London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 15, 2026

International Women's Day: 12 Powerful Role "Models"

International Women's Day: 12 Powerful Role "Models"

Happy International Women's Day! Here are twelve women we are celebrating today, wearing stunning Fall fashions.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Tom Ford

                        

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has served as a Supreme Court Justice since 1993, after being appointed by President Bill Clinton. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and went on to receive her a law degree from Columbia University, graduating first in her class. Much of Ginsberg’s legal career was spent advocating for gender equality and women’s rights. Because of this, she has become a pop culture icon in today’s feminist movement and has most recently been the subject of a documentary, RBG, and a drama, On the Basis of Sex.

Gloria Steinem in Valentino

                        

Gloria Steinem’s job titles include writer, lecturer, and political activist, but we know her best as one of the leader’s of the American feminist movement in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Steinem has dedicated her life to fighting for women’s rights, forming the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1972. To this day, the organization continues to support gender equality and to ensure the election of more pro-equality women to public office. Other organizations Steinem has co-founded in her vast career include the Women’s Action Alliance, which promotes non-sexist, multiracial children’s education; the Women’s Media Center to promote positive images of women in media; Voters for Choice, a pro-choice political action committee; and the Ms. Foundation for Women. In the 1990s, she helped establish Take Our Daughters to Work Day, the first national effort to empower young girls to learn about career opportunities.

Yoko Ono in Christopher Kane

                        

Yoko Ono is often robbed of her identity as a female artist and regarded only as John Lennon’s widow, or nearly as frequently, demonized as the woman who broke up the Beatles.”It’s important to know that Ono’s character goes far beyond that. The Japanese multimedia artist is known for her music, installations, and activism often uses her music and performance art to address feminist concerns. Notably, her performance entitled Cut Piece explored power dynamics, gender inequality, violence and victimization, and cultural identity, all of which are feminist issues that remain relevant today. Ultimately, in Cut Piece and throughout all of her work, Ono explored themes that are still at the forefront of feminist thought today.

Janet Mock in Alexander McQueen

                        

Janet Mock is a trans activist using her writing and other various multi-media platforms to destigmatize being transgender. After coming out publicly as a trans woman in 2011 via Marie Claire, Mock signed her first book deal which became her memoir Redefining Realness. The book quickly landed itself on the New York Times’ best-seller list. Mock also has produced films such as The Trans List which premiered on HBO in 2016 as well as Pose, a show that follows the lives of five trans-women that premiered in 2018 on FX. Mock is a writer, director, and producer on the show, and is the first trans woman of color hired as a writer for a TV series in history.

Frida Kahlo in Erdem

                        

Frida Kahlo was a fierce Mexican painter who confronted gender politics way before their time. Kahlo not only defied gender stereotypes by wearing suits and refusing to alter her masculine features but also was openly bisexual. The artist often deviated from the traditional depiction of female beauty in her paintings and instead opted to paint real women and their life experiences such as abortion and miscarriage. It is also important to know that Kahlo was extremely politically active. Born in a country based on tradition and Catholicism, Frida was openly atheist and actively involved in the communist party.

Dolly Parton in Collina Strada

                        

Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist, known primarily for her work in country music. Within the industry, Parton has had success like no other; she currently holds 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and nine Grammy Awards. Parton is one of only seven female artists to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. Since the mid-1980s, Parton has supported many charitable efforts, particularly in the area of literacy, primarily through her Dollywood Foundation. The Dollywood Foundation, funded from Parton's profits, has been noted for raising money for several causes, including the American Red Cross and HIV/AIDS-related charities.

Maya Angelou in Isabel Marant

                        

Maya Angelou was a renowned African-American poet, author and civil rights activist. In her lifetime, Angelou published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows. She was respected as a spokesperson for black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of black culture. Following her passing, Angelou’s work continues to impact society as her writings are read in schools across the world. Angelou fought for racial and gender equality every single day, and her words carry on that fight to this day.

Margaret Atwood in Fendi

                        

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian writer whose work includes The Circle Game, and The Handmaid's Tale. As a novelist and poet, Atwood's works encompass a variety of themes including the power of language, gender and identity, religion and myth, climate change, and power politics. Atwood has often refused to label her works as feminist, critics have often analyzed the sexual politics, use of myth and fairytale, and gendered relationships in her work through the lens of feminism. Atwood’s work also has heavy focuses on animal rights, environmental issues and are typically politically charged.

Eartha Kitt in Molly Goddard

                        

Eartha Kitt was a cultural icon who represented feminism, sex positivity, and the fight for civil rights. She was an American singer, actress, dancer, activist, author and songwriter, known for being the voice to the first ever Santa Baby holiday song, and the first ever black Catwoman. Kitt was active in numerous social causes in the 1950s and 1960s, including being a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and publicly supporting same-sex marriage,something she viewed as a civil right. Her lifetime of advocacy and unflinching pride made Eartha Kitt a symbol of black female empowerment for decades and-eight years after her death-her legacy remains as strong as ever.

