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. This weeks pinup is...
Miss Velvet Wren
(MissVelvet Wren)
Miss Velvet Wren is one of the FIRST pinups of color I (Paola) ever saw when I first joined the pinup world. I followed her for years secretly admiring her looks, and pining for her wardrobe from afar. She is such a huge inspiration to me, when I first stumbled upon her page I was in awe of how comfortable she was in her skin. I loved the confidence, and radiance she exuded and aimed to be just like her. We became friends last year over clothes believe it or not, a forever 21 top I'd been after for years (It's one of my favorites, don't judge me). As I've gotten no know her, I realized I love her more now and I didn't think that was possible. Not only is she a beautiful human being both inside and out but she is an advocate for women's rights, especially woc she even admins a page dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for us. She isn't afraid to speak up or out when things are wrong and her message is always the same "We just want to be treated equally, we deserve that." She fights for LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights and more representation for minorities in the community, I can't think of a better candidate for this weeks pinup than her! She truly depicts what we mean when we say "Any one can be a pinup" and we are so glad we can share her story with all of you today.
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I grew up watching Old Hollywood films. I started adding
50s-like elements to my clothes when I was about 15. At the time, I didn’t have
access to the online stores so I would have to make due with department stores
items. The Good, the bad and the very ugly. I started wearing these
hideous wide belts that were “one size” but too big for me so I would sew them
smaller. I feel like I’ve come so far! I
still change buttons on my modern cardis to make this look more authentic. I’m
also a very thin frame gal and have had trouble with finding clothes that I
like that fit me. I started to find true vintage items in my size through the
internet. My actual size. Once I got my first debit card, I pretty much dived
in the world of true vintage.
Who is your biggest
style inspiration?
Dovima! Although she was a fashion model and most
photographed for ads, not for her personal style….She seems to be styled a
similar manner. Nipped Waist. Clean Lines. Hats but little jewelry displayed.
Those are elements I try to add in my wardrobe.
What does it mean to
you, to be a WOC in the pinup/vintage community ?
This question is complex and I can go on for hours on the
topic! Being a woman of color in the vintage community allows be to embrace my
femininity that was/is often attempted to be taken away from me, due to my Non-Eurocentric
features. Being a woman of color in the vintage community means I must do a
little more research (which I enjoy!) when it comes to how black and brown
women wore their hair, makeup and clothes during those eras. Being a woman of
color in the vintage community also means I have to face that the 1940s-1950s
weren’t great eras for women of color. Racism and Sexism were two double whammy
of the time. I come across blackface, mammy characters and racist relics of the
past that I sometimes am not prepared for.
I’ve faced a lot of adversity as an outspoken woman of color
in vintage community, I will say. Which I find interesting as the 50s and 60s
are noted for huge peak of civil rights among people of color. Occasionally,
micro-aggressions will pop up--- People expect you to be okay with
respectability politics and shun women of color who are completely with their
sexuality (i.e. Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj). People can’t seem to process it when I
tell them I don’t believe in the term “classy”. I am a feminist and feminism is
about making choices and I will not shun women who own their sexuality after
decades of being viewed as servants and de-feminized.
I am the admin and now owner of Pinups of Colour (formerly Pinups of Color) and it’s my child. I
get messages from women of color almost every day, thanking me for posting them
or thanking me for introducing them to a pinup they can relate to. It makes me
happy and grateful to be a part of vintage community and contributing to women
of color seeing themselves as pinups and vintage enthusiasts without shame.
Photo by: Atomic city Photography
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We hope you enjoyed this weeks edition of "Any one can be a pinup", Miss Velvet Wren is such an inspiring woman and we are so grateful she let us share her story with all of you. We hope she inspires all of you to be true to yourselves and to never stop advocating for change, because if we don't fight for it who will? Representation is so incredibly important and we are going to drive that point home with every post in this series.
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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