And what of Tougaard’s off-duty life? She likes to keep things low-key, she says. After walking in Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall 2023 show, in Seoul in April, she spent most of her post-show holiday in the South Korean capital eating cup noodles in 7-Elevens. Time frame allowing, she’s also an avid abstract painter and writer of poetry.
Tougaard says that trying out these more femme looks has allowed her to embrace the multifarious aspects of who she is. “I’ve gotten to see myself in dresses and to allow myself to be feminine,” she says. “Five years ago I wouldn’t have been able to go out in one without feeling like a total idiot.” It’s part of a thrilling journey the model’s been on as she’s trodden her unusual – and whirlwind-busy – path to adulthood. “You go to school and you don’t want to be different,” she says.