Hi Friend,

Has there ever been a girl more influential than this Hollywood star? 

Jean Harlow sadly died at the young age of 26, but she will forever be an icon. 

Marilyn Monroe, Mamie van Doren or Jayne Mansfield all copied her looks and style in order to achieve stardom (and it did kinda work, didn’t it?)

How is it possible that a girl could become so influential? 

First, she was a brand - Harlow's legacy in American cinema is that she was the first actress to wear and popularize the color platinum blonde on the screen. She was also the first movie star to launch a fad among young American women. The number of young spectators who dyed their hair with peroxide increased by 30%. She was also called “The Platinum Blonde”

Second, she had the brand persona of the laughing vamp - that was her very distinct brand image. She was a vamp, sexy and enticing and entirely beautiful, but had wit and charisma and showcased her comedic talent in her movies. 

Third - the studio system really monetised on her fame. They created contests around the country to see if any beautician could match her platinum hair. Nobody could - and the label of the original and only “platinum blonde” was hers forever. Clever marketing, uh? 

Fourth - She was a beautiful woman inside out. Her costars and other actors and actresses in Hollywood stood by her side when the press was raging war. She was kind and friendly and open. Something that brings you farther than anything else in the end. Any true star will tell you that!

Love,

Anna Katharina