As teenager I was not as confident as I am now, I would dream of doing all of the things I do, like DJing, being a journalist, a fashion designer, writing and performing my own music, I honestly was a small town girl with no aspirations except that I needed to leave the small town as soon as I could & do something creative with my life!
My six year old daughter, Sylvie reminds me every day, how a young girl is easily influenced by the world around her & that I need to make sure she feels safe, confident & strong enough to conquer the world! As I have also done for her two brothers.
Feminism is often wrongly associated with men hating, which is ridiculous. I am a feminist & I am married, I have sons, a brother, a father, nephews & as many male friends as females. For me feminism is about empowering females, helping them to love themselves & equality for all. Feminists love men too! Any female who tells you that you cannot like men if you are a feminist, is not a feminist.
My list of super influencers consists of a lot of punk icons, riot grrrls, feminists, activists, musicians, fashionistas & journalists, it pretty much sums me up, my style & ethos on how I live my life; with each amazing female adding a little to bit of magic & inspo to my life in their own way.
The Power list 2018
Kathleen Hanna
Feminist, female activist, band member & vocalist from Le Tigre, The Julie Ruin & the most influential riot-grrrl band ever Bikini Kill! Kathleen started performing her outspoken poetry at open mic nights, shouting out heart-felt, strong & passionate messages about life experiences & how she felt as a feminist. The poetry naturally moved into starting a punk band 'Bikini Kill', where Kathleen would shout out 'girls to the front' to create a safer space for girls to enjoy the band, knowing from her own experiences of going to gigs & being shoved around (& often groped) by the male gig goers around her. To get a better idea of Kathleen Hanna's world you must watch The Punk Singer, it's an inspiring film about an amazing lady. Kathleen Hanna is the queen of my world!
Caitlin Moran
Outspoken & hilarious! Caitlin Moran became a journalist for Melody Maker aged just 16 & wrote a book about being home schooled , The Chronicles of Narmio in the same year , by the time she was 18 she was a TV presenter on Channel 4's music show Naked City. Caitlin came from a very large family, who were all crammed into a three bedroomed council house in Wolverhampton, her unusual upbringing influenced her honest & raw writing style. I became motivated after reading her book, 'How To Build a Girl' which is loosely based on her life at the time of her journalism career with Melody Maker. This hilarious & honest book inspired me to write more, for both articles & lyric writing for my band & to just do what I want to do as often as possible; at 40 years old I was a little bit behind with starting my journalism career. Keep at it, it's never too late, I am now a Fashion Editor! Thanks Caitlin Moran, I owe you!
Chloe Sevigny
Chloe has been one of my style icons & girl crushes since the nineties. She was the coolest kid on the block & seemed to be living the life that I would have liked to be living! I wasn't jealous of her despite her featuring in Sonic Youth's Sugar Cane video or having a 7 page article written about her in The New Yorker, who called her 'The coolest girl in New York' at just 19 years old! This was a positive thing happening to a young girl who also seemed like me, normal & most importantly, I related to her. During the nineties Chloe was modelling for Miu Miu & acting in her then boyfriend Harmony Korinne's films 'Gummo' (Chloe was also the films very on-point,fashion stylist) & Larry Clark's controversial film, 'Kids'. Despite no formal training in acting Chloe managed to win the Independent Spirit Award for her role as Jennie. This girl just kicks ass doesn't she??
Debbie Harry
The beautiful front women of Blondie, who found fame in her early 30s when the bands disco influenced record 'Heart of Glass' launched her into international fame. Debbie confidently crossed punk & new wave with disco & hip-hop with streetwise sass & glamour. Blondie records were part of the soundtrack of my life as a kid! I walked down the isle to marry Phil to Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' (I don't have a heart of glass, this track just has good beats to strut down the isle to) & you may or may not know that the No Debutante name came from the Blondie track 'Dreaming'. In this record, Debbie Harry sings 'you could tell I was no debutante'. I choose these words to name my blog as I needed a name that explained my situation; here I was a pregnant fashion blogger in her mid thirties, I wanted to be honest, 'yeah, I'm older, I'm no debutante but so what? Read my blog!' Did you know Debbie Harry was also the first ever white female rapper back in 1980 with the Blondie track Rapture??? Debbie Harry is still touring with Blondie in her 70s! A total legend!
