Jane Fonda W Magazine Cover: Proof You Can Be A Fashion Icon At 77

Jane Fonda: 'It's A Hoot People Are Calling Me A Fashion Icon At My Age'
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W magazine's June/July cover story has just been released, starring none other than the inimitable Jane Fonda.

Shot by Steven Meisel and featuring the finest haute couture designers (Giambattista Valli, Lanvin, Nina Ricci, and Elie Saab to name a few) the shoot sees 77-year-old Fonda looking nothing short of incredible.

"I think it’s a hoot that, at my age, people are calling me a fashion icon”, Fonda told W magazine, following on to discuss her Oscar-winning movie roles, high-profile marriages and views on aging.

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Giambattista Valli Haute Couture dress and cape

On being a fashion icon: “Truthfully, my relationship to fashion has always been strained. When I was starting out as an actress in New York, I worked as a model because I needed to pay for acting classes. But I didn’t have what it took to be a model. I hated all the emphasis on how I looked, and I never paid much attention to clothes.”

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Lanvin dress

On beginning a new phase in her life and career: “I realised I didn’t have a lot of time left, and I wanted to pay more attention.”

“I had a vision: I wanted to give a cultural face to older women. I did have plastic surgery. I’m not proud of the fact that I’ve had it. But I grew up so defined by my looks. I was taught to think that if I wanted to be loved, I had to be thin and pretty. That leads to a lot of trouble.”

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Jane Fonda at the 2015 Grammy Awards

On the Balmain jumpsuit she wore at the Grammy Awards this past February: “I suppose I’ve always known what I like on my body.” “I took one look at that Balmain jumpsuit, and I said, ‘That’s it!’"

"I’m best when I’m wearing something structured, with no frills or bows. Something that will show my waist and bum, because I’ve always had a good bum.”

Jane Fonda: Evolution of Style
1. Year: 1959(01 of65)
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Clad in leopard print and pearls, the actress embodied the glamour of the late 1950s, edging towards a new decade with looser hair, a louder print and the complete abandonment of shoes. Even when playing by Old Hollywood’s rules, Fonda made her own. (credit:Ira Gay Sealy via Getty Images)
2. Year: 1960(02 of65)
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As if taken from the opening scene of "Mad Men," Fonda’s look arguably set the stage for characters like Betty Draper (in general, but in this case aesthetically) thanks to her full skirt, fitted waist and loose waves. (And cigarette. But it was a sign of the times, and nobody here is advocating smoking.) The bangles, meanwhile, are a testament to the timelessness of layered jewelry. (So load up, everyone.) (credit:Silver Screen Collection via Getty Images)
3. Year: 1962(03 of65)
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Only a few years before taking on the role of Barbarella, you could see how Fonda could easily slip into the role of a woman renowned for her hair. (Zooey Deschanel actually sported the same kind of style at the 2012 Golden Globes.) However, she stays true to the early part of the decade, keeping her dress relatively fitted and pairing it with a fur coat, which adds even more texture and dimension to her look. (credit:Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images)
4. Year: 1968(04 of65)
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Behold! The look responsible for establishing Jane Fonda as a late '60s sex symbol. With Fonda starring as the title character, director (as well as then-husband) Roger Vadim and his film, "Barbarella," helped catapult the actress into the limelight, leading to her Academy Award-nominated role in "They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" (For which she underwent another style evolution.) (credit:Silver Screen Collection via Getty Images)
5. Year: 1971(05 of65)
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Following her role in "Klute" (for which she earned her first Oscar), Fonda underwent a dramatic transformation, both aesthetically and personally. In terms of the latter, she began to actively protest the Vietnam War, also crusading on behalf of civil rights and feminism (both of which she’s still fighting for). However, the '70s also saw a dramatic change in terms of style: along with new hair, she began wearing simpler pieces that were true of the time like high-waisted jeans, subtle accessories and T-shirts. And she carried them all off flawlessly. (credit:Bill Ray via Getty Images)
6. Year: 1978(06 of65)
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Then, in a matter of years, Fonda underwent another change. Now, instead of her cropped hair, she embraced her hair’s natural texture, wearing it down and wavy (which made sense, considering this was the way of the late 1970s). However, she still kept her pieces relatively simple: in 1978, she wore a two-piece suit to the National Association of Theater Owners Awards, which embodied the spirit of "business time" and also "bow down, all of us." (credit:Ron Galella via Getty Images)
7. Year: 1979(07 of65)
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Then, one year later, Fonda earned herself another Oscar win (for her role in "Coming Home"), and showed up to the Oscars in a piece the equally represented the decade -- but in a different way. This time, she abandoned neutrals in favour of shimmer and flower print and kept her curls voluminous, but also tame. Why? Because Jane Fonda can do whatever she wants. (credit:ABC Photo Archives via Getty Images)
8. Year: 1986(08 of65)
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With an all-business haircut (girlfriend can seriously rock any hairstyle), Fonda showed up in a heavily shoulder-padded sequined jacket, paired with black pants and an oversize bag. But let’s really talk about the jacket: as if plucked from the costume section of "Golden Girls," Jane’s billowy sleeves, dropped waist and relatively high collar played to the androgyny trend of the 1980s, while also keeping up with its thirst for glam. Though that being said, you could easily wear it today (provided your pants are tight and/or you are Jane Fonda). (credit:Getty Images)
9. Year: 1987(09 of65)
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And it only took a year for the Evolution Queen™ to take the next step. While at an event honouring Merv Adelson, Fonda kept the same looser-fitting silhouette, but balanced it with an off-the-shoulder look that helped create shape. Also? She’s wearing all red, which is a mark of true power. (I hope, because otherwise I’ve been using that dancing lady Emoji all wrong.) (credit:Ron Galella via Getty Images)
10. Year: 2015(10 of65)
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What’s great about Jane Fonda’s style now is that it’s still as wearable and interesting as it was 40 and 50 years ago. Channeling her 1971-era look with a neutral top and statement necklace while on "The Tonight Show" this week, the actress proved how timeless her sense of style is, as well as why we continue to bring back older trends. (Because they look good.) Here’s hoping her "Grace and Frankie" wardrobe is just as exciting. (credit:Theo Wargo/NBC via Getty Images)
January 1962(11 of65)
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January 1964(12 of65)
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January 1965(13 of65)
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January 1965(14 of65)
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October 1966(15 of65)
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In "Barbarella," July 1967(16 of65)
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June 1969(17 of65)
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In 'Klute,' January 1971(18 of65)
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January 1975(19 of65)
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January 1978(20 of65)
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With John Travolta, January 1979(21 of65)
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With Tom Schulman, March 1990(25 of65)
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With Ted Turner, July 1995(27 of65)
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