Girlcrush! The 9 creative women who inspire me most
insert heart eyes & the drooling emoji
Something very important to know about me is that I ~*always*~ ride for the girls. At dawn of course, but also at quite literally any other time of day. For me, there is no source of inspiration more powerful than a creative woman who’s doing exactly what she was meant to do.
I’m lucky enough to have many of these women as inspo IRL (hi, Mom!) and as large pop culture figureheads (hi, Dolly!) but the women I want to share with you today exist in the in between. I’ve fallen in love with them their work the modern way: on the internet.
These woman feel like my own personal influencers. Not necessarily in a sell-you-something kind of way, but in an inspire-you-to-do-something kind of way. Artists, designers, writers, stylists, activists, or multi hyphenates of all the above, that I’ve followed and referenced for years. After putting together this piece, I tried to discern what connected them and why their specific journeys mean so much to me. They’re all creatives, yes, but more than that they are risk-takers! They’re bold! They’re dripping with originality! And perhaps most importantly of all, they all make the world a more beautiful place. Magic.
MEET THE MUSES:
Charlotte Beecham of Charlotte Simone:
Show me the coolest girl in London and I guarantee there’s a Charlotte Simone hanging in her closet. The first Charlotte Simone coat that ever tickled my eyes was the Pink Penny and god—I wish I bought it right then and there. As quoted on her website, “(Charlotte’s) designs are heavily inspired by nostalgia, womanhood and vintage silhouettes.” Though her styles feature oversized collars, fur-trimmed cuffs, animal prints, and various shades of pink, they feel classic. I don’t know how, but she makes a leopard print and pink fur-trimmed jacket look timeless, not trendy. All of her pieces are made to order in drops, amplifying their cool given their limited production numbers. Her belief is to create less, but better and given the fact that I’ve been lusting over them for years I’d say she quite excels at that. Talk about extra f*cking dressed.
stay inspired by Charlotte: charlottesimone.com | @charlottesimone
Christina Grasso of The Pouf:
One of my first proper internet crushes. I stumbled upon Christina in the early Insta days… back when Glossier reigned supreme and everything was still fun and cool and millennial pink. At the time of discovery, Christina ran Style Caster’s Instagram and her cheeky captions, clever pop culture references and exquisite taste seeped though the brand’s grid. But that was years ago, now she’s running her own.
Christina has meticulously crafted her personal brand in a way that multi-million dollar companies and creators alike could only dream of. Many online personalities (both brands and people) are dictated by what’s trending, often sacrificing authenticity for views and impressions. But Christina has always had an ironclad POV. She loves Stevie Nicks, roman noses, nuns, gloomy weather, wearing all black despite the season, red lipstick, MK&A, candelabras, and high fashion. Always has, always will.
She’s had multiple viral creative content ideas that brands and creators have since stolen been inspired by and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of her creations are saved on your phone right now.
Stay inspired by Christina: Christina Grasso | @thepouf
Aurora James of Brother Vellies & The 15% Pledge
When I think about Aurora James the phrase that comes to mind is “her beauty is the least interesting thing about her”—and goodness, she is beautiful. I was introduced to Aurora in 2020 when she founded the 15% Pledge, a non-profit organization that aims to close the racial wealth gap by encouraging retailers to commit 15% of their products/SKUs to Black-owned businesses. What started as a big, hopeful idea has turned into successful partnerships with powerhouse brands like Macy’s, Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta Beauty. Pretty major! And that was her second endeavor…
Aurora is also the founder and creative director of Brother Vellies, a luxury shoes and accessories brand with some of the most unique and fabulous pieces you’ll ever see. The company’s goal is to keep traditional African design practices & techniques alive while also creating and sustaining artisanal jobs. The story of its inception is beautiful and cosmic. I recently listened to her memoir, Wildfower, and was charmed once again by her curious mind, strong sense of self and commitment to making the world better… in many aspects of the word.
Stay inspired by Aurora: @aurorajames | @brothervellies | @15percentpledge
Alison Bornstein — Three Word Method:
Alison fundamentally changed the way that I approach fashion. I’ve spoken about her Three Word Method before as it’s been helped shape my own personal style and relationship to shopping. Alison speaks confidently about style in a way that’s aspirational and accessible all at once. If you want to get to know her thought process I highly encourage you to watch her Three Word Method series on TikTok. It’s a rabbit hole that will leave you entertained and inspired.