M.I.A
M.I.A inspired me through her music. This girl used to sit in her room experimenting with sounds and beats using a Roland MC-505 sequencer, a drum machine & a radio microphone, creating the foundations of what would become her signature sound, mixing electronica, hip hop, dance, rock & world music. M.I.A not only composes her own music she also writes the lyrics, sings vocals, raps & produces her work. I love it that M.I.A is influenced by many of the same bands as me including The Slits, Malcolm McLaren & The Clash and in turn I have been influenced by her music for my own band Mono Dots. M.I.A isn't just about the music, this girl gets stuff done, she is a mother, an activist, studied fine art, film and video at Central St Martins College, she's an artist & film maker. M.I.A is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!
Poly Styrene
X-ray Spex vocalist Poly Styrene is awe-inspiring! She screamed out her soulful wail of bubblegum punk with the most creative, fun & thought provoking lyrics about popular culture, consumerism and life during the 1970s, with a dark undergrowth, covered in day-glo paint! This young Londoner, seemed to observe life in a different way to the other punks, she turns up on Top of The Pops with braces on her teeth, singing about hygiene obsessions & Warriors in Woolworths, looking a little jaded by her fame & naively unaware how powerful her lyrics really were. I love Poly's style, of bright colours, mixed with punk militaria & granny style polyester twinsets and flats, with either a military hat or big knitted hair-wrap. Poly was also one of the very few black women in punk. Sadly this inspiring lady died of cancer in 2011, aged 53. I play her records nearly every time I DJ!
The Slits & Ari Up (centre)
The Slits are an all female punk band who formed in London in 1976, the year I was born. Their dubby punk sound was real experimental & had an energetic pulse that had a live, raw feel. The band was fronted and formed by Ari Up, a 14 years old girl who was taught to play guitar by Joe Strummer of The Clash, Ari was no stranger to the punk world, John Lydon (Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols) is her step dad. The DIY punk ethos inspired young people to pick up an instrument & 'play it your way', The Slits did just that. Ari Up had a big influence on The Slits music with her love for reggae & dub coming through strongly. Their album Cut, controversially, featured the band covered in mud wearing only loin cloths, giving a strong amazonian female aesthetic without sexual connotations. Their record Typical Girls featured on this album, it talks about girls who conform to acting the way they have been told, to wear make-up, get a boyfriend, don't rebel! It's such a great record, that tries to encourage women to be themselves & not conform to the ideals of men (at the time) & the media. sadly, I'm not too sure much has really changed on this in the past 40 years! Ari Up has an usual way of delivering her lyrics, she seems to weave up & down the verses, leaving pauses in random places & screams out vibrato noises with her very own singing style, which I find fascinating. Perhaps it was to do with English not being her first language (Ari was from originally from Germany) but her delivery was unique, it was amazing! Sadly Ari Up also died of cancer in 2010, aged 48. "Ari was the most dynamic woman I have ever known, the way she carried herself was a revolution." Viv Albertine, The Slits.
Viv Albertine
The guitarist of The Slits, Viv Albertine already had my approval of a being a strong, influential women. Last year I read her autobiography Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music Music Music, Boys Boys Boys, to be honest, she had me at the title! This book merged her life as a member of The Slits, her fashion obsessions including detailed descriptions of what she wore, her boyfriends (including Mick Jones from The Clash) , the grotty side of the London punk scene & her struggles as a women in the music industry. I read this book & it opened a window in my brain, to write & create music & collaborate with other like-minded people. Viv Albertine has recently written a follow up book named 'To throw away, unopened'. I shall definitely be purchasing a copy when it is released!
Vivienne Westwood
The Queen of punk, Vivienne Westwood, fashion designer, feminist, activist! My ultimate life goal! Creator of punk alongside her then partner Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne created the punk style & a hang out for young punks on the Kings Road at their shop Sex, controversially selling bondage gear with Edwardian teddy boy clothes and Vivienne's own DIY punk creations. After putting together the Sex Pistols alongside McLaren the two were unstoppable. Vivienne & McLaren collaborated on the Pirate collection which launched them into the fashion world with fans that included Lady Diana! The pair opened their shop Worlds End in 1984. Following her departure from Malcolm, Vivienne went on under her own name, as the queen of new romantics, conquering the fashion world as she went. I am fascinated by Vivienne when she talks about cutting fabrics & styling, the women could (& probably did) make a bin liner work! Influenced by traditional pattern cutting of the past & completely messing with it to create a mix of traditional & contemporary shapes & styling, with a bit of punk thrown in. This amazing woman is knocking 80 years old but is still showing garments every season, changing her hair more than me, stomping around in the highest platforms & wearing garms from her latest collection like their were made for only her, whilst saving the planet!! This woman can do no wrong!
Women are great aren't they? Happy International Women's Day 2018!
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Emma Gorton-Ellicott
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ND xx
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