s one of Hollywood’s most famous child stars Emma Watson quickly broke from the shadow of the bright and precocious witch that made her famous. No matter what character she plays now or if she retires from acting tomorrow, Watson will be known for who SHE is.

Just a few years after the last Harry Potter movie, in July of 2014, Watson became the youngest UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Taking on the mantle of a goodwill ambassador is nothing new for celebrities but Emma went a step further. That September, Watson gave a motivating, self-written speech at the UN’s New York headquarters in front of an audience of 700. For all the world to see, the young actress declared she was a feminist. Not only did she receive a spontaneous standing ovation after her speech but within hours the HeForShe campaign she promoted was trending worldwide. Watson’s speech was shared throughout millions of Facebook feeds and dominated headlines for a week.

We have been lucky enough to watch Watson grow into not only the person she is today but a style icon in the making. She started attending movie premieres and other red carpet events at just eleven years old. For a young lady that age, fashion options are limited. So, Emma was able to take those intervening years to watch, learn and grow comfortable with her own style. Once it was realized, designers began to take notice and courted the up-and-coming fashion maven. Watson ran the gamut, wearing new and edgier designers like Hakaan Yildivim and Erdem along with classic fashion houses like Burberry and Chanel. She is now known for her ‘beauty minimalism’ and smart sartorial looks which earned her a British Style Award at the British Fashion Awards in 2014.