Inspiring Women Magazine September 2023
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INSPIRING<br />
WOMEN<br />
<strong>September</strong> <strong>2023</strong> Volume 7 Issue 3
Contents<br />
<strong>September</strong> <strong>2023</strong>. Volume 7, Issue 3<br />
8<br />
Style and<br />
Sustainability in<br />
the 21 st Century<br />
Olga Antonova, AWC<br />
Berlin, speaks about<br />
her experiences as a<br />
personal fashion stylist.<br />
18<br />
24<br />
Fashion Inspired<br />
by Nature<br />
Mariachiara Giacomel,<br />
AWA Rome, explains<br />
how her childhood<br />
hometown inspired her<br />
to create her own<br />
clothing label, Eliot.<br />
38<br />
A Love Affair<br />
with Fabric<br />
Samira Allali,<br />
AIWC Casablanca,<br />
shares how her<br />
passion for fabric<br />
led to a career in<br />
fashion design.<br />
profiles<br />
Fashion with<br />
a Conscience<br />
The designs of<br />
Andrea Saieh Jimenez,<br />
AWC Bogotá, prove<br />
that fashion can be<br />
both beautiful<br />
and sustainable.<br />
44<br />
66<br />
Holding Fashion<br />
Accountable<br />
Callie Riemann, AWC<br />
Hamburg, works hard<br />
behind the scenes to<br />
make sure clothes are<br />
produced ethically.<br />
72<br />
86<br />
Self-Designed,<br />
Self-Made<br />
Deborah Briggs, AWC<br />
Denmark, shares her<br />
experiences designing<br />
and sewing her<br />
own clothes.<br />
92<br />
Showcasing<br />
Heritage Through<br />
Fashion<br />
Yerie Mary Kamara,<br />
IWC Moldova, shares<br />
how her childhood in<br />
Sierra Leone influenced<br />
her life in fashion.<br />
Connecting the<br />
Dots of a<br />
Fashionable Life<br />
Gaby Basora,<br />
AAWE Paris, shares<br />
her favorite<br />
design influences.<br />
Southern<br />
Influence on a<br />
Parisian Lifestyle<br />
Diana Levaton, AWG Paris,<br />
shares her fascinating<br />
journey from shy Southern<br />
girl to owning a Parisian<br />
modeling agency.<br />
17<br />
Inspired Reader<br />
In October last year<br />
we launched our<br />
newest initiative, a<br />
quiz to find the<br />
Inspired Reader for<br />
each issue. See our<br />
latest winner!<br />
31<br />
53<br />
A Club Inspires:<br />
AWA Rome<br />
FAWCO Rep Erica<br />
Zmitrovitch<br />
introduces<br />
us to FAWCO’s<br />
American <strong>Women</strong>’s<br />
Association of Rome.<br />
Through My<br />
Lens<br />
This compilation<br />
feature focuses on the<br />
current issue’s theme<br />
with a photo and short<br />
caption from multiple<br />
contributors. For this issue, we are<br />
highlighting the Foundation Night Gala at<br />
the FAWCO Biennial Conference <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
79<br />
99<br />
features<br />
In My Own Words: A<br />
Day in the Life of a<br />
Fashion Stylist<br />
Nadine Kazerounian,<br />
Barcelona <strong>Women</strong>'s<br />
Network, loves being a<br />
stylist, and has combined<br />
it with charity fundraising,<br />
both for the club and<br />
for the refugee NGO<br />
she supports.<br />
83<br />
In My Own Words:<br />
Palm Beach Glam<br />
"Cloffice" Makeover<br />
Diane Naveau, AWC<br />
Antwerp, founded The<br />
Closet Merchant in 2018<br />
to create sustainability in<br />
the fashion industry by<br />
focusing on personal<br />
style, creating more<br />
options from what you already own and<br />
promoting sustainable shopping habits.<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> Reads:<br />
Modern Resin<br />
Jewellery<br />
Sara Naumann, AWC<br />
Hamburg, has been in<br />
the creative industry<br />
for over 20 years. As a<br />
designer and instructor,<br />
her mission is to make the technical parts<br />
easy so crafters of all experience levels can<br />
enjoy the creative process.<br />
2 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 3
5<br />
6<br />
in every issue<br />
A Note from the Editor<br />
Advertisers Index<br />
102<br />
103<br />
Our Next Issue<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> You<br />
“Clothes aren't going to change the<br />
world. The women who wear them will."<br />
— Anne Klein<br />
“Style is something each of us already<br />
has, all we need is to find it."<br />
