F**k A Supermodel: A New Kind of It Girl to Get Behind

2015 is the Year of the Woman. And it's also the year of me carefully cultivating my Instagram and Twitter feeds to only show bad bishes that inspire and challenge me to up either my style or my mindset or both. Much to our good fortune, the Kate Moss school of gorgeous that we've begrudgingly come to accept is very quickly being replaced by an entirely new group of game-changing and iconic women that are young, stunning, positive, and are spearheading styles and concepts that are both innovative and accessible. Here are four beautiful gyals that inspire, challenge, and redefine the term "It Girl".

Emily Oberg @emilyelaineoberg

   Who: 21 year old game changer/cutie Emily Oberg

Where: Originally from Canada. Settled in NYC (for now).

What she does: She's most recognizable as an editor and personality at Complex. Her brand, Sporty and Rich, is both wildly successful and still wildly full of potential. She is the commander in chief of minimalistic street style, crafting masterpiece selfies, and embracing a life of creation, positivity, and love. Never has someone made me want to go to the gym, drink green smoothies, and wear mens clothing as much as sweet E, and no one ever will. 

How she's redefining It Girl: Emily manages to make New Balance 990's look chic as fuck, a task that most thirsty hypebeasts could never accomplish. Not only is her clean, basic style impeccable (I use her feed for reference almost every morning), but her tweets will-literally- flood you with positivity, inspiration to create, and motivation to follow passion over money (be Sporty and Rich in your lifestyle, not your bank account). She embraces a clean lifestyle (no drinking or smoking), appreciates and accepts herself for who she is, and encourages those who follow her to do the same. Could go on forever, but I will stop myself here. Follow her if you want to be enlightened.

Elizabeth De La Piedra @elizabethsmart

Who: hot mamí Elizabeth De La Piedra

Where: born in Peru, raised in Australia, settled in Chicago

What she does: She slays me, that's what. This woman. I mean. She's an amazing and highly trained photographer . She's also a wife (to Flosstradamus' Josh Young) and mommy (if you haven't seen her son, prepare yourself), truly bringing incredible new life to the often overused and undeserved term "MILF". Her style is a crazy mix of streetwear and cute 90's pieces, scattered with gaudy Latina motifs, and somehow it never fails to be completely effortless and cohesive. She's a 21st century poster woman for doin it all and looking damn fine doin it. 

How she's redefining It Girl: She is absolutely unapologetic about who she is, something we all need to embrace. Her style is atypical and original, and she doesn't apologize for that either. She's a woman who didn't hang up her sex appeal once she popped out a yung one. Instead, she embraces motherhood as sexy, and shows other women that they can, too, if they just stay focused on doing what they love and the essentials, which according to Liz are "liquid liner, coconut oil, plantains, my man's D, and my baby's smile". She's so cool :').

Vashtie Kola @vashtie

Who: Vashtie (stylized Va$htie) Kola, literal one woman army 

Where: NYC 

What she does: Everything????!?!?! Vashtie is a director, a filmmaker, a stylist, a creative consultant, a designer, and (actually lol) a DJ. Called the "Curator of Cool" by Black Enterprise, she's basically just been on her shit for a very, very long time. She's the first woman to design an Air Jordan, she's been featured by dozens of prominent mags (cough The New York Times), she was the Director of Creative Services for Def Jam/Island. And all of this because, simply put, she's just really cool. If that's not the ultimate reputation to have, then Lord, strike me where I stand.

How she's redefining It Girl: Well.. she kind of already has in many ways. Unexplainably, the fashion and music industries (while they mainly target women), are still predominantly boys and men's club. At a young age, Vashtie cut through all the talking, succeeded in what is sometimes a very sexist game, and shined in her every endeavor, all by just being herself, creating, and being cool. And for those things she deserves every accolade and bit of praise she's gotten.

Barbara Ferreira @boredbarbara

Who: social media queen Barbara Ferreira

Where: New Jersey and somewhere vaguely in NY now (?) 

What she does: the outspoken Brazilian bb is formerly of Tumblr fame, and now rules Instagram and Twitter. She originally broke into the game through her work for American Apparel, a company that she recently - very publicly- criticized for the "Instagram Hoes and Thots" debacle. Barbie gives face like no other, sparking hundreds of insta users to emulate her selfies, call her "mom", and make memes about how she's turning everyone into lesbians. She's a plus size model signed to Wilhelmina. And she makes Snapchat stories from her bathtub. 

How she's redefining It Girl:  On top of being beautiful, thick, and unafraid to speak her mind, she is also known for calling transphobic, homophobic, and fat shaming people the Hell out on Twitter, something that not nearly enough powerful women do, tbh. During a time when most models are encouraged to maintain a "clean image", Barbara unapologetically speaks the truth, never filters her thoughts to be "acceptable", and acts as a role model for thick girls and just girls in general, whether she knows it or not. If only Barbie dolls were modeled after her. Our generation of women might have grown up thinking a little higher of ourselves.