Throughout Women’s History Month, our social profiles were taken over with posts celebrating the amazing ladies that have made their mark on our world.
by Anna Meyer
illustrations by Taylor Hamilton
captions by Ellie Peterson
Women have been fighting for recognition for their work and their impact in society for decades on end, and that fight can even be seen in the 14-year-long campaign and request to have March be the official Women’s History Month. Thankfully, the process worked, and today we have all of March to dedicate lessons and lectures in academics to how women have impacted history. But the recognition doesn’t stop at the classroom, and we made sure to give our own personal shoutout to some of our favorite pop culture leaders through a series partnered with TayHam’s pertinent portraits.
Everyone has their own way of retelling and reminiscing on women’s history, and we made sure to collect some of those stories in our Pinterest board that’s dedicated to the celebration. Here we highlighted coverage about women like Aung San Suu Kyi, Jeannette Rankin and Coretta Scott King.
As we take a look back at how ladies have been leaving their legacies in history, we posted to Instagram throughout March to make sure the appreciation was modern, accessible, and available in the palm of your hand. As we now roll into April, we collected all of those posts here for you take another look at some of your favorite females.
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter
“You Slay.”
Bey slays, all day, we gon’ slay okay, okay, okay ladies now let’s get in formation with this queen! She has worked her way up from dancing and singing competitions, through her days in Destiny’s Child, to her current status as Queen B. In 2014 she became the highest-paid black musician in history and continues to break down walls with her music. She slays, she is flawless, she is fierce, she is Beyoncé.
Frida Kahlo
“Best in the Universe”
Frida Kahlo is one of Mexico’s most celebrated artists. As an artist known best for her self-portraits she once said, “I am my own muse, I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better.” Frida stepped away from the traditional portrayal of women in art and instead painted honest experiences of what women go through. We could all take a page from Frida’s book this Friday, don’t ya think?
Iris Apfel
“Think Big!”
At the age of ninety-five, Iris Apfel is a style icon to all, and we can pretty much guarantee her glasses game is stronger than yours! She got her start working at Women’s Wear Daily and found her love of patterns and fabrics working for an interior designer. Iris and her husband opened up their own textile firm, Old World Weavers, where she traveled the world for fabrics. During her business trips, she collected eclectic pieces of clothing and jewelry that caused major style envy at all of the social events she attended back in the States. More recently, Iris has been featured in an exhibition titled “Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel” at The Met. She was also featured in a Netflix documentary titled “Iris”, which if you haven’t seen (we’re judging you), clear your Sunday plans, grab a bottle of wine and be prepared to adore Iris even more than you thought possible!
Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour is the “Ice Queen” of fashion (pun intended)! She might be best known for her cold and aloof personality in the fashion world, but Anna certainly knows how to “take charge” and that is what makes her so successful in this industry. She noticed her interest in fashion at a young age when she worked at a popular boutique in the London. From there, Anna began her career in fashion journalism and moved around to different publications throughout the U.K. and the United States. Finally in 1988, Anna began her reign as editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine! Since she stepped into her role as editor-in-chief, she has truly revolutionized how magazines approach fashion. Anna supports many young designers and models, sets fashion trends, and uses her network of fashion influencers to help the industry flourish and develop trend setters for years to come. Ice Queen, you rule!
FKA Twigs
“The Twig Is Up”
FKA twigs success as a singer, songwriter, record producer, director and dancer proves that the “twig” is not up for her! The English singer started her career in music as a backup dancer and put out her first EP in 2012. In 2014 FKA twigs released her first studio album ‘LP1’ which made it to the top of the charts in both the U.K. and the United States. Her music breaks a barrier of labeling music into one specific genre. She mesmerizes you with her ability to combine R&B, electronic, punk, avant-garde and industrial into one fluid sound. Not only can this girl sing, she can perform! Check her out and you will be awestruck by her badassery!
St. Vincent
“You’re a Saint.”
Her name says it all! St. Vincent is 🙌🏻. After releasing four albums and being featured on albums with artists such as Swans, she has developed a sound that blends soft rock, jazz, experimental rock and electropop. Her unique blend of genres won her Best Alternative Album of the year in 2014, making her the first solo female performer to win this award in over 20 years! But that is not all, St. Vincent also invented a guitar that is said to fit women’s bodies better than a traditional guitar. St. Vincent, thank you for your saintly contributions to the music industry!
Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson
“High Friend”
Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson give us major #friendshipgoals on-screen and off of their show”Broad City.” Ilana and Abbi are the shows creators, stars, and writers often saying they base the show off of their own friendship and adventures they have had together in New York through their college years. Ilana and Abbi refer to their friendship as a #bramance, which we can safely say we will be using that term quite frequently, but this is what makes the show so authentic, relatable and hilarious. So cancel your Saturday night plans and instead say “high friend” to your couch so you can snuggle in and watch the first three seasons of “Broad City.” Trust us, you won’t regret it!
Dolly Parton
“Parton My French But…”
Holy sh*t! What hasn’t Dolly Parton done? The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, businesswomen, author, and record producer has been making music since 1967. Since her debut album she has received nine Grammy Awards, ten Country Music Association Awards, three American Music Awards and Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award… the list goes on. Dolly seems to be successful in everything she does, including opening a theme park named Dollywood, which uses some of its revenue to donate books to children in communities across America whose families aren’t able to afford them. And to that all we can say is damn, Dolly!
Anna Meyer is The Riveter’s Digital Editorial Assistant. She is a Minneapolis native currently pursuing journalism and English at the University of Kansas. You’re most likely to catch her either throwing back espresso shots, planning for her next trip abroad or writing down ideas for stories in her notebook. Follow her on Instagram (@annavmeyer) and stay updated with her work via her personal website.
Ellie Peterson is The Riveter‘s Intern, who’s studying retail merchandising and art history at the University of Minnesota. After graduating this spring, you will most likely find her in a local coffee shop with the latest issue of Vogue or listening to her list of growing podcasts and playlists which she can never seem to catch up on.