— Diane von Furstenberg<br />
a note from<br />
the editor<br />
7 Introducing This Issue 104 More About This Issue<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>: Through My Lens<br />
We are looking for your photos of friends, family or yourself that you think embody the next<br />
issue's theme of "<strong>Women</strong> Embracing Culture".<br />
Photos should be in color and a minimum of 300 dpi. Send your photo with your name, FAWCO<br />
club and a maximum 50-word caption explaining why the photo fits the theme to:<br />
inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org<br />
The deadline for submitting<br />
photos for our next<br />
issue is ...<br />
October 2, <strong>2023</strong><br />
105<br />
Photo feature<br />
That’s Inspired!<br />
I panicked when I learned <strong>Women</strong> and Fashion<br />
was the theme of the first issue of <strong>Inspiring</strong><br />
<strong>Women</strong> magazine with me at the helm. Fashion<br />
is not my thing. I don’t follow fashion trends and<br />
probably wouldn’t recognize the names of any<br />
current runway models. Give me a comfy pair of<br />
jeans, a nice t-shirt or sweater with a cardigan<br />
and maybe a pair of flats or, even better,<br />
sneakers and I’m good. Artsy jewelry as an<br />
accessory I can relate to, but fashion? No. Isn’t<br />
fashion a bit frivolous? But then there was the<br />
sticky question of fashion versus style. Are<br />
they different, the same, intertwined and<br />
inseparable? I guess I really hadn’t given it<br />
much thought.<br />
Then a couple of things happened. First, my<br />
mom passed away while we were working on<br />
this issue. She had great fashion sense and<br />
always made sure she was dressed well if she<br />
was going to be seen in public. She had<br />
accumulated a lot of clothes. As my sister, two<br />
nieces and I started sorting her belongings, we<br />
discovered how much clothing and accessories<br />
are part of our memories. Some were shared,<br />
others personal, but we all had memories<br />
associated with items she had worn or, because<br />
she was a talented seamstress, sewn. Our ages,<br />
sizes, and personal styles vary greatly, but we all<br />
found items of clothing and jewelry we wanted<br />
to keep. There were many items that were<br />
beautiful and fashionable for a petite 83-yearold<br />
that just would not look right on any of us, so<br />
we passed them on to the local women’s shelter.<br />
Then, the four of us also decided to purchase a<br />
piece of jewelry while we were on a family<br />
vacation together in Greece. As a theme, we<br />
chose the olive branch as a symbol of peace,<br />
wisdom, friendship and tranquility. It took a<br />
while, but eventually we all found something<br />
that spoke to us. True to our personalities, the<br />
four pieces of jewelry are very different from<br />
one another, but all incorporate the olive branch<br />
in some way. It was such fun looking at all the<br />
different designs and interpretations from<br />
various artists and choosing the one that best<br />
fit each of our styles.<br />
Finally, I started reading the diverse nominations<br />
for women to include in this issue and the<br />
resulting profiles and features. What these<br />
women do isn’t frivolous, and while their work<br />
might sometimes include a runway, there was<br />
so much more. As you will read, fashion isn’t just<br />
about what we choose to wear. This issue will<br />
introduce you to women who design, model<br />
and run modeling agencies. There are women<br />
who sew, create jewelry, focus on repurposed<br />
textiles and fight for the ethical production of<br />
clothing. We will show you examples of fashion<br />
as fundraisers. We also introduce you to women<br />
running fashion-related businesses and making<br />
sure inclusivity is part of the fashion world.<br />
Sustainability is often a common thread. Finally,<br />
we add something many of us can use (even<br />
those of us who aren’t fashionistas) – help<br />
finding our own style and organizing our closets.<br />
In the end, I discovered fashion and style are<br />
independent but intertwined. Fashion is much<br />
