Fashion Forward

If you come across the latest issue of Vogue, brace yourself for the March cover girl—her perfectly wing-lined eyes might just stare right into your soul. Donned in Givenchy couture, Beyonce Knowles graces the cover of Vogue’s Power Issue, exemplifying a whole new meaning for a woman of power—and it’s not just because of her pretty brown eyes.

  Of course she’s undeniably beautiful, successful and famous, but her strength manifests most in her talent, mind and womanhood. An emotional roller coaster of events was set in motion in January with Beyonce’s immaculate rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Presidential Inauguration, and then 24 hours later, it was revealed she sang from a prerecorded track. Just two weeks later, she blew spectators away with her fierce performance at the Super Bowl.

  If that doesn’t say “power” enough on its own, the fact that the world cared enough to ride along with her does. Her ups and downs have only proved women are multifaceted, nuanced characters with the power to overcome anything. “Equality is a myth and for some reason everyone accepts the fact that women don’t make as much money as men do,” she says in the March 2013 issue of Vogue. “Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.”

  The image of women has come a long way, and the recent trend of “girl power” has sparked another renaissance for the perception of females. A little over a decade ago pop culture featured the Britneys and Christinas. Finally, pop culture is beginning to crave a sense of eccentricity—which can go a little overboard (à la Gaga), but individuality is certainly much more welcomed. The mainstream music scene includes artists like Florence Welch, Katy Perry, Nikki Minaj and Beyonce Knowles, all of whom express style at a whole new level, where it is not about what’s stereotypically pretty but what stands out. Girl-empowered TV shows like “New Girl,” “The Mindy Project” and “Girls” and popular websites like Rookie and HelloGiggles show the variety, complexity and nuances of women. More and more women in the spotlight redefine the meaning of a woman by not defining it at all.  
  One can argue that the fashion world might be an antifeminist realm where trends dictate what women should wear. But in many ways the fashion world (at least the high-fashion world, in my eyes) can be inevitably feminist. From thrift shop mom-jeans to avant-garde masterpieces on the runway—some of the stylish trends in womenswear take a lot of guts to flaunt. Whether it’s Madonna’s power-shoulders, Rihanna’s dagger-like nails, Zooey DesChanel’s peter-pan collar or Alexa Chung’s leopard booties, the most important accessory in a woman’s wardrobe is self-confidence. Fashion is an artistic form of self-expression, but many girls might hesitate because, let’s face it—most boys don’t typically gravitate towards girls who dress like them or wear the latest Peter Som jacket that says “chic” to you but “Chewbacca” to him.
  Thank goodness for Leandra Medine, the saving grace who started the blog “The Man Repeller” for her love of stylish fashion-forward ensembles that happen to confuse men. Now praised for her full-length jumpsuits and jewelry that resemble violent weaponry, her stellar style gained her a high reputation in the fashion world. 
  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with dressing to impress, flaunting your curves or simply embracing your sexuality, but wearing what you want because you want to should be the No. 1 priority. So the next time you find yourself hesitant, go ahead and flaunt that faux-fur shrug like Beyonce. Just remember who run the world? Girls.