Bad Girls

“Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them,” the American fashion designer, Marc Jacobs, once said. The someone that Jacobs is referring to pushes the fashion industry past its boundaries and propels creativity and imagination. The individual who takes the clothes and accessories out of their closets and into the world with a message, purpose, and personality are the inspiration behind the industry. They are the trendsetters that designers love to design for, that critics love to criticize, and that young, fashionable boys and girls desire to be. Marc Jacobs would certainly agree that the following female fashion forces meet the criteria of this “someone” he describes. Rihanna is one of the most recognized style icons in the fashion world today. From somehow making extravagantly oversized outerwear look sexy, to appearing cool as ever in socks and heels, RiRi shocks the fashion world time and time again with her confidence and elegance, as she uses her grace to inspire and support women to follow in her footsteps. On social media, Rihanna advocates for women who disobey social constructs with their fashion choices. She once tweeted about Nicole Richie’s controversial 2013 Met Gala outfit, announcing her as “#bestdressed” and claiming Richie’s bold ensemble, which included spiked, violet hair and earrings which covered the entirety of both ears, “makes me throw up!!”—a true complement in the words of a BadGal. Rihanna also stands out as a role model to the next generation, having earned herself the Rock Star Award at the Black Girls Rock awards show. Though many may view the fashionista’s wardrobe choices as inappropriate, she defended her style in her acceptance speech. “I think I can inspire a lot of young women to be themselves,” Rihanna argued, “and the minute you learn to

love yourself, you would not want to be anyone else.” When it comes to gendered fashion ideals, Rihanna ignores every societal rule. Take one look at her internet-breaking outfit from the 2014 CFDA Awards, and it will make perfect sense why she was named the CFDA Style Icon that year. As she glamorously walked up to the stage to receive her award, she dazzled the world in an Adam Selman Swarovski crystal-covered, floor length, completely see-through dress, paired with matching gloves and head wrap. She finished the look with a bubblegum-pink fur stole. Nipples out, confidence high, Rihanna graciously accepted the award from Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue. “It’s fun to feel a little bit boyish one day, and like a dazzling diva the next,” Wintour said, applauding Rihanna’s style as she presented her with the award. Riri’s collaboration with Puma has led to the creation of numerous new fashion trends, many of them unisex. ‘The Creeper,’ a low-top sneaker famous for its recognizable cleated platform, along with leggings that lace all the way up the side of the leg, bright-colored slides with the letters “F.U.” printed on top, cropped puffer jackets, stilettos designed like sneakers, and velour jumpsuits are all included in her show-stopping collection. It’s quite obvious that she didn’t create her line for the everyday wearer; she created her clothes for the confident risk takers. According to the BadGal herself, “You will never be stylish if you don’t take risks.” Rihanna’s is certainly not the only celebrity voice encouraging fans to be courageous and find themselves through fashion. Another bold female fashionista is Beyoncé, the CFDA Style Icon recipient in 2016. She, too, accepted her award in an eye-catching ensemble: a sparkly, pinstriped Givenchy pant-suit paired with a

giant wide-brimmed black hat. Queen Bey spoke about her mother’s vast influence on her style. Beyoncé proudly told the audience that when her mother was growing up, her grandmother lacked the means to pay for her mother’s tuition, so she designed and created school uniforms in exchange for her mother’s education. Bey’s grandmother passed her sewing skills on to Beyoncé’s mother, who designed her first prom dress, her first Destiny’s Child costume, her first Grammy dress, and her wedding dress. Aside from her mother’s fabulous designs, Beyoncé has created a wardrobe — or should I say a work of art — full of accessories and apparel for every occasion. Bey takes confidence to a new level with daring combinations such as the pink camologue flat hat and printed clutch which reads “I kiss better than I cook” which she wore to a dinner date with Jay Z in downtown NYC, and the velvet neon orange pant-suit which she sported to a showing of Hamilton. Beyoncé’s fearless fashion choices inspired her athletic wear line, Ivy Park, which is designed for women of all shapes and sizes who want to “look and feel at the top of their game.” She motivates other women, as her mother and grandmother motivated her, to embrace their body type, whatever that may be. In an Elle 2016 interview, Beyoncé shared the methods behind her madness and the level of specificity required to create a line that makes all women feel comfortable. She discussed the use of breathable fabrics, the attention to durable straps, and the underlining in their leggings that lifts and supports women’s bottoms while working out. Beyoncé’s meticulous attention to detail has allowed her to execute a line that “celebrate(s) every woman and the body she’s in while always striving to be better.” These women’s voices, along with so many others, are now empowering the next generation to use fashion as a form of selflove and expression. For example, Hailee Steinfeld sings about the importance of loving oneself, and slays the red carpet again, and again, and again. Notable looks include her all back Vera Wang outfit at the 2017 Met Gala, where she brought sex appeal and stealth by rocking a top knot, winged eyeliner, and leather platform booties, as well as her lilac gown with sparkling silver neckline that brought the words ‘fairytale’ and ‘princess’ to mind at the 74th Golden Globes. Zendaya has made her name known in the fashion world as well, both with her shoe line, Daya by Zendaya, and extravagant looks. Pom-pom pumps, cropped blazers with floor-length tails, neon blue tutus, and thigh-high boots with thirteen buckles going up her leg have all made heads turn. InStyle noted several occasions where Zendaya “achieved a pretty neat color-blocking effect,” appeared “effortless, polished, and still glam,” and “pushed the envelope” in their article “15 Lessons We Learned from Obsessing Over Zendaya’s Fiercely Cool Style.” She likes to play with her hairstyles, too, keeping the media on their toes with the occasional blonde mullet or bob cut wig. She says, “One of my biggest goals in life is to help others find self-confidence and to help them learn to feel comfortable in their body.” RiRi and Bey would be proud. These women emulate the essence of fashion. This industry is all about taking risks and creating an identity out of clothing, whether it be a personal identity, a designer’s, or a generation’s. Don’t get me wrong, a classic DVF wrap dress or a pair of Gucci loafers with jeans will never go out of style, but the fashion industry doesn’t move forward when we stick to what’s comfortable. So go buy the most absurd platform boots you can find, and I assure you, you’ll feel like you can rule the world.