Marie Claire's 7th Annual New Guard

These 50 women made bold moves, raised major capital, and wowed us with their fearless vision.

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This year, in honor of Marie Claire's 25th anniversary, our New Guard list is all about women who have celebrated their own milestones. The storied ambition gap? You won’t find it here. Instead, prepare yourself for a massive dose of career inspiration.


The Funny Girl:

Nicole Byer

Comedian and Host, Nailed It!

Stand-up comedian Byer’s quick wit helped lock in an Emmy nomination for season three of Nailed It!, the Netflix show she hosts that features amateur bakers notoriously hopeless in the kitchen. Byer serves up hilarious one-liners that make the unpalatable seem delicious, giving viewers reason to return season after season.



The Hustler:

Jennifer Hyman

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Cofounder and CEO, Rent the Runway

Hyman officially joined the unicorn club in March when her clothing-rental company, whose unlimited subscription service now makes up 60 percent of revenue, raised $125 million at a billion-dollar valuation. She started raising funds while six months pregnant with her second child, closed the deal at nine months, and is also celebrating her company’s 10-year anniversary in November.



The Fresh Face:

Lashana Lynch

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Actor

The name’s Lynch. Lashana Lynch. (We had to.) The British actress was cast as 007 in the upcoming film No Time to Die, making her the first woman and person of color to lead a film in the franchise. Earlier this year, she made her action debut as Carol Danvers’s copilot and best friend in Captain Marvel, solidifying her status as Hollywood’s newest crime-fighting hero.



The Newcomer:

Rosalía

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Musician

When you go by only your first name at age 26, you have to have serious pipes (see: Adele, Beyoncé). Rosalía, the Catalañan flamenco singer turned international pop star, wowed at the 2019 Video Music Awards with two wins (for her song “Con Altura,” featured on Barack Obama’s summer playlist). She’s also a style authority: In May, she launched her second collection with Spanish retailer Pull & Bear, much to the joy of her five million Instagram followers. Up next for the artist: Reportedly a collab with none other than Queen Bey herself.



The Joker:

Ali Wong

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Actor

Wong’s rom-com Always Be My Maybe premiered in May, winning over critics, depicting Asian American relationships without the stereotypical tropes, and helping fuel the Keanu-ssance. (Reeves stars as one of Wong’s love interests in the film.) This after two Netflix stand-up specials and a sold-out comedy tour—and her first book, Dear Girls, was published in October.


Clarification: The previous version of this story misstated Stitch Fix’s revenue and the launch date of Away's new businesses.

This story appears in the November 2019 issue of Marie Claire.

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