For a long time it was thought that the role of the female gender was to be responsible for the home and raising children, but fortunately this idea of ​​"submissive woman" has changed throughout history, leading to a more more active in society.

Currently, many women help, empower, inspire and liberate others in areas such as fashion and beauty. In the framework of International Women's Day, from the newsroom of De Última we tell you about some female characters that today They are legends for being true to themselves and above all for inspiring today's women with their strength and confidence.

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Anna Wintour

The current director of Vogue magazine, she is one of the most powerful women in contemporary industry. The British woman has been in charge of the headline for more than three decades and during her tenure, characters such as Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama have passed through her covers. Wintour not only marks the right path for the industry through her pen, the influential journalist has a place of honor at the frontrow of all haute couture shows, alongside public figures of her caliber, such as Queen Elizabeth. II.

Photo: Instagram @theannawintour

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

She arrived at the right time to open the women's liberation, she dared to redesign men's garments such as tailoring, what was created by Coco opted for practicality, comfort and the elegance. We must not forget that she was one of the first women to wear pants and laid the foundations of an industry where she was the only designer to appear on Time magazine's list as one of the most important figures of the 20th century.

She removed the corset from women's wardrobes and introduced the “little black dress”. One of her greatest achievements was the creation of the perfume "Chanel No.5" which is still valid to this day and has not undergone any changes in its original aroma. Her legacy is so great that since 1915 Harper's Bazaar magazine commented on her designs "the woman who does not have at least one Chanel is hopelessly out of fashion."

Photo: Instagram @gab.coco.chanel

Lady Di

Of all the princesses, her name will always be the most remembered. Although Diana of Wales died young, she did not lack time to leave her mark and mark an entire generation. Known as Lady Di, Diana became a myth of British culture with her elegant outfits. She was one of the first princesses to set a style by not allowing herself to be limited by the protocol of the royal house. Transparencies, necklines, stripes and the search for a normal life for her children led her to be a woman who broke all the molds.

Thanks to her we realized that fairy tales are not what they seem. She chose her engagement ring herself and was the first British royal to abandon the old-fashioned promise to "obey" her husband. He also left us a legacy of charity work and concern for the outside world that had never been seen before.

Photo: Instagram @princessdianalady

Iman / Iman Bowie

Iman is much more than David Bowie's widow, because with her talent she walked for models like Naomi Capmbell or Alex Wek to earn the same as a white model and she was also key part of improving working conditions for people of color in the fashion world. Iman learned about modeling in record time: she arrived in New York on October 15, 1975 without knowing how to walk in heels or put on makeup, and at the beginning of 1976 she posed in her first session for Vogue under the lens of Arthur Elgort.

From Gianni Versace to Calvin Klein, including Donna Karan, Azzedine Alaïa and Thierry Mugler. The list of designers who trusted the model is so extensive that it was a turning point for Yves Saint Lauren to make a collection just for her: The African Queen.

Photo: Instagram @the_real_iman

Madonna

35 dollars, a suitcase full of clothes and her dreams of making it big was what it took for her to start her career in New York. Madonna was the first pop artist to freely express her sexuality and this inspired millions of women around the world. Always hand in hand with designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabanna, and Versace she made fashion a sign of empowerment and sensuality. short url

As part of the 2016 Billboard Awards, she talked about all the difficulties a singer goes through to be able to express her sexuality freely. Her powerful speech rings true to this day as she talks about how little equity there is in the music industry.

Photo: Instagram @madonna

Diana Vreeland

Before her, fashion editors were thought to be high society women advising others of the same social class on style and beauty. It all started in 1936 with a column for Harper's Bazaar magazine, from there she showed a knack for fashion journalism.

In fact, thanks to her, figures like Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner and Twiggy had the expected success in part due to their covers. Diana always celebrated the different beauty. In 1963 she became editor-in-chief of Vogue United States where, thanks to her knowledge of art, she was able to contribute to making this branch of journalism what it is today.

Photo: Instagram @dvddianavreeland

Mary Kay Ash

Maybe this woman's last name on our list will lead you to the cosmetics brand “Mary Kay”, and if so, you are correct. Kay Ash's role is so recognized in the United States cosmetics industry that she was the recipient of several awards throughout her life. Hundreds of men saw a woman reach her land and succeed. Kay Ash stood out for her works against domestic violence and betting on female empowerment. His book "The Mary Kay Style" is a great pillar to understand the operation of a company from within and how companies could carry organizational communication in their organization charts.

Photo: Instagram @marykaydemexico

Mary Quant

Arriving at the exact moment when London was becoming the cradle of changes that engulfed music, art and fashion, she brought the idea of ​​affordable clothing and color to a multitude of young people wanting to change the world. She is credited with wearing the miniskirt, which was a garment that led the freedom revolution in the 1960s.

Far from being a sexual garment, it was a piece that represented the empowerment of women. Amazingly, this caused thousands of protests in London. Queen Elizabeth II awarded her the "Order of the British Empire", an honor she received wearing a miniskirt.

Photo: Instagram @lucytruman_illustration

Vivienne Westwood

On this list we are honored to have the mother of punk, a style she led up to her present day, Vivienne, who was able to overcome poverty and escape a life that was not for her.

By marrying Sex Pistols producer Malcolm McLaren for the second time, she managed to open a store that was unlike anything else offered at the time. Westwood's vision and irreverence was all it took to master the foundation of the style that would forever define his brand. From his trenches he managed to make sustainable fashion decades before we talked about this concept.

Photo: Instagram @viviennewestwood

Rihanna

The Barbadian pop singer has built an entire career in music and although she had a toxic relationship with Chris Brown, that never stopped her from becoming an entrepreneur, philanthropist, diplomat, writer and even fashion designer. Bernard Arnault, owner of the LVMH group, partnered with her to launch her luxury clothing, shoes and accessories brand, taking the position of artistic and executive director of Fenty, an independent brand that entered this conglomerate of elite brands, something who had not been seen since 1987 with Christian Lacroix. She is listed by Time magazine as one of the most influential women of this century.

Photo: Instagram @badgalriri