Honoring women during Women’s History Month

March marks the beginning of Women’s History Month­­–– a month dedicated to commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of women’s vital roles in American history. What started out as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, Calif. became a known as “Women’s History Week” in 1978 due to the efforts of the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County California Commission on the Status of Women. The movement quickly spread to other communities that initiated their own celebrations. Finally, in 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated the month of March as Women’s History Month.

Every day, there are countless women within the fashion and beauty industries who fight for our empowerment, rights and voices to be heard in a world where we are not always respected or embraced. The women who say “no,” the women who demand higher standards because we’re obviously worth it, the women who do anything in any way for the advancement of us, are all allies.

We need to continue to push for women to be in powerful positions within business. Women have been securing some of the most coveted positions within editorial fashion. In the latter part of 2018, Lindsay Peoples Wagner was appointed editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and Jessica Pels for Cosmopolitan. Just this past month, Holly Shackleton was appointed as the new editor-in-chief of Vogue International. Wagner became widely known for her piece centered around the black experience in fashion and Shackleton was previously editor-in-chief at i-D Magazine. Vanity Fair just appointed Laura Regensdorf, formerly a senior beauty editor at Vogue Magazine, as its new beauty director.

We need to continue to push for diversity and inclusivity. Far too many times, women feel excluded within their own community. There’s not enough representation in the media, on the runways or in campaigns.

Rihanna has become a beauty powerhouse with the launch of her Fenty Beauty. The initial launch showcased 40 foundation shades, a staggering number compared to what most makeup companies offer. That number has now risen to 50 shades and is an Allure Best of Beauty winner — truly catering to every shade of woman. The Fenty slogan “Beauty for All” is reflected across the board, between products, advertisements and campaigns. This shows us two things: this is the way beauty is supposed to be and obviously Rihanna can do no wrong. “I love makeup and I love Rihanna, so to have a crossover between the two is amazing. I know how hard it can be to find a foundation that really fits you,” said third-year fashion marketing and management student Tiffanie McAllister, “It’s a problem I’ve experienced and I’m sure anyone who’s ever worn makeup has dealt with. She really changed the game with all those foundation shades. No other makeup company had done something like that.”

The most recent powerful proclamation of womanhood is Zendaya’s debut collection for Tommy Hilfiger. The #TommyNow runway show was a beautiful display of both modernized ’70s style and beautiful women. The show’s cast was comprised of 59 black models, including some women of color who Zendaya paid homage to for their influence in fashion, Hollywood, and beyond. The models ranged in age from 18 to 70, and included legends Beverly Johnson, the first African-American woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue, Pat Cleveland, often described as the world’s first black supermodel, Veronica Webb, the first African American to have a major cosmetics contract and with none other than the fierce Grace Jones closing the show, strutting to her song “Pull Up to the Bumper.” “This is about saying we appreciate and love you,” Zendaya said of the show’s cast. 

Moments like these will be one of many in the continuous liberation for women. Happy Women’s History Month!