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...
Erin
I (Paola) met Erin quite recently thanks to the pinup community on instagram and I was immediately enraptured by everything she posted. Not only was it visually stunning but her incredible personality shone through every post. She is so unapologetically herself, with a tough as nails exterior and a sweet heart of gold cased within. I followed her immediately and we have been friends since chatting about changing the world one lazy girl pinup hairstyle tutorial at a time. As well as educating the world on the IMPORTANCE of representation for Pinups of color and especially those also apart of the LGBTQ+ community. The Trans voice is unfortunately one that is not often heard or over looked and Erin strives with every post,every picture to change that. She inspires me everyday with her bravery and it's one of the many reasons why I am sharing her story today. I am so honored to be able to call this fabulous woman my friend and after reading her story,I'm sure you'll wanna be friends with her too!
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When did you get into the pinup lifestyle?
When I started my transition, I gravitated towards vintage inspired/original vintage clothing. It reminded me of my early childhood memories sitting next to my mom watching old films on the tv. Although I didn't fully take the step of becoming full Mexican Vixen at first, I always tried to incorporate things I loved into my closet. It was not until 2014 that I met my, now husband, that he started encouraging me to stop feeling ashamed of being feminine. Growing up in Mexican society, gender roles are harsh and constantly go to the idea that masculinity is inherent to men therefore they have inherent power over women. I was always really feminine so I learned to feel ashamed of what I liked and tried to blend in as much as possible. I carried this attitude through my early transition years, I thought that as I was passible it was my obligation to make people at ease so I started hiding myself and therefore the things I liked. I have always been a person interested in history, when I met my now husband, I was studying as a major on history of arts. I unfortunately had to drop, because I didn't have the money to keep my studying. I had a few really dark years where I was not only hiding but all the things that I loved were slipping away from me. After I decided to marry Benjamin, and start opening up with my now best friend, they both allowed me to realize that femininity was a powerful statement.
Who is your biggest style inspiration?
I couldn't just choose one so I will talk about two of my top style icons. One of them is Maria Felix, I still remember the first time I saw her in the movie Enamorada with her really pointy brows and attitude. She was the epitome of strong Mexican femininity. She spoke to men as equals and even owned houses in her name in a time she wasn't supposed to even dream of it. She defied Mexican standards with her "manly" attitude, smoking her thick puros and talking about horse breeding. She became an important part of my style because her example showed me to feel pride in my "masculine"/"feminine" traits, and also my identity as a Mexican. My second most inspirational icon is April Ashley, better know as the first transsexual of Britain. She was surrounded by scandal after she was outed as trans, but since then she has become a beacon of hope for the trans community all around the world. Her story is so close to my heart because she ran away from home to become a show girl, and paid her medical transition through these means. The first time I saw her was in my early teens, her eyes and beauty were the first thing I noticed. However after learning about her hardships and the fact that instead of hiding she became a proud trans femme, I was inspired by her. This allowed me to reconnect style wise and personally to myself. She has also been unapologetic about her work as a show girl,which for me shows that as a trans woman I can feel a deep connection with my sensuality without it making me a sexual object.
How does it feel to be a minority in the pinup community?
I am a really private person and in fact pretty new in this community, but what I have experienced so far has been nothing but acceptance. The pinup community has showed me a space to express myself freely, and also represent the historical impact of Mexican and trans beauties in the pinup world. The people I have met so far, are so encouraging and receptive that I feel my ideas are worthy. I have to add that I haven't felt so loved and welcomed in any other community.
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We hope you enjoyed this weeks edition of "Any one can be a pinup" Erin is such a brave, inspirational,kindhearted and down to earth soul that we are proud to call our friend. Although we just recently met, we already know we're going to be the best of friends. Her story moved us and we simply had to share it with you.
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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