Elizabeth Taylor in Chanel

                        

Elizabeth Taylor was a British-American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian. Taylor’s philanthropic endeavors included being an activist on behalf of AIDS research long before AIDS became a cause that mainstream actors embraced, Her own foundation has given millions of dollars to programs around the world in the fight against the disease. Elizabeth Taylor was a trailblazer in the entertainment industry -with her role in Cleopatra in 1963 she became the first woman to negotiate (and receive) a $1 million salary. Elizabeth knew her value and her worth, and paved the way for the women of today working to repair the gender pay gap.

Michelle Obama in Celine

                        

Michelle Obama is an American writer, lawyer, and university administrator who was First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. In her role at the First Lady, Obama began the “Let Girls Learn” initiative which aimed to help educate the 62 million girls around the world who aren’t in school. As a public figure representing America, Obama preached the mindset that women must stand up for themselves, each other and justice for all. She encouraged women and truly believed that there was nothing a woman could not accomplish.

Princess Diana in Marc Jacobs

                        

Diana, Princess of Wales, was a member of the British royal family. Unlike previous royal wives, Princess Diana didn't turn a blind eye to her husband's infidelity, but broke with convention to step out of his shadow. Living a life of privilege, the princess made a point of giving back, even to causes that weren’t appealing to others. She worked for many charities, upholding the rights of downtrodden women and creating awareness about people suffering from diseases that were prejudiced against in the 1990s. The princess was independent and a strong role model for Great Britain and the world.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Finland Discuss European Defence and Continued Support for Ukraine
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to the House of Commons
UK Government Deploys Military to Help Fight Wildfires and Bans Disposable Barbecues
UK Records Hottest Day of the Year as Fifth Summer Heatwave Peaks in Southern England
UK Condemns Houthi Actions and Warns of Red Sea Threat to Global Trade
UK and Solomon Islands Open Wildlife Photography Exhibition in Honiara
UK Small Businesses Face Continued Cash Flow and Tax Pressures
Greatham Marsh Restoration Restores Tidal Wetland in Hartlepool After More Than 200 Years
UK Health Regulator Urges University Students to Check Meningitis and Measles Vaccination Status
Mining Remediation Authority Completes Major Ground Stabilization Works in Scottish Community
UK Food Crime Investigators Seize 33 Tonnes of Illegal Food in Multi-Agency Operation
Technical Qualification Uptake Hits Record High as Advanced Mathematics Results Improve
UK Summer Temperatures on Course to Challenge Long-Standing Records, Met Office Says
UK Farmers Bring Forward Cereal Harvests as Drought Threatens Yields
Wildfires Surge Across England and Wales as Fire Chiefs Report Record July
UK Nurses Warn of Heat Risks as Hospital Staff Struggle With Extreme Temperatures
Southern Water Seeks Drought Order for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Amid Water Shortages
UK Heatwave Pushes West London Temperature to 38.1 Degrees as Health Alerts Continue
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in Second Quarter Despite Global Uncertainty
China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express
UK Residents Gather to Watch Rare Partial Solar Eclipse
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice Faces Criticism Over Legal Threat Against Guardian Journalist
Michael Forsyth Elected Speaker of the House of Lords
Cambridge Researchers Launch £20 Million Human Organoid Drug Testing Programme
Heathrow Loses European Passenger Traffic Lead to Istanbul Airport
Households Near New UK Electricity Pylons to Receive £250 Annual Energy Bill Discount
UK Government Estimates Zero-Hours Contract Ban Could Cost Employers Up to £3 Billion a Year
Robert Jenrick Leaves Conservatives for Reform UK in Major Parliamentary Defection
UK Police Chiefs Urge Government to Block Early Release of Andrew Harper Killers
UK Government Holds Emergency Cobra Meeting as Drought and Heatwave Raise Wildfire Risks
Former Labour Adviser Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for China Held Privileged Access as Top Party Donor
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Donald Trump Warns FIFA Against Ousting Gianni Infantino Amid Revolt by Global Football Leaders
Jeff Bezos Joins Investor Group Closing In on $6 Billion Liverpool FC Stake
Police Conduct Cross-Border Raids Against Northern England Drug Network
Nicola Sturgeon Protested at Edinburgh Festival Fringe Event
Major UK Retail Chain Enters Administration With One Hundred Fifty-Four Stores Set to Close
Heathrow Renews Call for Runway Expansion After Losing Europe’s Busiest Airport Ranking
Government Condemns One Million Pound Thames Water Executive Bonus Amid Drought
NHS England Says More Than One Hundred Thousand Hepatitis C Patients Have Been Cured
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Calls for End to West Bank Settler Violence
UK Prepares for Deepest Partial Solar Eclipse Since Nineteen Ninety-Nine
UK Heatwave Triggers Amber Health Alerts as Economic Losses Reach Four Point Four Billion Pounds
UK Offers Electricity Bill Discounts to Communities Hosting New Power Infrastructure
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at Three Point Seven Five Percent
UK Government Moves to Ban Subscription Traps and Misleading Retail Discounts
Andy Burnham Gives Councils New Powers to Block Betting and Vape Shops
UK Councils to Receive Sweeping Planning Powers to Ban New Vape and Betting Shops
Nicola Sturgeon Says She Has No Contact With Estranged Husband After SNP Embezzlement Case
Police Arrest Two Men After Aberdeenshire Defense Technology Office Break-In
×