AFTER HER NOTABLE SPEECH DURING INAUGURATION DAY, AMANDA GORMAN SIGNS WITH IMG MODELS AND PLANS TO RUN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 2036
Text by Fiammetta Cesana
After days of great tension and political-social debate worldwide following the tragic events on Capitol Hill, the appearance of Amanda Gorman on January 20 in the stands of Inauguration Day was undoubtedly a breath of fresh air. Not only because the girl is the youngest poet to have had an entirely dedicated moment during a presidential inauguration ceremony, and her sweet, soothing courage expressed itself in a speech so hopeful and conscious that probably only a young woman eager to change the world would be able to convey with such sincerity; but also for her own stage presence: elegant, strong, pure.
The talented 22-year-old Harvard graduate, and already a collector of various awards and accolades, gave us that sense of simple beauty we needed, from the delicacy and emotion in her smiling face, which shines also beneath the mask, to her brightly colored outfit. The Prada’s yellow coat plus red satin headband, wrapping her dark myriads of braids, is already iconic and the object of desire of young women globally.
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew.
That even as we hurt, we hoped.
That even as we tired, we tried.
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious.
Not because we will never again know defeat, but because we will never again sow division.
Her words imbued with youthful fervor and love for her own “wounded” nation have opened her the doors of publishing, and Gorman’s next book of poems, which will be edited by Penguin, is already in high demand.
Amanda Gorman shines with her own light, in soul and body, and her unique beauty and style could not fail to be noticed even by fashion talent scouts. In fact, the African American Poet Laureate has signed with one of the most important modeling agencies in the world, IMG Models, which also counts Kate Moss, Gigi and Bella Hadid among its talents. The agency, in addition to Amanda, also noticed and hired the daughter of Kamala Harris’ husband, Ella Emhoff, dressed in a splendid retro Miu Miu dress, whose requests after her appearance at Inauguration Day got skyrocketed.
Many have already advanced their fierce criticisms on Gorman’s choice to join the agency, believing that she should devote all her talent and energy to great political goals: the girl has indeed declared that she wants to run for elections in 2036, already getting the promise of endorsement from Ellen DeGeneres during the announcement on her talk show. Yet, the examples of celebrities who have also made their appearance the strong point in their careers and who today manage to influence millions of youth much more effectively than more traditional political figures, are consistently increasing. Just think of the monumental Queen Bey, who in addition to being one of the most powerful pop stars in the world has created a real cult around her image and social propaganda – in favor of women’s and ethnic minorities’ rights – the “Beysmo” (that’s right, there are priestesses in America who preach mass in honor of Beyoncé).
From 50,000 followers to over 3 millions after her presentation at Inauguration Day, Amanda Gorman is already building a huge pool of supporters, who have every chance of becoming an electorate in these fifteen years.
So, in the time of much-desired liberalism, equal opportunity and democracy, in the era of the supreme power of visual content and digital influencers, what would prevent this brave lady from becoming the 47th president of US and fashion icon?
