Chrissy Teigen
At this point, Chrissy Teigen can do no wrong. She provides generous couple goals with John Legend, is an amazing example of how not to take yourself too seriously, and is one hot mama to boot. She’s also very good at standing up for what she believes in. Earlier this year she told E! News that she felt Asian models were seriously under-represented in the industry and even found herself blocked on Twitter by Donald Trump for critiquing the US President.

Jacinda Ardern
Becoming New Zealand’s third (second elected) female Prime Minister, as well as the youngest head of state, in any country, ever, puts her pretty high on our list of inspirational women. Whether or not New Zealanders agree with her political policies, it is undeniable that the message she gives women everywhere as a role model is an incredibly important one.

Hillary Clinton
As a politician, Hillary Clinton is far from perfect. However, she came closer than any other woman in history to the US presidency, and gave Trump a run for his money. She fought for every woman in America – and whether they largely agreed with her political policies or not, what we can all agree on is she stood up for women everywhere to break the seemingly impenetrable glass ceiling. As she said in her speech after losing the US election: “To all the little girls who are watching this: never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance in the world to pursue your dreams.”

Lorde
If anyone thought Lorde’s rising star was showing signs of slowing, 2017 well and truly proved otherwise. This year alone the Kiwi singer turned 21, released her second album which had been four-years in the making, worked through her ‘first major heartbreak’,  embarked on a world tour, took home six Tuis at the New Zealand Music Awards, and had said second album nominated for ‘Album of the Year’ at the Grammy Awards. Need we say more? This girl is a powerhouse, and an inspiration to young girls all around the country to keep striving for their dreams, because if an incredibly talented, quirky kid from Devonport can make it, then you can too.

‘The Silence Breakers’ and Alyssa Milano’s #MeToo movement
On October 5, Hollywood as we know it was shaken to its core, and a movement was started which spread far beyond the realms of the movie industry. The New York Times published a story – made possible by a number of brave women including Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan – exposing years of alleged sexual assault at the hands of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Since then, the movement has taken off. Actress Alyssa Milano started the #MeToo movement on Twitter, which took off with almost unstoppable traction. It became very quickly obvious that the problem of sexual harassment was rife within Hollywood, but that it also was not merely confined to the boundaries of this industry. More and more women came forward – from all walks of life – and told their stories of sexual assault.

Rose McGowan
After initially settling with Harvey Weinstein in 1997 following an alleged sexual assault, McGowan has played a pivotal role in standing up for those who have been sexually assaulted in Hollywood. Rose has called out those complicit including Ben and Casey Affleck and has committed to bringing the cause to light, regardless of the pain it may cause her.

Natalie Portman
The day before Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first show for Dior, Natalie Portman stepped out at the Women’s March in Los Angeles and debuted a t-shirt which would make waves when it went down the catwalk the next day. The pregnant actress not only attended, but also spoke at the march, thanking Donald Trump for starting what she referred to as ‘The Revolution’ and telling the women present that now, more than ever, it was important to encourage one another. “We need to demand freedom from fear over our bodies and control over our own bodies,” she said.

Meghan Markle
Not only is she American, an actress, divorced and about to become one of the first women of colour to be a part of the English Royal Family – she is also on a path of breaking many of the rules of the Royal handbook. Meghan will be spending Christmas with the Royals, a move which breaks the strong tradition which prevented Kate Middleton from spending Christmas with the family until she was officially married into it. As the list grows, one thing is becoming obvious – Meghan is showing how a modern lady can adapt to the Royal rules and tradition – rather than buckling to them.

Rihanna
We all know Rihanna is a bad-ass. However what you may not know is that she has been committed humanitarian since the early days of her music career. Harvard University selected her as their Humanitarian of the Year for 2017 and we can see why, from her support of charities like UNICEF, Red Cross, Live Earth and BID 2 BEAT AIDS to just name a few.

Golriz Ghahraman
Golriz Ghahraman became the first refugee MP to be elected into New Zealand Government in 2017. Starting out as a human rights lawyer she took on war criminals at The Hague before earning her place as a Greens MP.

Maria Grazia Chiuri
Not only notable for becoming the first female creative director at the helm of fashion house Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri has been using her position to help bring a slice of feminism to the high fashion world. In her first collection for the label she included the now iconic ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ t-shirt, inspired by the essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She has continued to use her platform to not only provide beautiful clothes for women, but to also give them a means through which to express their feminism.

Ibtihaj Muhammad
She first became a notable figure at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she simultaneously became the first American woman to wear a hijab to the Games as well as the first Muslim-American to win a medal at the Olympics. This year she worked with Barbie to release the first hijab-wearing Barbie doll which will be on sale in 2018. Helping to break down barriers within not only the sporting world, but also in popular culture, Ibtihaj is an inspiration to women everywhere.

Adwoa Aboah
Adwoa Aboah’s career has been steadily on the rise, marked by her cover of Edward Enninful’s first edition of British Vogue, and receiving 2017’s Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards. Behind the success, Aboah has struggled with her mental illness for many years and has created an online community ‘Gurls Talk’ that operates as a safe space where women can discuss their feelings and get help and advice.

Stella McCartney
Not only an incredibly successful designer and businesswoman, Stella McCartney has been a long-time activist – particularly within the areas of animal products for use in fashion. Refusing to use real fur or leather for her clothing, and instead pursuing viable alternatives, she has used her platform to stand up for, alongside animal rights, domestic abuse and breast cancer awareness.

Gal Gadot
Not only did Gal play Wonder Woman in the hit film this year, but she also completed the gruelling and action-packed filming while she was pregnant. And if this wasn’t enough of an inspiration, she refused to participate in the film’s sequel unless the producer Brett Ratner was kicked off following sexual abuse claims against him. In our opinion, Gal is as much the superhero as her on-screen counterpart.

Francia Raísa
When her best friend Selena Gomez needed a kidney transplant and she was a match, the actress stepped up to the plate and donated a kidney. In our books, this make Francia a true inspiration as she completed such a selfless act. This is one seriously iconic best friend duo #goals.

Harman Grubiša
Madeleine Harman and Jessica Grubiša have developed one of NZ’s most celebrated clothing brands after only launching in 2014. Their accolades include opening a flagship boutique on Auckland’s Jervois Road, receiving the title of ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents’ Designer of the Year in 2016 and being nominated twice for the International Woolmark prize within Australia and New Zealand, winning the regional final in 2017. In 2018, the girls will travel to Florence to compete for the grand International Woolmark Prize, which has previously been won by Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Not a bad three-year timeline for two young Kiwi designers.