It seems fitting that Dree Hemingway was born in a place called Sun Valley.
The model and actress, with her messy blonde hair and tall slim stature, is a combination of hippie wild child and classic American beauty. The great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, the niece of the late Margaux Hemingway, the daughter of Mariel Hemingway—here is a woman with fantastic genes and an iconic family heritage. But standing inside the Coach store on Burrard Street, where she is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the all-American brand, it becomes evident that this Hemingway is entirely her own.
“I have a deep respect for people’s personalities and how they incorporate that into their look,” she says. “I think with my style, it’s finding what works for me, and not necessarily falling into other people’s perceptions of how I should be.” That is, unless she is playing a character for a movie or fashion shoot. The sought-after Hemingway has shot campaigns for Chloé and Salvatore Ferragamo, walked in shows for Calvin Klein and Givenchy, and appeared in magazines including Vogue and Playboy (the latter for which she posed as the publication’s first-ever non-nude centrefold). And, of course, she is a champion of Coach and a dear friend to its creative director Stuart Vevers.
“I’ve known Stuart for a really long time, and he came and created a whole new vibe for Coach, which was awesome,” Hemingway says. “He’s really made the ready-to-wear incredible for young women. And men! Their menswear is fucking sick.” She (as do many fashion critics) credits Vevers with revamping the brand, which she says was once seen as quite proper and how has a spirited sense of fun. “I’ve known Stuart forever, since I first started modelling,” Hemingway says. “I think we’ve both been on each other’s teams from the beginning.” Vevers has taken Coach into the 21st century, while at the same time paying homage to its 75-year history as a New York leather brand.
Despite her affinity for being in front of the camera (she has appeared in films including While We’re Young with Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, and Listen Up Philip with Jason Schwartzman and Elizabeth Moss), Hemingway loves the work that goes on behind-the-scenes, and one day hopes to have her own collection and direct her own film. Really, though, the young star is content where she is (quite literally at this party, as she dances alone in front of the DJ booth, and overall, at this point in her career). “I just want to continue where I am right now,” she says. “I’m really grateful to work as a model, I think it’s taught me more about my acting career than I could have hoped.” Hemingway then poses for a quick photo—first, she stands normally, easily slipping into model mode; and then, without warning, she puts one hand up in a claw and throws her mouth into a little snarl. That’s Dree.
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