Women’s History Month: 8 Inspiring Women and the Products We Named for Them
March 09, 2016
MM.LaFleur is a brand founded by women, led by women, and serving women. When it comes to naming our products, we take a similarly lady-focused approach. Our dresses are named after women in the MM universe (our employees, customers, mothers, daughters, sisters, mentors). And many of our tops and knits are named after trailblazing women we admire. We’ve named products after legendary writers (Joan Didion), style icons (Iris Apfel), androgynous-chic performers (Marlene Dietrich), outspoken actresses (Katharine Hepburn), and comedians (Gilda Radner) who were making their own rules long before anyone gave them permission to do so.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate eight inspiring women—and the products we’ve named in their honor.
Dancer and choreographer Martha Graham did not merely contribute to the world of dance, she helped shape it. Her career spanned 70 years, during which she pushed the boundaries of her art form and cultivated many other dancers along the way. She once said, “I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same.” In addition to being a wildly innovative choreographer, she also had an inventive sense of personal style, favoring shapes that allowed for movement and self-expression. To wit: our Graham kimono.
There’s a huge conversation happening in Hollywood about the lack of roles (and leadership roles) for women. Think about it: How many female film directors can you name? New Zealand-born filmmaker Jane Campion is one of the few women who has successfully broken through the noise with films that tackle “gender politics, such as seduction and female sexual power.” Right up our alley! She was the second of four women ever nominated for the “Best Director” Oscar, and the first female filmmaker to receive the Palme d’Or at Cannes (for her harrowing film The Piano). We love her work and her understated style, which is why we named the Campion sweater for her.
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s popular light installations have inspired thousands upon thousands of selfies. The boundary-destroying artist works in many mediums (painting, collage, sculpture, and performance art) and has long been at the forefront of the avant-garde movement. At age 86, she is considered to be one of Japan’s most important artists, having influenced people like Andy Warhol. When it comes to her personal style, Kusama just wins. That’s really all there is to say. At MM.LaFleur, we’re not exactly avant-garde, but when we invented a new category (the modern “professional sweatshirt”), we decided to name it for this visionary artist.
Modernist writer and intellectual Virginia Woolf needs no introduction. She famously wrote, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”—which went on to become a feminist metaphor for the importance of granting women access to resources, education, and space to pursue their own meaningful work. We’re still fighting for that, right? Woolf’s iconic novels—To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, and Orlando—all deal with themes of gender roles and women’s place in society. It was only natural that we’d name one of our go-to workwear pieces after her.
Is there anyone more elegant than actress Catherine Deneuve? No, there is not. One of Yves Saint Laurent’s early muses, Deneuve burst onto the scene in the ’60s as the pretty ingenue in Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, but quickly gravitated to more complex roles. She played housewife-turned-call-girl in Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour, and later went on to star opposite David Bowie as a bisexual vampire in The Hunger. In short, Deneuve has range—and she always looks impeccable. We named one of our most effortlessly elegant tops after her.
Do we even need to explain? The fact that Oprah is a self-made billionaire (x3) does not even begin to demonstrate her cultural significance. A master of media and a philanthropist who leads by example, Oprah is the quintessential “power woman” we all aspire to be. Hers is a story of ambition, perseverance, and perhaps most importantly, compassion (for herself and for others). And by the way, her Instagram is on point. For us, naming this elegant everyday top after her was a total no-brainer.
Comedian Amy Poehler once said: “I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day.” We wholeheartedly agree. After making her mark on SNL, Poehler has gone on to make movies, write books, star on hit show Parks and Recreation, and create a community for “smart girls.” Her signature approach to feminism is clever, effective, and often hilarious. We think Amy would get a kick out of the popover top we named after her.
And last but not least: Georgia O’Keeffe, one of the most influential twentieth-century artists and the “mother of American modernism.” We’ve always loved her quote: “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” A good reminder that uncertainty and self-doubt is inevitable, even for those who are ultimately deemed successful. We named one of our favorite sweaters after this iconic artist.
Curious about what styles are coming up next? In the unforgettable words of Mitt Romney, we’ve got “binders full of women” whose names will adorn future products. This spring, stay tuned for products named for writers Karen Blixen and Toni Morrison, activist/writer Angela Davis, trailblazing journalist Barbara Walters, and feminist-comedian Tina Fey. There may even be a little Notorious RBG in the mix.
Have a famous woman you’d like to see us name a product after? Email TheMDash@mmlafleur.com to let us know.
