Who says fashion can’t be feminist? None of the ladies featured in Vancouver author Jennifer Croll’s latest release, Bad Girls of Fashion: Style Rebels From Cleopatra to Lady Gaga—that’s for sure.

Croll’s book, released by Annick Press on Sept. 13, is punctuated by the fun-loving illustrations of Ada Buchholc and is aimed at young women.

“When people are teenagers, there’s also a lot of trying to blend in. A lot of the media about fashion… is about conforming and fitting in, and so with the book I was trying to create something that made the point that you really don’t have to,” Croll told the CBC in an interview earlier this week.

Exploring the rebellious treads and threads of fashion icons through history, Croll tells the story of women who broke the mold through fashion and the feminist lens. Its poignant and yet to-the-point study of the bad girls who’ve walked before us makes for a punchy-but-palatable read, perfect for the young feminist with a penchant for pop culture history.

“The ‘bad girls’ in the book, who are variety of ages, really just did what they wanted and they pursued their own interests using clothing. They used clothing as a tool. They thought about what clothing meant and they made it work for them. For some of them it was about claiming power, and making these visual claims to power,” she said.

The Bad Girls of Fashion book launch party takes place Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Fox Cabaret’s Projection Room. FREE ENTRY includes all-girl anthems by Cherchez la Femme, a chance to buy Bad Girl cocktails, book sales by The Paper Hound, and sweet treats by Katie’s Cakes.