deeper than simply what’s being shown on<br />
the runway that season. The fashion industry<br />
is changing to become more sustainable and<br />
inclusive. The women in this issue are helping to<br />
make that change happen.<br />
Best wishes!<br />
Michele<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong>women.editor@fawco.org<br />
4 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 5
advertisers<br />
index<br />
introducing<br />
this issue<br />
TASIS p. 15<br />
The American School in England TASIS<br />
England is a leading international day and<br />
boarding school (ages 3-18) located 35<br />
minutes from central London on a beautiful<br />
campus in Thorpe, Surrey.<br />
London & Capital p. 36<br />
Whether you are a US Citizen living abroad<br />
or a foreign entity with US reporting, their<br />
dedicated teams take care of your wealth,<br />
giving you time to concentrate on the things<br />
that matter to you. London & Capital has<br />
been supporting FAWCO since 2016.<br />
My first real memory of my life is driving through the city of Niagara Falls, NY. It was winter<br />
and I was sitting in the back of my grandmother’s pink Cadillac. The seats were white leather.<br />
I was so little that my legs didn’t reach over the end of the seat. That was okay because I was<br />
able to admire my very shiny patent leather shoes. I was wearing a pink wool coat and<br />
matching hat from Bonwit Teller and a white fur hand muff. So Barbicore.<br />
To this day nearly every aspect of fashion intrigues me. As a young girl I was very particular<br />
about my clothes. I took up sewing for that reason and learned a lot about design and<br />
construction. I see clothes and fashion as art and architecture (right now I am excited by the<br />
Dutch designer Iris van Herpen). Clothes represent our culture and have always been a part<br />
of a time in history.<br />
LAUNCH p. 16<br />
LAUNCH is an independent education<br />
consultancy and a Target Program Sponsor.<br />
Lauren Hensel, founder of LAUNCH,<br />
and Sara Bittner are members of the<br />
AWC Amsterdam.<br />
London Realty Intl. p. 28<br />
London Realty Intl. is owned by AWC London<br />
member Lonnée Hamilton, who is a<br />
worldwide property consultant. Her firm<br />
works with the best agents across the globe<br />
to fulfill your property needs.<br />
Janet Darrow Real Estate p. 51<br />
Around the corner or a world away, contact<br />
Janet Darrow, FAUSA member, to find the<br />
best properties. FAWCO referrals to Janet<br />
help the Target Program!<br />
The Pajama Company p. 97<br />
The Pajama Company, founded by<br />
Ellie Badanes, FAUSA and AW Surrey, sells<br />
pajamas that are cozy, cheerful and<br />
available online!<br />
Throughout the years FAWCO has relied on advertisers and sponsors to augment its<br />
income. This revenue has allowed FAWCO to improve services and gives it the flexibility to<br />
try the latest innovations to enhance the FAWCO experience. FAWCO’s advertising partners<br />
believe in our mission and support our goals; some advertisers also<br />
directly support our activities and projects.<br />
We encourage club leadership throughout the FAWCO network to<br />
share our publications with their membership. Our advertising<br />
partners have valuable products and services and we want your<br />
members to take advantage of what they offer. Please support them!<br />
For more information on these advertisers or if you have any questions<br />
about FAWCO’s advertising program, please contact Elsie Bose: advertising@fawco.org.<br />
Unfortunately, I didn’t get too much taller than the toddler sitting in the back of that Cadillac.<br />
I worked in fashion. Many times when I worked in retail, I would be standing with my male<br />
colleagues in a meeting, and I needed to make sure I was included in the conversation. While<br />
the merits of my contributions to the subject at hand were as good as anyone else’s, what I<br />
wore gave me confidence. Never overpowering, but power enough.<br />
And as anyone in the fashion business can tell you, the fall fashion season is usually its most<br />
