A lot of little kids love to play dress-up, but 3-year-old Scout Larson takes it to the next level.
The Florida toddler dresses up as famous icons like Carrie Fisher, Frida Kahlo, David Bowie, and Malala Yousafzai and recreates some of their classic photos.
Scout’s mom, Ashley Jinks Larson, told HuffPost her daughter has always loved wearing different outfits and costumes and posing for photo shoots. She said the icons project started after her own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
“I started doing the photos mostly to keep our minds busy while we were all dealing with a tough time,” the mom said. “We shot mostly fierce women, because I wanted to replicate that strength in Scout. I wanted to have photos to show Scout that women are amazing and tough, just like her Nonnie (my mom). I’m happy to announce that my mom is cancer free now!”
Ashley posts Scout’s icon photos on an Instagram account she runs. To recreate the famous looks, the mom uses a combination of clothes they already have, borrowed items and new purchases.
Scout is a big fan of fashion. “Right now, her big thing is rain boots,” said Ashley. “Rain or shine, she’s wearing her rainbow-striped rain boots.”
The mom said her daughter is “full of personality” and “wears her heart on her sleeve.”
“She is almost always laughing and her dimples are seriously the cutest thing ever,” she explained. “I’d say my favorite thing about her, though, is her ability to make friends. Everywhere we go, she’s striking up a conversation.”
She added that the little girl is sweet and compassionate and tends to act like “the little mommy” always looking out for her two brothers.
Ashley said she hopes people who see Scout’s photos see that girls can be “fierce, funny, smart or whatever they decide they’d like to be.”
“In our society, it’s easy for women ― or anyone, honestly ― to think that beauty is the most important attribute a person can have,” the mom told HuffPost. “I’m doing my best to teach Scout that intelligence and resilience are more important than looks.”
“Most of the time when I tell her that she’s beautiful, she corrects me and says ‘I’m smart, too!’” Ashley added. “She’s a pretty rad 3 year old!”