From classically elegant Audrey Hepburn to the rather bohemian Sienna Miller, the stylish women that inspire designers have played an important part in the creative process of fashion through the years. They aren’t always the most beautiful girls – the muse’s magic lies in her unmistakable sense of style and ability to create a signature look, obviously sharing the artist’s vision. Be it the sensual elegance of Catherine Deneuve or the eccentric fabulousness of Isabella Blow, the muses are style artists in their own right. Meet the women whose job is to be an inspiration, as we take a look at some of the most memorable muses of yesteryear and those who are still working their magic today.

Edie: the quirky, eccentric party girl

The Party Girl: Edie Sedgwick

“I had fun, but I didn’t really have anyone I particularly loved except for loving friends. But I have a certain amount of faith that it will come.”

New York It Girl Edie Sedgwick was an unconventional style icon, famous for her original looks, quirky sense of style and for her love affairs with stars such as Bob Dylan and Lou Reed. She was a muse to Andy Warhol, appearing not only in his short films but also by his side in night clubs and parties throughout the 1960s.

Born in Santa Barbara, California, Edie’s upbringing was anything but charmed. Her eating disorders not only got her expelled from the Katharine Branson boarding school in San Francisco, they also landed her in hospital several times. In 1965, Edie met Andy Warhol and starred in his film Vinyl. Although she only appeared briefly in the film, she generated so much interest that Warhol decided to make a film in which she was the star. This idea evolved into The Poor Little Rich Girl Saga, a film series with Edie as its star.

Always one step ahead with her fashion sense, Edie soon became known for her black leotards, ballet flats and large chandelier earrings, along with her silver-sprayed short hairdo. She spent most of the 60s at Andy Warhol’s side, spiralling into drug abuse as her fame grew. In July 1971, Edie married Michael Post and briefly stopped using drugs. However, she died in November that same year of medicine intoxication. She was 28 years old.

The Sophisticate: Catherine Deneuve

“Saint Laurent designs for women with a double life. His clothes for daywear help women to enter a world of strangers … thanks to their somehow masculine quality they give her a certain power, arm her for encounters which may lead to disputes. However, for the evening, when she may chose her company, he makes her seductive.”

Born in 1943 in Paris, Catherine Deneuve is famous for her work in Jacques Demy’s 1964 musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg and Luis Buñuel’s 1967 film Belle de Jour, for which her costumes were created by young French designer Yves Saint Laurent. A friendship was born, along with a splendid partnership that saw the birth of Yves Saint Laurent as an international fashion genius – and Catherine as his muse.

In the film, Catherine’s character goes from an elegant but cold housewife bedecked in Jackie O-style coats and dresses to a fiery, sensual seductress with dishevelled blonde hair and smudged eyeliner. Even today, the look is still admired and copied – NARS’ cosmetic collection for summer 2010 takes the film as inspiration.

Yves Saint Laurent went on to dress Catherine in the films Liza, The Hunger, and La Chamade, creating looks that balanced seductive femininity with cold, rigid elegance. Catherine herself, though, denies ever having been, or ever having wanted to be, a style icon.

Audrey wearing Givenchy in Sabrina

The Enigma: Audrey Hepburn

“The best thing in life to hold on to is each other.”

A style icon, Oscar-winning actress, and human rights activist, Audrey Hepburn continues to inspire, over a decade after her death.

Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey was originally a ballet dancer and model. Her first film, Roman Holiday, earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in 1953. She became an international style icon with the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961, in which her character, New York socialite Holly Golightly, made the little black dress a must-have in every woman’s closet.

However, it was in Sabrina that Audrey’s status as muse to Hubert de Givenchy was truly cemented when her character stepped out in the iconic Givenchy dress that came to be associated with Audrey for decades to come. The film not only won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design and sparked fashion styles that conquered the world; it also inspired a partnership and friendship between Audrey and Givenchy. Long after the film, Givenchy designed not only Audrey’s costumes for her films, but also her personal wardrobe.

A dedicated UNICEF ambassador and children’s rights activist, Audrey Hepburn died in 1993 of colon cancer, but her influence as a style icon continues to live on. The Audrey Hepburn look (much of it influenced by Givenchy’s work) with big sunglasses, ballet flats and the little black dress, has grown and evolved to become a timeless classic that adapts itself to the constantly changing seasons of fashion and never goes out of style.

The Eccentric: Isabella Blow

“I’ve done the most peculiar jobs. I was working in a scone shop for years, selling apricot-studded scones. I was a cleaner in London for two years. I wore a handkerchief with knots on the side, and my cousin saw me in the post office and said, What are you doing? I said, What do you think I look like I’m doing? I’m a cleaner!”

Starting out in the fashion industry as Anna Wintour’s assistant, Isabella Blow later assisted Vogue US editor-at-large André Leon Talley before working at Tatler (where she later became fashion director) and the Sunday Times Style magazine. The muse of hat designer Philip Treacy was not only famous for her iconic, eccentric style, she was also responsible for discovering supermodels such as Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as the late designer Alexander McQueen.

