inspiring us: Oprah

It has been a few days since THAT speech. The fiery, inspiring, and impactful speech that Oprah gave at the Golden Globes seems only to be gaining momentum, and raising some questions as to what might be next for the talk show host and philanthropist turned mega-influencer.

image - via AOL - click above image to see video of full speech!

There is no denying that we are in the midst of a momentous cultural change in regards to women's rights. The Golden Globes had already been expected to address the women’s movement and the allegations of sexual misconduct within Hollywood and beyond. Stars and activists almost unanimously donned black to call attention to the cause and many speeches were bound to address the serious issues that have finally come to light. Even in this atmosphere of expectancy, though, Oprah Winfrey’s speech moved beyond anticipation. It is a subject close to her heart as she has been open about her past of sexual abuse and difficult childhood. Through her personal experiences she has made a connection to women worldwide who are suffering in silence and has become an advocate for women’s rights and children’s rights. This speech has been reverberating around the nation and is another step in the growing momentum of change that is needed.

Her powerful speech was delivered in about 9 minutes as an acceptance for the Cecil B. de Mille award for lifetime achievement. Starting with a flashback to her past, Oprah recalled watching television and seeing the first black man, Sidney Poitier, receive an Oscar for best actor. He later went on to receive the very same award she was getting that evening. She connected this powerful memory to the way many young girls might be feeling at that moment as they watched her now being the first black woman to receive this award. Her motivational words began with an outpouring of gratitude towards women everywhere who are beginning to speak out for what they believe in and being brave enough to share their personal experiences. Oprah’s speech ended with mention of #METOO, the powerful social media movement which swept the U.S. and beyond in 2017. In fact a new hashtag trend #TimesUp is on the rise as a direct result of the hopeful conclusion of Winfrey’s speech in which she emphasizes that a new day is dawning and for the old guard fixed on maintaining the status quo of inequality and oppression, well, their time is over.

the stars wore black

How will the current climate affect fashion trends?

Although it may seem like a bizarre association, fashion has long reflected and even empowered various social movements. It is inevitable that fashion will change along with workplace policy and social dynamics. A while back we had predicted that the woman warrior would be an influential trend reflecting the rise of a new wave of feminism. It will be interesting to see how much our business is affected by the changes afoot.

Whatever influences these seismic cultural shifts bring, we are excited to keep you posted!

Sources: Pure Wow | YouTube| AOL | ElleUK | Time

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