March is Women’s History month and in order to acknowledge some of the powerful women out there I’ve picked my three favorite ladies (specifically in relation to fashion, but these ladies are more than clothes and fame).
1. Sophia Amoruso
A lot of people may not recognize this powerful woman, but she is the mastermind and creator of the rapidly growing and groundbreaking fashion label “Nasty Gal” (no its not a porn site). She created the company by selling vintage and second hand clothes and eventually building it up person by person to own her own web domain name, quickly grabbing people’s attention with her edgy fashion risks and no nonsense attitude. The fashion at Nasty Gal is for as Ms. Amoruso says, #girlbosses or girls who want to make a statement. I started really digging the store over the summer, finding a lot of my own fashion preferences on their site, and then this summer I found Sophia Amoruso’s book #Girlboss which tell her story, experiences, and has short excerpts of interviews with people deemed #Girlbosses. It quickly became one of my favorite books, and a huge inspiration, I would 10/10 recommend reading it.
2. Emma Watson
A name most known for her 10 year iconic childhood role as the know-it-all Hermione Granger for the Harry Potter franchise, Emma Watson is so much more then a childhood star. A lot of people who get rich and famous young end up as mediocre adults, or repelling their image in Brittany Spears-Miley Cyrus styled tantrums, but not Ms. Watson. After finishing Harry Potter the actress cut all her hair off in a fashionably short pixie cut, an ingenious move to separate herself from her Harry Potter persona. She did a few modeling jobs where she personally took my breath away, and then she seemed to disappear for a while. In reality she went back to school at Brown University where she finished a degree, making her educated as well as good looking and rich. She then returned to the movie scene in a perfectly portrayed role in the classic, Perks of Being a Wallflower. In recent year Watson has also become a big spokesperson for gender equality, and a proud feminist. She is helpful to the cause by showing that feminism is not about man hating. Having grown up an avid avid fan of Harry Potter, Emma Watson being Hermione, was a huge influence as me as a girl. As the franchise came to a close, Emma Watson’s influence on me fortunately did not and to this day I have unwavering respect for her as a model, actress, icon, and most importantly as a person.
3. Debbie Butler
Obviously, not many of you guys know my mom, but she is the most influential woman I’ve ever had in my life. Not only has she instilled values, and shaped my entire child hood, she is also to this day someone I am happy to call my best friend. Growing up she never said no to letting me dye my hair and cut my hair in bizarre ways or push the boundaries of fashion. I remember growing up all the other moms would be in work out clothes or mom jeans, but not my mom, she’d come down the stairs in platform wooden heels, or long hippie skirts, ripped muscles and edgy hair cuts. Always creative, blooming with good energy, and always ready to reason rather then fight I honestly hope to aspire to be a fraction of the woman she is. My mama is very into doing it yourself, and not waiting for other people, if she has a project she’ll slip into ripped jeans or her trusty overalls and get what needs to be done finished. Without her constant involvement, encouragement, I would not be remotely like who I am today and my mom without a doubt is someone worthy of being honored.
With love,
Anna-Jean
East Coast Thoughts 