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Veronika Heilbrunner outside the Fendi AW17 show at Milan Fashion Week
Credit: Getty Images
Despite often being spotted with her partner and fellow creative powerhouse, Veronika Heilbrunner is more than just an inspired fashion editor with a very dapper handbag (aka long time beau, former Brioni creative director, Justin O’Shea).
A veteran of the fashion industry – she was formerly a model, then senior fashion editor at MyTheresa.com and Style Editor of Harper’s Bazaar Germany – Heilbrunner is now the creative director of her own digital lifestyle space, called hey woman!, co-founded with friend and Vogue Germany alum, Julia Knolle.
Aussie expat Justin O’Shea and long-term partner Heilbrunner
Credit: Getty Images
A constant through all these changes however, has been the Munich native’s inimitable and innately cool dress sense. Given her penchant for unexpected and striking pairings, such as ultra-feminine pieces like long pleated dresses teamed with spotless sneakers or opulent jackets with boots that Get Things Done, every outfit she’s snapped in has a functional edge.
And we love that she’s relatable too. Just like us, she admits to going through a questionable fashion phase in the past, where she used to squeeze herself into dresses that were way too short and tight. (Although, there’s certainly no record of any such mishap floating around on the Interwebs, which makes us dubious of her fashion faux pas recollections.)
O’Shea and Heilbrunner
Credit: Getty Images
In any case, the creative director’s now well-refined (although never not fresh) style, adored by fashion’s most discerning street style photographers, demonstrates just how versatile a single piece of clothing can be, and why comfort need not be sacrificed in favour of flair and individuality.
Staple items such as a crisp white shirt, which can be found in just about every wardrobe, are paired with things (like heavy duty boots and track pants or well-tailored, zip-embellished black trousers) that sound silly on paper, but work so well IRL.
Heilbrunner in a navy velvet tracksuit outside the Dion Lee AW17 show at New York Fashion Week
Credit: Getty Images
The trick it seems is to carefully curate (see: Heilbrunner’s perfect and accessible sneaker collection) the pieces that will be worn again and again, in part because of their practicality, and in part because you’ll want to.
If that means buying a whole new wardrobe once, then consider it a worthy investment. Or, failing that, just enjoy the ‘gram: @veronikaheilbrunner.
10 times we fell in love with her signature normcore look on instagram
All gallery images above courtesy: Instagram: @veronikaheilbrunner and hey woman!