exciting season. As August fades, we are all just a little tired of wearing clothes whose sole<br />
purpose is to keep us cool – damn how we look. Fall brings the promise of rich and exciting<br />
designs and colors that make us think about the fresh, crisp air of autumn. It’s also when the<br />
fashion media, especially the magazines, publish their most lavish issues. Not to be outdone,<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong> thought that we should showcase some of our members who have made an<br />
impact in the fashion world.<br />
The members profiled in this issue paint nearly a complete picture of the “world of fashion.”<br />
We are privileged to count among our members some incredibly talented designers with a<br />
vision “beyond the pretty.” They are designing beautiful clothes and making sure that they are<br />
beautiful on every type of body. The fashion industry must take responsibility to eradicate the<br />
abuses in manufacturing both to the humans they employ and the planet that they inhabit.<br />
You will read how these members are addressing this in their work. Fashion is fun and this<br />
issue highlights how clothes can make us look and feel good and express our personalities and<br />
our own creativity.<br />
Finally, whether you are a fashionista or not, the words of Iris Apfel, an American designer and<br />
style icon still active today at the age of 103, are good words of advice:<br />
"I say, dress to please yourself. Listen to your inner muse and take a chance.<br />
Wear something that says, 'Here I am today.'"<br />
Elsie<br />
Founder<br />
6 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 7
profile<br />
Style and Sustainability<br />
in the 21st Century<br />
Olga Johnston Antonova, AWC Berlin, speaks about her experiences as<br />
a personal fashion stylist, an image consultant and a sustainable fashion<br />
educator and journalist.<br />
I<br />
grew up in Russia, in Eastern Siberia,<br />
on the world’s largest freshwater lake,<br />
Lake Baikal. My parents influenced my<br />
taste and ability to create harmonious<br />
color and shape compositions. My dad, a<br />
radiologist and photographer, introduced me<br />
to classical art, glorious icons of the Russian<br />
churches and exquisitely illustrated fairy tale<br />
books. My mom, a physicist and mathematician<br />
by profession, made most of my clothes. She<br />
taught me the value of handmade and unique<br />
things, shaping my taste, my eye for color and<br />
my ability to combine clothes and accessories<br />
to a desired effect.<br />
I studied English, German and linguistic theory<br />
at the university in Irkutsk (my home town).<br />
After graduating in 1992, I was invited to Dublin<br />
to take part in a business course, resulting in a<br />
full-time job in an Irish trading company and<br />
stayed there for a few years. Eventually I got<br />
married and moved abroad for my husband’s<br />
work. As an expat family, we have lived in a<br />
number of European countries and my ability<br />
to work as a fashion stylist allowed me to make<br />
friends and find projects in every new location.<br />
However, I still travel to Ireland regularly to<br />
spend time in the Irish countryside by the sea<br />
in the peace and quiet of County Kerry.<br />
Olga Johnston Antonova<br />
Nine years ago I moved to Berlin.<br />
This multicultural city stimulates<br />
my creativity through its vibrant<br />
art and culture scene. My fashion<br />
styling work expanded into the<br />
Olga at the<br />
eco fabric fair<br />
Copenhagen<br />
8 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 9
field of sustainability and<br />
mindfulness. Berlin has a<br />
great number of eco fashion<br />
designers and initiatives. I<br />
now educate my clients about<br />
responsible consumption,<br />
develop educational programs<br />
about sustainability in fashion<br />
for the fashion designers and<br />
schools and get invited to speak<br />
about sustainable fashion at<br />
international conferences<br />
and “Fashion Weeks” around<br />
the world. I joined AWC Berlin<br />
and I am grateful to this<br />
supportive community of<br />
international women who<br />
helped me to realize my<br />
