Oh, young Hollywood. Sure, we love them for their talent and style. Unfortunately, many members of this elite group also tend to use their time in the spotlight to garner Instagram followers and tabloid headlines.
Then there is that special group who use their fame and notoriety as a platform to bring awareness to causes, inspire their audiences and (as cliché as this sounds) help make the world a better place.
Here are four Fashionistas we admire not for their killer wardrobes (which are enviable), but more so for their individuality, brains, maturity and insight.
1. Emma Watson
“The more I spoke about feminism, the more I realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.”
Thrust into international stardom at age nine as Hermoine Granger in the Harry Potter franchise, Emma has literally grown up before our eyes. On and in her “free time,” this striking beauty also studied at Oxford and Brown University, from where she got her B.A. in English. Now as the UN Goodwill Ambassador, she is using her fame for good by calling for gender equality. The HeForShe initiative asks for men and females alike to reclaim and redefine the word “feminism.” This 25-year-old is wise beyond her years and inspires everyone to take a stand for issues that are important to them.
2. Tavi Gevinson
“Fashion is about personal expression and creativity. And I want there to be a place where women can do that, where you can care about fashion, and even be super girly, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not also smart or confident or strong.”
Tavi became internet famous when she launched her fashion blog, “Style Rookie” at age 11. From a young age, Tavi’s sense of style inspired and encouraged her readers to be unapologetically themselves. Oversized granny glasses and lilac hair? Go for it! Flash forward and Gevinson is now the founder and editor-in-chief of “Rookie Magazine,” which publishes art and writings from teenage contributors all around the world. She seems to do it all, all remaining 100 percent, authentically Tavi.
3. Taylor Swift
“I can’t promise you that you’ll ever live in a world where people don’t hurt your feelings, but I can promise you that if you keep on moving and taking one day at a time, the opinions and words of people who hurt you will matter less and less to you.”
There is no introduction really needed for Miss Swift—who has sold over 40 million albums and breaks more records than I knew existed. And even though her love life may occasionally be tabloid fodder, you never hear about Swift stumbling out of bars or leaking naked selfies on Snapchat. Instead, Taylor uses her fame for good—like commenting on a random fans Instagram photos to stay strong when faced with issues like heart break and bullying. Taylor Swift defines the word “busy” yet constantly makes time to truly connect with her fans—which, to us, is pretty darn inspiring.
4. Lorde
“Flaws are ok.”
Lorde took the music scene by storm when she became the youngest solo artist to achieve a US number-one single since 1987 with “Royals.” She continued to shock the music world when she decided to give away her EP for free. While Lorde may only be a stage name, she keeps it real on and off the stage by being unique, owning her age and promoting healthy body image. She famously posted unedited images on Instagram with a caption that stated, “flaws are ok.” That’s a royal philosophy in our book!
