Being that the fashion industry is predominately female-focused, the majority of the design and creative control positions are held by men. Women have followed male visions in the fashion industry for decades — wearing constricting corsets in the 1920’s to accentuate the perfect “hour-glass” figure, modest hemlines to appeal to a more conservative audience, and heels to create the appearance of longer, thinner legs.

However, fashion has evolved since then, and contrary to popular belief, it’s more than just pretty clothes on a hanger. It goes beyond beauty standards and wearing trendy clothing. It’s a reflection of your character, a snapshot of the identity you chose to embody that day. Fashion is about breaking traditional rules and wearing what makes you feel comfortable and good about yourself. It is an outlet for your individualism to shine through; playing with textures, color blocking, mixing luxury with second-hand. It’s an extremely versatile concept, as it grows and changes with the wearer.

I, myself, love all things fashion and always have. One of my earliest memories was scouring through various Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle magazines laying around the house. I would cut the pictures out, rearrange the clothing into different variations, and glue my new designs onto pieces of paper. I thought it was so amazing how innovative fashion designers were, and how creative you truly had to be to design for each season year after year.

However, keeping up with the ever-changing fashion industry as I grew up made me realize a disconnect between the desire to express personal fashion and what was “socially acceptable” to wear. I’m sure we’ve all had times where we put on an outfit that we thought was amazing, just to take a look in the mirror and take it off because we were afraid of what our peers would have to say about it. And I think that’s unfortunate. It’s inspiring to look through the New York or Paris Fashion Week’s “Best Dressed,” and it's confidence-boosting to wear something that’s indicative of your personality and unique style.

All of which can come crashing down by someone else’s negativity towards it. Which is why I’ve been constantly on the lookout for female figures in the fashion industry who embody the message of executing your creative vision no matter outside opinions. Leandra Medine, the creator of the ManRepeller blog (@manrepeller), Sophia Amoruso, the creative mind behind Nasty Gal and Girlboss (@sophiaamoruso), and Candace Pool Neistat, a mother, entrepreneur, and designer of Billy! and Finn jewelry (@billy), all are a few women among many who have exemplified this quality and created a brand true to their personality and style.

One of my favorite quotes that combats the negative frame of mind towards personal style and fashion is “Women. Fashion. Power. Not a Multiple Choice.” — the title of an exhibition held at the London Design Museum in 2015. This exhibit displayed how women with various occupations throughout history used fashion as their tool to stand out and brand themselves as an individual. To me, the title is symbolic of avoiding falling into one single category in life: you are not just a woman. You are not just someone who likes fashion. You are not just powerful. You can combine all three and be everything.