French girls don’t always do it better, but French girls like Camille Rowe do. The Parisian model has the je ne sais quoi style of icons like Birkin and Bardot before her and is all the more loveable for her Instagram handle (@fingermonkey), which is cute and comical to boot.
Currently residing somewhere in-between Los Angeles and New York City, the 27-year-old model has come a long way from her first under-the-radar act in a Chloe ad back in 2012. Aside from her role in Dior’s Poison Girl fragrance campaign, last year Camille secured pinup status with a tastefully nude Playboy cover, worked alongside Glen Luchford as the face of Rag & Bone, and secured international model status with her first scantily-clad turn at a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Here, the coquettish cool girl dishes on love and life in a quick-fire round of questions from Semaine:
Semaine: Growing up, what did you want to be?
Camille: “A good person.”
Semaine: When did you first become aware of fashion?
Camille: “Looking inside my dad’s closet was my first realization of fashion. He has been my fashion icon ever since.”
Semaine: What was the first job you were booked on as a professional model?
Camille: “I think it was for Jalouse Magazine with Jennifer Eymer.”
Semaine: What’s been the career highlight so far?
Camille: “It’s hard to say. I’ve had the chance to see so many amazing places and work with so many famous people that I never could have dreamed of. One stand out moment: The 2013 Romain Gavras-directed Dior Homme movie with Robert Pattinson.”
Semaine: How did you prepare for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?
Camille: “I sweated a lot and worked out really hard, but I didn’t quit smoking.”
Semaine: Favourite place in the world and why?
Camille: “California, because my mother lives there and it’s where I feel most like myself.”
Semaine: What’s your approach to health and wellness?
Camille: “It's complicated, but my main approach is to be with people who I care about and who care about me in return.”
Semaine: Best and worst parts of being a model?
Camille: “The best part of my job is the money. The worst is all of the time I spend travelling.”
Semaine: How do you spend a perfect day off?
Camille: “Relaxing at home in L.A. with my friends.”
Semaine: What’s your number one career goal?
Camille: “To get a chance to work in meaningful movies.”
Semaine: What are your hobbies?
Camille: “I have one: reading!”
Semaine: How would you describe your personal style?
Camille: “Easy-going.”
Semaine: Who is your role model?
Camille: “My dad.”
Semaine: Paris or New York?
Camille: “Paris for my family, New York for my work, and L.A. for love.”
Semaine: If you weren’t a model, what would you be doing?
Camille: “Hopefully, I’d be a screenwriter.”
Semaine: Desert island essentials?
Camille: “A book, a pack of cigarettes, and a pair of vintage sunglasses.”
Semaine: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Camille: “I see myself happy and in love.”
Semaine: What would you tell your younger self?
Camille: “Don't start smoking!”
By Elsa de Berker for Semaine.