Brittany
We met Brittany as we have practically every other pinup in our series, thanks to our shared love of pinup/vintage clothes. However Brittany has always been a huge source of inspiration, we used to follow her from afar on social media and gawk at her beauty and grace. When we found out she was an active advocate for POC's rights and stood with us against the blatant racism in the pinup community we simply knew we had to feature her on the blog. It is an absolute honor to share her story with all of you today, as we know it's one that a lot of you can relate to. While this community is a far cry from perfect, it has lead us to meet some incredibly remarkable people and we are thankful for the bonds of friendship it has helped us create. So without further ado, keep scrolling to read her story!
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When did you get into the pinup/vintage lifestyle?
I got into the lifestyle many years ago but always had a love/interest in vintage. I fell deep into it when I was introduced to the music that was part of the pinup culture. Genres such as rockabilly, oldies, jazz, swing, and big band ignited a fire in me that has been burning ever since. Music has always been a big part of my life since I was a child. The moment that rhythm took hold of me; I knew there was no turning back. And let's not forget about the amazing vintage fashion and retro hairstyles! I just love the sense of confidence that the pinup style gives you. It's a freedom of expression and the possibilities are endless from being fun and flirty to even throwing a modern twist on the style. It's truly become a big part of who I am today and helped me close the door on a lot of my insecurities.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
Oh goodness, this is definitely a tough one. I honestly have so many inspirations and women that I look up to. Narrowing it down, I would have to say "The Black Pinup" Angelique Noire and Miss Tammi Savoy. They are both iconic inspirational figures not only to the Pinup community, but to the women of color in the lifestyle as well. They both continue to break the boundaries and stereotypes that tend to follow in the pinup/vintage culture. These ladies will never know or understand how much they've influenced me! As a woman of color, I strive to make an impact as they have.
How does it feel to be a WOC in the pinup/vintage community?
To be honest, it's a daily struggle. I am proud of my ethnic identity, but it is tough when you don't see as many woc to identify with. So there is definitely a weight on your shoulders as woman of color, because you want to help pave the way for others. Everyday there are more and more women of color who are falling in love with the lifestyle and joining the community. But somehow a lot of us still feel excluded from it. It's tough going to events and hardly seeing women of color attending or even participating in contests. I always brace myself and dig up the courage to go, knowing there's a huge possibility of me being the only person of color at certain functions. But I push through so that other women of color will feel encouraged to join and not to let fear hold them back. It's a never ending fight, but the women of color must push through and help break down barriers and open doors. This community is made up of all kinds of different ethnicities. No person should ever judge or single out one another by their race, but instead by their character and what's in their heart. Beauty knows no race.
We hope you enjoyed this week's edition of "Any one can be a pinup", we feel honored to be sharing Brittany's story with all of you. It's not too often we get brave enough to reach out to someone we have admired for a very long time and actually get a response back. (Though let's be honest, often times we're a bit too shy to ask). We are so grateful she let us share her story with all of you today and helped further our cause along, which is first and foremost to provide representation to minorities who lack it in this community. To give their stories a voice and to show them that they are not alone, they will always have support from us and that together we can do anything. That at the end of the day is our ONLY agenda, because minorities are a large part of this community and it's time they get the recognition they deserve.
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.
Paola & Kyra xx
Aka"thehepburnmovement"
Aka"thehepburnmovement"
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