Another styling tip she’s coined is the Wrong Shoe Method. Essentially, if you want to add interest to your outfit, choose the shoe that doesn’t quite make sense. One of my favorite outfits I’ve ever worn was heavily impacted by both of her styling methods and I remember feeling soooo confident and comfortable all night. I loved the way the clothes made me feel and I wouldn’t have been so brave to pair them together had Alison not laid it all out to me.
stay inspired by Allison: Allison Bornstein | Allison Bornstein
Read more about the Three Word Method here:
Blair Breitenstein Williams of Blairz
My favorite artist and illustrator. I love the way Blair sees and depicts women, always sure to accentuate their most feminine features with flirty lashes, pouty lips, and sharp, but still soft angles. I wish I could see the year I followed her on Instagram, because I’ve been a quiet champion of her work for many years. For much of my life her work was out of my budget (rightfully so!), but I always knew I wanted one of her illustrations in my big girl apartment, whenever I got one. Luckily for me, she decided to do sidewalk sales in Soho this summer and I finally got to meet her in person and get my Blairz original (on the left above).
I’ve been trying to lean more into more 1960s styles and silhouettes and Blair’s art has intrinsically influenced that. A reminder - all art and creativity is connected!
stay inspired by Blair: blairbreitenstein.com | @blairz
Gabby Whiten | Oh Eight:
Gabby is making the 2000s romcom female lead role of big time magazine editor a reality… but her mag is her Substack and she’s the EIC. Remember going to the airport and picking up a magazine to read on the flight because you either 1) didn’t have a phone (take us back) or 2) it didn’t have wifi? Those are the vibes of Oh Eight. Its namesake is actually inspired by the nostalgic bliss of that magical year and ‘the glossies’. I love the way she catalogues her thoughts and the mood boards she makes to accompany her words. Her weekly newsletter is quippy and light, but always intentional. She has her finger on the pulse of everything cool, so if you want to be in the know, subscribing to her work is a good place to start.
stay inspired by Gabby: oh eight | @gabbywhiten
Dolly Alderton:
Everything I Know About Love came to me exactly when I needed it—30 years old, still new to New York, and deeply conflicted about the relationship I was in (spoiler alert: you shouldn’t be deeply conflicted about the relationship you are in, lol). Her memoir on parties, dates, friends, jobs, life, love was like a peek into my own brain and a big inspiration behind my desire to write extra dressed. Who doesn’t want to read someone else’s diary?!
Aside from her wit and charm, what draws me to Dolly most is her love and appreciation of women. You can feel it in every word she writes and you can see it in every outfit she wears. Dolly is a girls girl. And as you know…that is my kinda girl. She recently adapted Pride & Prejudice for Netflix, so I expect we will be seeing a lot more of her!
stay inspired by Dolly: @dollyalderton
Sophie Cohen & Jess Habich:
A newer girl crush duo of mine are best friends Sophie Cohen (@styledbysoco) and Jess Habich (@jespressobean). Some women just KNOW how to style. I aspire for my clothes to look as effortless as theirs do. I am coupling them together because they are BFFs and are always seem to be “Mary-Kate and Ashley matching”, whether intentional or not. MK&A matching is basically the phrase same, same but different come to life. Unique on their own, even better together.
Sophie’s commitment to pink puts mine to shame and I’d say I am I’m pretty loyal to the color. She inspires me to mix prints, that Chanel ballerinas are always a worthy investment, and that our beloved pink is a neutral if you let it be.
Jess has a beachy element to her outfits that, as a California native, I will always love. Her Montauk wedding was expertly styled and honored all parts of her: glam, coastal, feminine, sexy…but at the center of it all: cool. It seems like a lazy word, but trust me, it’s the right one.
stay inspired by Sophie: soco (aka sophie cohen) | soco (aka sophie cohen)
stay inspired by Jess: Jess | @jespressobean
And now I have to ask… who are the creative women who inspire YOU?
xx, Caylee
YOU are an inspiration. You ooze femininity boldly and on point!
wowowow in such excellent company <3 thank you for including me!!!