biggest sustainable fashion<br />
project in Berlin – the<br />
Sustainable Fashion Show<br />
"Driving Sustainability."<br />
What does “fashion” mean<br />
to you?<br />
Fashion is a large industry. It is<br />
a huge business with global<br />
supply chains, involving millions<br />
of people, from farmers to<br />
vintage resellers. Fashion is<br />
also a cultural phenomenon,<br />
reflecting historical periods and<br />
changing along with them. And,<br />
of course, fashion is clothing,<br />
a tool for self-expression, a way<br />
to communicate your identity<br />
and personality to the world,<br />
or a way to mask and hide<br />
things, depending on how one<br />
uses it.<br />
For me, fashion is a creative<br />
outlet that allows me to help<br />
people express their desires and<br />
liberate them from fears –<br />
to unblock them. During my<br />
styling sessions, people get to<br />
know themselves better, an<br />
important "side effect’' of<br />
improved looks.<br />
These days a fashion stylist is<br />
more of a personal coach. I find<br />
that by starting to work with<br />
outer looks, a person finds a<br />
path to reconnect with their true self and<br />
becomes more confident and happy.<br />
As a stylist I help people create looks that are<br />
harmonious with their personalities and desires.<br />
It’s more than just outward appearance. It goes<br />
deeper. Clients become liberated, unstuck, and<br />
find balance and harmony within themselves<br />
and in their surroundings, as if plugging into<br />
higher vibrations of beauty. I think that personal<br />
styling is a powerful and enjoyable tool available<br />
to every one of us to create a positive life, but I<br />
see that it is underutilized by many. I would love<br />
to change that for the benefit of all the women<br />
and men who miss out on the joy of feeling<br />
good and being the true and best version<br />
of themselves.<br />
Driving Sustinabilty fashon show,<br />
Olga speaking to the audience<br />
(page 10, top)<br />
Sustainable Fashion Fair<br />
(page10, bottom)<br />
Sustainble Fashion Presentation,<br />
Berlin (left)<br />
A peek into a styling moment<br />
(below)<br />
What three items belong in<br />
every woman’s wardrobe?<br />
It’s hard to choose only three<br />
garments, but I will try.<br />
1. A dress that compliments<br />
your body shape and, with<br />
correct accessories, can take you from the<br />
morning in the office to cocktails or a special<br />
event in the evening.<br />
2. A bra that is correctly fitted by an expert at<br />
a specialized store.<br />
3. A very large square scarf in very thin wool<br />
or silk that can be used as a luxurious wrap<br />
for a special occasion, or can be thrown over<br />
your shoulders anytime you need to be warm.<br />
It is an unbeatable practical accessory at the<br />
end of the yoga class or during a meditation –<br />
you can wrap yourself in it and feel and look<br />
beautiful and stylish in an instant.<br />
How have COVID-19 and environmental<br />
concerns impacted fashion?<br />
COVID-19 interrupted supply<br />
chains when many fashion<br />
brands canceled orders and<br />
stopped paying factories<br />
located in poorer countries.<br />
A lot of unethical behavior<br />
in the industry was exposed<br />
by COVID-19. On the other<br />
hand, we as a society and<br />
the industry realized that<br />
we have issues with overproduction,<br />
as consumers<br />
do not actually need to shop<br />
weekly but can re-use and<br />
restyle what they have.<br />
COVID-19 empowered<br />
digital fashion as fashion<br />
shows went online and some<br />
10 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 11
Vintage finds Berlin (page 12, top)<br />
were made in a virtual format – a real<br />
breakthrough for the metaverse and<br />
fashion. This also meant a great reduction of<br />
production costs and environmental impact<br />
associated with such events. So there were<br />
some good developments due to the pandemic.<br />
How can a person be both fashionable and<br />
still make good choices for the environment?<br />
This is very easy, even if one does not follow<br />
