If Coco Chanel Got Stuck in a Beach Town…

Article by: Soph Penelope Hill

If you know Molly Williams like I know Molly Williams, then you know she is a woman of many tricks and talents. She is probably best known for lighting up many, if not all, of St Andrews most acclaimed stages (The Byre, The Barron, The Stage, the general outdoors…) with her incredible acting ability. Often dressed up in a zany costume while wearing ridiculous make-up, Molly spends a lot of time playing characters other than herself. Immersed in many worlds, not loyal to one more than the other, she has become an illusive chameleon. Along with theatre, Molly is an avid rower, reader, comedian, and explorer. As she so eloquently remarked herself: “Why half-ass one thing, when you can whole-ass ten things?” So who is the real Molly? This is what I wanted to discover. Molly and I met while studying film. We also ran into each other every single day on one of the three streets in this town. It was becoming comical how often we were seeing each other and, many moons later, we were finally organized enough to sit down and have a conversation about style. She so graciously let me into her carefully cultivated room, where we gabbed about the importance of vintage sunglasses and creating a sense of identity based on the aroma of perfume.

A collection of some of Molly’s perfumes alongside her various trinkets.

Molly was born in Hawaii but now resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, giving her the unique blend of vibe-y surfer and southern class. Molly is always the most laid-back person in the room, and I am always so envious of her outfits. She is comfortable, but in a way that is uniquely her own. She dresses to feel good, and because of this, she always looks good. It’s East Coast meets West Coast, with a dash of bohemian femme thrown into the mix. Most of her pieces look like they have a story behind them - something a little mysterious. Molly is the type of person who can longboard, but also has a vast collection of pearl jewelry. She acquired this penchant for pearls while residing in Shanghai - a stamp amongst many which Molly has collected from places she has called home.

She loves simplicity and elegance. Her closet is filled with A-line dresses and floral patterns. She also has the most fabulous collection of vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses. Someone once told her that her style looked as if Coco Chanel had gotten stuck in a beach town and decided to stay there. This is because, for every charming Southern frilled skirt she owns, she has a pair of fitted jeans and worn-out Vans to match. For her, clothing is a tool of communication. It isn’t a masquerade or a façade: it’s a weapon of sorts. She wants to slice you with fierceness, and leave you remembering her realness. As clothing is nothing without the person who embodies it, Molly wants you to feel her presence in a room.

Kaia Gerber wears clothes from Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection on an artificial beach inside Paris’ Grand Palais.

She is not the type of person who wears a glossy trench coat and an haute red lip every day. In fact, she mostly wears t-shirts and cozy coats. Her ability to pair cool, trendy ripped jeans with calico flannels and worn-in baseball hats is unparalleled. She turns this simple, tried and tested classic into a message board of confidence. By embracing these classics, she becomes approachable, but effervescently cool at the same time.

I think of Molly as a bit of a lone wolf, in the best way possible. She walks on a different path to everyone else. She hums her own tune, she carves out her own space, and she is focused on things which are different to most people around her. She is wise beyond her years, but carefree nonetheless. She knows herself so well and challenges the conventions placed around her by others. Molly is one of those people who I cannot wait to say I knew way back when, after she has cured cancer or won an Oscar or led a small country into rebellion. I always feel like I understand Molly through her clothing, but more importantly, I see that she understands herself.

Go green with envy! Inspired by nature, Molly’s room brings the outside indoors and is furnished with verdant plants. Click on the slideshow below to see more.