Isabella and Philip Treacy met when Treacy designed Isabella’s headdress for her wedding to art dealer Detmar Blow. Having spotted Treacy’s creative talents, Isabella took to wearing his hats, incorporating them into her style. She was rarely seen without a large, flamboyant hat on her head. In 2002, an art exhibition at the London’s Design Museum entitled ‘When Philip met Isabella’ portrayed their artistic partnership through drawings and photographs of Isabella wearing Philip’s designs.

During the last years of her life, Isabella became severely depressed and, in 2004, separated from Detmar Blow. In 2007, she died from what was at first believed to be ovarian cancer, but later turned out to be suicide.

The New Muses

As long as there are flagging artists and designers, there will always be muses, such as these modern day inspirations…

Amanda Harlech is chic in Chanel

The Fickle Muse: Lady Amanda Harlech

“I don’t think I am a muse. A muse is someone who walks through a room and inspires, but he is inspired by many other women, men, books, pieces of furniture, music, ecc…”

That may be, but it can’t be denied that Amanda Harlech’s position in fashion is significant, having been credited as a muse not only to Karl Lagerfeld but also to John Galliano before him.

Before becoming a full-time muse, Lady Amanda was the fashion editor of Harper’s & Queen. A meeting with John Galliano during his graduate show at Central Saint Martins brought together the designer and the muse, marking the beginning of a 12-year partnership that ended when Galliano became the creative director of Dior and Lady Amanda made the move to Chanel.

Describing her work as “a sounding board for Karl’s ideas”, Lady Amanda is a given presence during the Paris couture shows (staying in a suite at the Paris Ritz which is permanently hers – envious, anyone?), but spends the rest of the year in her Shropshire house with her children, dogs, cats, and horses, and admittedly “never thinks about clothes” between fashion shows.

The Creative: Sofia Coppola

“You’re considered superficial and silly if you are interested in fashion, but I think you can be substantial and still be interested in frivolity.”

As daughter of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola has always had a passion for creating and telling stories. While she is internationally famous for directing films such as The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, Sofia is also a style inspiration.

Starting out as a teen model in magazines such as YM and Seventeen, Sofia continued on the fashion path as an intern at Chanel. Her flair for telling a story with fashion is evident in her 2006 film Marie Antoinette, in which the teenage French queen is portrayed as a decadent fashionista, indulging in gorgeous dresses and gorgeous men. It’s no wonder that Coppola is a long-time friend and muse of one of the world’s most high profile designers, Marc Jacobs, who has created a bag with her name. Sofia is often seen wearing Jacobs’ designs to various events, and appeared (naked) in the ad for his perfume Blush.

Carine Roitfeld's sensual Parisian look

The Parisienne: Carine Roitfeld

“With French women, first you see the woman, then you see the clothes.”

Having been discovered on the street by a model scout, Parisian Carine Roitfeld never found any real success as a model. “I wasn’t a star”, she reminisces. “I was only booked for teen magazines.” She went on to become a stylist and writer for French ELLE before moving on to Vogue, where she has held the position of Editor-in-Chief since 2001.

Before becoming one of the most powerful people in the fashion business, Carine Roitfeld worked with photographer Mario Testino on advertising campaigns for Versace, Missoni, Yves Saint Laurent, and Calvin Klein. They were approached by Tom Ford to work on a Gucci campaign, which led to Carine becoming Ford’s muse and consultant for six years, taking part in the relaunch of the Gucci brand.

As fashion editors take up places on best-dressed lists, Carine is one of the world’s ultimate trendsetters – whether it’s pencil skirts, smoky eyes or voluminous shoulders, the fashion world follows where she leads. Although Tom Ford has moved on from Gucci, the Ford-Roitfeld partnership remains – Carine’s daughter, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, a budding style icon herself, starred in Ford’s Black Orchid perfume ad.

The Bohemian: Sienna Miller

“… I don’t want to be seen as some little girl. I’m quite tough and proud.”

Bursting onto the fashion scene as Jude Law’s boho-chic girlfriend, London It Girl Sienna Miller quickly made a name for herself as an actress with the 2006 film Factory Girl, in which her character was none other than another style icon and muse, Edie Sedgwick.

In 2004, rumours circulated that Sienna was the new muse of designer Matthew Williamson, replacing Sadie Frost – Jude Law’s ex-wife.

“Sienna looks great because she is not afraid to mix designer pieces with cheaper things”, said Matthew Williamson, expressing his love for the actress’ sense of style. Later on, however, Williamson ‘s fickle tastes changed again, this time choosing Leigh Lezark as his new muse.

Continuing to explore her talent for style, Sienna started fashion label Twenty8Twelve with her sister Savannah, a fashion designer who’s worked with Alexander McQueen. Inspired by London’s fashion world, Twenty8Twelve mixes rock n’roll with a softer, romantic vintage feel. Just like Sienna’s own style.