Lily McMenamy: An Avant-Garde Approach to Fashion

May 7, 2025

Lily McMenamy is one of the most unconventional and compelling figures in the fashion world today. With her distinctive features, fearless attitude, and background in physical theater, she has carved out a singular path in modeling and performance art. The daughter of 1990s supermodel Kristen McMenamy and French-Tunisian nightclub owner Hubert Boukobza, Lily was born in Pennsylvania in 1994 and raised in London. Her work spans major luxury fashion houses, art-driven campaigns, and boundary-breaking theatrical performances.

A Radical Debut in High Fashion

Lily’s modeling career began in earnest in 2012, when she signed with NEXT Model Management. Her first major runway appearance was for Saint Laurent under Hedi Slimane, where her striking look and intense runway presence made an immediate impression.

In 2013, she generated global headlines when she walked topless in Marc Jacobs’ Fall/Winter 2013 show, wearing only black elbow-length gloves and high-waisted trousers—covering her chest with her arm. The moment was both shocking and iconic, symbolizing her unorthodox style and fearless approach to fashion. She later appeared in the Marc Jacobs campaign for that collection, photographed by Juergen Teller, with whom she would collaborate on several projects.

Runway Appearances for the World’s Leading Designers

Over the years, Lily McMenamy has walked for a long list of elite fashion houses during Paris, Milan, London, and New York Fashion Weeks. Some of her most notable runway credits include:

Chanel – Lily walked in multiple shows for Karl Lagerfeld, including the iconic Chanel Métiers d’Art collections.
Louis Vuitton – Under the creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquière, she modeled both for runway shows and lookbooks.
Fendi – She appeared in shows and campaign imagery during Karl Lagerfeld’s final years at the house.
Jean Paul Gaultier – Known for theatricality, Gaultier was a perfect match for Lily’s dramatic modeling style.
Moschino – She walked for Jeremy Scott, embracing the playful and provocative spirit of the brand.
Kenzo – With their avant-garde aesthetic, Lily embodied the bold, energetic spirit of Kenzo on the runway.
Balmain – Under Olivier Rousteing, she appeared as part of the brand’s edgy, high-glamour runway collections.
Viktor & Rolf, Vivienne Westwood, and Yohji Yamamoto – Designers who value artistry and unconventional beauty, all embraced Lily’s unique presence.

She has also walked for Lanvin, Acne Studios, Loewe, Mugler, Sonia Rykiel, and Schiaparelli, reinforcing her status as a go-to model for fashion houses that value individuality and artistic expression.

Campaigns and Editorial Power

Lily’s editorial and campaign presence is just as influential. She has graced the covers of i-D, Purple Fashion, Zoo Magazine, Russh, and LOVE, and been featured in Vogue (Paris, Italia, Japan), Dazed, Numéro, Interview, L’Officiel, V Magazine, 10 Magazine, and The New York Times Style Magazine.

She has worked with some of the most acclaimed fashion photographers in the world, including:

Juergen Teller – A frequent collaborator, especially on Marc Jacobs campaigns and personal editorials.
Peter Lindbergh – Known for cinematic black-and-white imagery.
Ellen von Unwerth – Who captured her theatrical femininity in several spreads.
Harley Weir, Alasdair McLellan, and Tim Walker – All of whom have highlighted Lily’s dramatic and often androgynous beauty.

Lily has also been the face of campaigns for United Colors of Benetton, Just Cavalli, Zadig & Voltaire, H&M, Mulberry, Bimba y Lola, J Brand, and Diesel, balancing luxury and high-street aesthetics.

A Model Who Became a Performer

While many models pivot to acting, Lily McMenamy has taken a different route—blending fashion with experimental performance. After training at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, she earned a Master’s degree in Performance Making from Goldsmiths, University of London. Her studies deeply informed her understanding of the body, movement, and the construction of identity.

Her solo show, "A Hole Is a Hole", premiered at Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection in Paris and later toured venues like Volksbühne Berlin. The piece is a surreal, poetic monologue exploring the emotional labor of femininity, public exposure, and the contradictions of modeling—delivered through movement, costume, and satire.

As an associate artist at London Performance Studios, McMenamy continues to develop new performance works that mix physical theater with fashion and autobiography.

Film and Acting Credits

Lily has also acted in films and television, including:

A Bigger Splash (2015), directed by Luca Guadagnino, alongside Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes.
Translantics (2015), a German art film by Britta Thie, where she played a fictionalized version of herself.
Utopia (2018), a surreal TV series directed by Kris Lemsalu and Kyp Malone.

Writing and Personal Voice

A strong advocate for artistic authenticity, Lily McMenamy writes poetry and reflective essays on her experience in fashion and art. She has contributed texts to Marfa Journal, CURA magazine, and other art publications, often exploring the absurdity and vulnerability of public life, the body, and image culture.

Conclusion: Lily McMenamy, A Muse for the Modern Age

Lily McMenamy defies easy categorization. Whether walking for Marc Jacobs, performing at the Volksbühne, or writing about femininity in postmodern culture, she brings intelligence, irony, and raw emotion to everything she does. Her presence in fashion is not just about aesthetics—it’s about pushing the industry to think, feel, and evolve.

In an era where authenticity and hybridity are more valued than ever, Lily stands as a symbol of what modeling can become: a performance, a provocation, a deeply human form of expression.