We here at the thehepburnmovement strive to show the diversity of pinup/vintage culture every chance we get, to show that ANYONE and everyone can be a pinup regardless of your age, sexual orientation or race. That despite the lack of representation in the media, we exist and are here to inspire others to step out into the spotlight. People from all kinds of nationalities and identities make up this community and we aim to show that with every post. We want to highlight the wide variety of pinup/vintage loving people because they come from all walks of life, and deserve to be seen. We know we are like a broken record with our motto but we cannot emphasize enough how true it really is. Kiran exemplifies this by showing that even if she is one of few, being an indian woman and a pinup is not only a possibility but a reality. That regardless of your ethnicity/cultural background,if you want to you can be a pinup too. We are so glad she let us share her journey with y'all.
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Kiran
We first stumbled upon Kiran's instagram thanks to the explore page and instantly fell in love with her. We love how she exudes this classic pinup look while adding her own elements and staying true to her roots. She show cases that no matter where you come from, you can be a pinup if you want to be. You don't need fancy hair dos or to have a certain skin color, just being you is enough. She is an advocate for self love,acceptance and strives to share her culture every chance she gets. She is an important and sometimes over looked niche in the pinup community and we're so happy to share her voice with all of you today.
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It's actually funny because until my 19th birthday I hated dresses & skirts. I officially started wearing pinup inspired looks about 7/8 years ago. Around that time I also started wearing red lipstick (almost) everyday. I wear the 'true' pinup inspired looks outside of work, because I believe they are not always suitable at work, especially in my current job.
When it comes to makeup, the winged eyeliner look has been part of my make-up life since I was 15. Mostly because it was really easy to do (for me) and it took me only a few minutes in the morning.
When it comes to fashion, I have liked the classic fashion style since the last decade. In nowadays world I missed the class of the old days in the streets. That's also what started my vintage fascination. Class and dressing chic is in general seen as something you only do when you have a party nowadays. However, I don't limit myself to the pinup style. I love other classic styles too: from flapper dresses of the roaring twenties to the boho chic look of the 1960s.
I remember when I wore seamed stockings on random days and people were asking me whether I was doing 'something special' that evening. As if I should dress up for someone else. No, I wear something because I like it. If we rewind to yesteryear, seamed stockings were part of everyday wear even at work. That doesn't mean that I have something against dressing casual by the way. On the contrary, I also have my Netflix and chill days. But a little but more (vintage) glam in the streets or at work wouldn't hurt anyone.
Who is your biggest style inspiration?
Hmm that 's actually a difficult one. I have so many! When it comes to the tropical vintage looks, I recognize myself in Dorothy Lamour. She was quite popular in the 1930s and early 1940s. She became especially popular because of her "sarong look" and had the suitable nickname Sarong Girl. I love those tropical vintage looks, definitely during summer.
When it comes to makeup, I also look for inspiration in the Old Bollywood world. Especially for different bold winged eyes looks. The nude look is definitely not my thing. Next to that, I look at the outfits of Marilyn Monroe for inspiration. Feminine looks while remaining classy. For vintage inspired office outfits I get inspired by Audrey Hepburn.
Next to that, there are so many ladies on instagram these days that give you inspiration for pinup or other vintage inspired looks. Anyone who is familiar with the modern vintage world knows Miss Victory Violet, but also instagrammers like myriamxn and catoinamsterdam. That's the nice thing about instagram and social media: there is inspiration everywhere.
How does it feel to be a minority in the pinup world?
I think there aren't a lot of women in the pinup with Indian roots, so I think I am quite unique and distinctive in the current pinup world. I like to take the positive elements of the old days and present. That's the freedom we have today. That's why I have a typical vintage meets present mindset. Obviously, if we lived in the 50s and 60s of the previous century, this would be a totally different story. Also, when you look back in history - and Classic Hollywood - there is an unseparable link with discrimination and racism.We now live in a time where things are better. Definitely not perfect, but we can raise our (modern vintage) voice: who ever you are and no matter what color or size you have.
I have Indian roots and I have always liked bold colorful fashion and makeup. My early interest for for example the winged makeup look and statement jewellery came from (Old) Bollywood and obviously I don't have the hair length for a classic pinup look, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I like to combine the best of both worlds. That's why I like to see things from an Oriental meets retro point of view which could inspire others.
I see my background in combination with my love for vintage fashion and Classic Hollywood as a strength. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you look at your friends and someone asks you: "what makes them special"? Hopefully not their color, but character. We rise by lifting others. In- and outside the modern vintage world.
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We hope you loved this weeks edition of "any one can be a pinup" as much as we here at thehepburnmovement did, we enjoy sharing stories from all over the world and different walks of life to truly drive the point home. There's nothing more empowering to us than pinups embracing not only their cultures but also their femininity regardless of the boundaries the world tries to set for us. Our love of this wonderful sub culture is what brings us al together and show cases just how diverse and beautiful the community really is. Kiran's story is both inspiring and moving and we are so thankful to have her here on the blog today.
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If you have any comments,questions or even suggestions on who you'd like to see us feature next, feel free to comment below and we'll do our best to reply in a timely manner.
As always thanks for reading, may your days be filled with pretty dresses, dapper clothes & a lot of happiness.
Paola & Kirsten xx
Aka "thehepburnmovement"
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