CFDA Honors Gloria Steinem As Trump Moves To Curtail Women's Right To Birth Control, Bowing To Religious Forces

Feminist icon Gloria Steinem arrived on the national stage with her 1962 essay 'The Moral Disarmament of Betty Coed'. In 1963, Steinem famously used her good looks and socially-perceived 'hot bod' to work undercover at the Playboy Club, penning her experiences in an essay called 'A Bunny's Tale'. Feeling the backlash, in 2969 Steinem explained why men shouldn't fear feminists in 'After Black Power, Women's Liberation'. 

In 2017, many American women wonder why we can't cement our equality in 21st century America, where anti-feminist forces are perhaps more formidable than ever. Surrounded by pundits who argued that Hillary Clinton should drop the allegation that misogyny played any role in the 2016 election, former RNC chairman Michael Steele agreed that misogyny DID play a role, describing America as a very provincial nation with traditional views about women's roles. 

In the aftermath of Clinton's loss, the fashion industry is galvanized around women's issues, having taken a Clinton win for granted. On June 5, Steinem will receive the CFDA Board of Directors' Tribute for her endless legacy of work within the women's movement, in an honor presented by her close friend Diane von Furstenberg, a board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. 

In a week when the Trump administration is a Trump Tweet away from abandoning the Democrats argument that contraception is a fundamental plank of women's health with a dilution of the contraception mandate, the battle to control women's reproduction is a Republican priority. The move would impact thousands of women who currently get contraception from employer-provided insurance plans with no out-of-pocket costs. Trump believes that a company's CEO's religious beliefs should dictate the right of women's employees to affordable contraception. 

Gloria Steinem agrees that "we're all enmeshed in this political system that is devoted to controlling reproduction." This staggering reality is a dagger in the hearts of the majority of American women living in the 21st century. 

Vogue.com invites 17 self-described feminists to share their thoughts about feminism today and what Steinem means to them, from her writings to her street activism and also her revolutionary fashion style. 

Givenchy Launches Kids Collection Under Clare Waight Keller

Givenchy's new creative director Clare Waight Keller has made an immediate impact on tomorrow's Givenchy brand with the launch of its first children's collection. The line reinterprets the house’s classic designs – from bomber jacket and jogging pants to logo T-shirts -- with two collections per year, each with over 100 pieces. Designed for kids up to age 12, the snaps show a lot of heart in tomorrow's Givency under the 21st century woman, motherly eye of Keller. 

Alicia Machado Goes Naked For PETA, Saying We Don't Need To Kill For Coats

Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado steps into the limelight, sans clothes in her 'Proud To Be Me and Fur-Free PETA Latino campaign. "I'd rather go naked than wear fur," says the 40-year-old Venezuelan model and former Miss Universe.

“I find wearing fur a little embarrassing. Animals are our friends. They're our companions. When an animal is bred to be killed, to make clothing, it is monstrous,” Machado said in Spanish.

“I think that human beings are at a time in the world during which it is no longer necessary. We have enough killing without also breeding animals just to kill them.”

“It is something that is terribly cruel and I think it is the biggest example of the frivolity and superficiality that human beings are capable of.”

Machado rocketed into the spotlight during the 2016 presidential campaign season after it was revealed that Republican candidate Donald Trump called her 'Miss Piggy' and 'Miss Housekeeping' during her reign.