Who is your muse? It’s an easy enough question on the surface, maybe you grew up watching Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or had a serious Madonna phase in the ‘80s that hasn’t quite left your closet. Personally, we love Eva Chen, and Cara Delevingne is basically perfect. But do a little digging and suddenly we’re naming people closer to home—our best friends, co-workers, maybe our mothers—but what about ourselves? Moda Operandi launched their Be Your Own Muse campaign this week, with one simple message in mind—learn to be your own inspiration.
Awesome theme of empowerment aside, the online retailer wants “women to be their own inspiration, rather than passively playing that role as the tradition dictates.” And while there’s nothing wrong with asking a quick “what would Audrey wear?” when deciding between ankle or motorcycle boots, the goal is to create a space where women can appreciate themselves and allow their wardrobe to be as unique as they are; to use fashion as a means of conveying their personality to those around them.{start-jlvideo}1660,640,361,thumb{end-jlvideo}
For the campaign, Moda Operandi partnered with several fashion muses including Carolina Herrera and Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman. Set as a series of ongoing shorts, the films are shot by Bettina Santo Domingo in locations around New York, London, Paris and various cities throughout Europe. As Fashion Week season continues to unfold, more designers will continue to become a part of the campaign, talking about what inspires and empowers them.
"I find my inspiration everywhere and everyday... I can find inspiration reading a book, talking to someone, in a concert, you have to have your eyes open," designer Carolina Herrera told Moda Operandi. "I like the future, I don't like the past. Fashion is a repetition of ideas; it's the way you put them together that makes it news." Above all she wants women to understand that people need to see the lady before the dress, not the other way around.
"I think for a woman to be her own muse is a wonderful thing because I think that really says I am confident and know how I am; whether I like it or not stylistically, I can believe in her and I can appreciate it and love it," Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman said. And while all designers may point to an outside source as a point of inspiration, they seem to agree that to convey true style one needs to impart their own personality into how they dress. The Be Your Own Muse campaign is hoping to show women through these videos and their message that clothing and accessories can be used to cultivate and convey your own identity—like extremely fashionable girl power.
