Women are amazing. And so for International Women’s Day, here are my personal heroines:
You always here about how women don’t treat other women properly, and you know what? You’re probably sick of hearing it. But I do think there is something naturally ingrained in us to be more competitive with other women than men. We have also been conditioned to be like this, since the dawn of time. After all, it gave the men less to worry about didn’t it? 
But women are incredible and should be celebrated and it’s not enough to just have a day – it should be every day. But because it is for a day, I wanted to share my personal heroines in my worlds of fashion and business. As a young woman who has become self employed, I very much focus on the women I would like to be like one day, in the hopes that it makes me a better person.
Jo is a very good friend of mine and runs Cherry Sorbet and her wonderful blog, the Dextorous Diva. She is a multi-tasking mother of twins, who also happens to have endometriosis. This causes her debilitating pain every day, but she still manages to run an incredibly successful business, writes a blog, and spends time with her family, and you know what? Jo is nice. She has every reason to be bitter some days, to be purely rude, but she isn’t. Jo give me my break in self employment, which is something I will always be grateful for. She has time for everyone and is a very giving person and if I could be half the woman she is, then I would be very happy indeed.
A woman I have never met, but who has been in my life constantly at the moment is Marianne. She wrote a book, which Jo above highly recommended. Be a Free Range Human (http://www.beafreerangehuman.com/). You guys might have heard me banging on about this on Twitter. Marianne is an honest, thought provoking woman, who encourages people to follow their dreams, and shows them how. She did it, and she has created a series of exercises to seriously get you on your way to freedom from 9-5. Marianne lives and works from several countries throughout the year, and carries her business in a very stylish backpack. Very much one of my new and favourite heroines!
As someone working in fashion, and with an ecommerce business, you really do look to the industry leaders who changed the way our fashion world works. As the founder of Net a Porter (yes, my addiction to), ten years ago Natalie did what many people would not have dared to do. It was at the age of 33, when she was Isabella Blow’s assistant at Tatler, that she came up with the idea for a luxury fashion e-tail site. She then sold to Luxury goods conglomerate Richemont, who bought out Net-A-Porter in April 2010 for £350 million
“I realised at a certain point that if I was going to kind of life that I fantasised about, I needed to get my act together. No one was going to do it for me. I’m still like that,” she also told Vogue. Isn’t that amazing? Most people just try and place a lottery ticket and hope for the best. The secret being, that if you do want something, you really have to go out there and get it.
They entertained me as a child and now they inspire me as an adult. These two women really transformed their lives and how the public see them, through their expertise in the fashion world. I mean they were a running a billion dollar empire by the age of 25, but do so with such focus and grace, that I wish I had a little of their elegance.
It would be so easy for them to sell out and always try to be in the public eye, but the fact they don’t, is what makes them so successful. They have three fashion lines, The Row, and the more affordable Elizabeth and James, and Olsenboye. And did you know, that besides handbags and certain knits produced in Italy, the Olsen’s firmly believe in manufacturing their line in New York & L.A? Meaning that they are putting money straight back into the US economy. So yes, their success, hardwork and modesty definitely makes these two young women inspiring for me.
Do you agree with my choices? Which women have inspired you and why?
Afternoon tea at Millennium Hotel, Knightsbridge
Sarah Betty loves: T Rex t shirts
Design your life: why vision boards are important
Spring/summer dress must haves
Sarah Betty loves: Levi’s and Liberty Of London partnering up
Stylust: Petar Petrov black and white dress
Great post! I love your choices, and have added Be a Free Range Human to my reading list! I’m not such a fan of the Olsen twins, but I do admire their business success; no-one can deny their hard work and dedication.