspiration,” Estrin claims. “Whether it’s through fashion or her art, everything she does is so powerful. She is the embodiment of style. My other style inspirations are my friends. They each have such unique, individual personal style choices and emit so much confidence through those choices. I definitely feed off their looks whenever I have to get dressed, often times I’m stealing something from their closets as well.”
Although Estrin’s feed is mainly snaps of her wearing dresses, she also exudes confidence with her many topless mirror selfies and photos of her in her bra and underwear. “I think everyone feels some sort of insecurity when posting themselves but it’s important to be kind to yourself,” Estrin said. “I don’t find posting on Instagram and self-confidence necessarily interchangeable. It is easy to assume through social media that people, especially womxn, are confident, flawless entities. It’s OK to feel confident online and less so in real life.”
Through her feed, Estrin embraces womanhood and femininity, while supporting her friends and fellow women. “Girl power means recognizing and embracing ourselves and the womxn around us,” Estrin stated. “I like to embrace womxnhood and femininity through supporting womxn and practicing inclusivity in all aspects of this support.”
When it comes to the future, Estrin remained open-minded and focused on the simpler parts of life. “I just want to be someone who can continue to support my loved ones, drink red wine, and eat cheese in the south of France with my four dogs.”
STORY BY CAROLINE EDWARDS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABRINA GIACOMAGGIO
