Powerful Women in Fashion and Beauty
Honoring Women’s International Month, we highlight powerful women in the fashion and beauty industry. Carine Roitfield, Naomi Campbell, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Rihanna, were the few of many that we acknowledged. While the list could go on forever, these specific women changed beauty and fashion tactics for the long-run. We admire the efforts and strength these women have to support other women.
Carine Roitfield
COURTESY OF CR FASHION BOOK
As a self-taught Parisian, Carine Roitfield began her career as a model. She later found her passion for publishing and went to work for French Elle Magazine as a writer and stylist. When she met Mario Testino at a shoot in 1990, her world opened up. Roitfield was thriving as she styled all ad campaigns and runway shows for Tom Ford, Gucci’s creative director at the time. With her skill, she helped revive the brand to booming global popularity. The controversial aesthetics dominated the advertising industry for a decade until Roitfield was appointed in 2001 as editor-in-chief of French Vogue, which she renamed as Vogue Paris. She photographed a bearded drag star on the cover in 2007. Roitfield has challenged the norms in her work and does so effortlessly. She left her title at Vogue in January 2011 to develop her own magazine, CR Fashion Book, which launched the following year. Roitfield is a jack of all trades and we admire her character for challenging all of the odds.
Naomi Campbell
COURTESY OF JAMES DEVANEY/GC IMAGES
One of the most elite models in the industry, Naomi Campbell, was one of many to lead the way for more inclusivity in the fashion industry. Facing discrimination in her career, Campbell still accomplished being the first black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue’s August 1988 issue. She also was the first black model on the cover of French Vogue after her friend, Yves Saint Laurent, threatened to stop advertising if they were exclusive on their covers. The next year, Campbell appeared as the first black model to appear on the American Vogue September issue, which is the most important issue of the year. Talking about powerful women, she changed the standards of the industry for the future to come. She went on to shoot with the best brands and photographers.
Diane von Furstenberg
COURTESY OF JESSE FROHMAN/FIGAROPHOTO/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
We all know Diane von Furstenberg for her iconic wrap dress in 1974. She launched her brand in 1970 and achieved over one million sales in less than two years. Von Furstenberg had then gone on to receive many awards for her contribution to the fashion industry. She won the lifetime achievement award presented by the CFDA and was then elected as the president of the influential council. As the president, she oversees projects including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund and has played a role in forming the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, which is an act that promotes copyright protection for fashion designers’ products.
Rihanna
COURTESY OF KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES
Rihanna has set many trends and standards to a new level in her career. Her most recent being her pregnancy style. She has made her baby bump the most stylish baby bump there ever was. Rihanna has started out by turning to singing as an outlet to talk about her troubles at home. Fast forward to the launch of Fenty Beauty in September 2017, Rihanna created a brand that included everyone of all skin types and tones. There has been a gap in the industry of perfecting the skincare products to be accessible for everyone. She also wants people to have fun with their makeup and not feel any societal pressures. She encourages a carefree, experimental aspect for the beauty industry. Rihanna also had this in mind when creating her Savage x Fenty lingerie line for all body types and sizes. Inclusivity has been her main focus for her brands and has influenced the fashion industry.