the latest news about the most environmentally<br />
friendly fabrics and processes. My<br />
recommendations are: reorganize your<br />
wardrobe, edit it out and create new looks from<br />
what you have with a styling professional. Make<br />
a precise list of what might be missing that<br />
exactly fits your style needs, because having<br />
one or two accessories or garments might pull<br />
together tons of new looks from the idle things<br />
in your existing wardrobe. Shop correctly,<br />
either at vintage and second hand stores, or<br />
anywhere you like, but buy exactly what fits<br />
and complements what you already have.<br />
Ask yourself - how often will I wear this<br />
item? With what? On what occasion? If you<br />
are satisfied with your answers – then it is a<br />
good item to buy. Don’t buy things that you<br />
already have. This sounds strange, but from<br />
my experience of editing people’s wardrobes<br />
I know that this is a big problem. People have<br />
clones of the same trousers,T-shirts and<br />
skirts and their wardrobes are hard to<br />
navigate and feel cluttered. The choice of<br />
styles and things is actually very limited. So<br />
please, when you are drawn to something<br />
new in a store, pause and imagine what<br />
other similar things you might already have.<br />
Talking to Diane von Furstenberg, Berlin 2015<br />
(page 12, bottom)<br />
With upcycling designer, Berlin vintage market (left)<br />
Styling workshop (below)<br />
What advice would you give to a woman who<br />
wants to dress well, desires quality clothing,<br />
but must remain on a budget?<br />
Learn about local designers who produce<br />
independent labels where you live. They<br />
create unique garments, make a small number<br />
of pieces and can even fit and tailor to your<br />
shape. They score high on the uniqueness and<br />
quality scale, more expensive than mass<br />
market chains, but definitely more affordable<br />
than luxury brands. Shopping from a local<br />
designer you receive a luxury level of service<br />
and care. You can build on a wardrobe this way,<br />
by adding new garments from the same label<br />
annually, especially if you meet the designer,<br />
who will be aware of what you already have and<br />
want to achieve with your wardrobe. It is really<br />
a precious way of shopping and caring for<br />
yourself. You can mix local designer pieces<br />
stylishly with high street purchases and look<br />
amazing and different while fitting your own<br />
requirements and body shape.<br />
Another wonderful way of finding special items<br />
is vintage shopping, but one needs a good eye<br />
When I create looks for my clients, we take<br />
photos of each look. Then that person can<br />
go over their personal fashion photo library<br />
on her phone. This practice helps to avoid<br />
shopping remorse. Also, there is nothing<br />
wrong with having a large wardrobe if you<br />
are using everything from it in rotation.<br />
Take good care of your garments and know<br />
how to combine them. Even with a large<br />
wardrobe, one can be in control of what<br />
one owns and be confident about every<br />
piece of clothing and accessory. Minimalism<br />
is a personal choice, not a must. Learning<br />
to accessorize will reduce the need for<br />
new items and is a powerful styling and<br />
environmental tool that can be mastered<br />
by everyone.<br />
12 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 13
for that and the ability, as well as knowing good<br />
second hand and vintage stores.<br />
What is your favorite go-to outfit?<br />
I am a stylist, can I give you two?<br />
A long dress that can be accessorized and styled<br />
up or down depending on the occasion.<br />
A jumpsuit that fits my body shape and can be<br />
sporty or classy – I know how to accessorize it to<br />
pull off the desired look.<br />
YouTube video<br />
What’s your favorite beauty tip?<br />
Raise your energy by doing what makes you feel<br />
good, whether it is exercise, massage, taking<br />
time for self-care, meditation, prayer, making<br />
love, going for a swim or a walk, or working on<br />
something when you feel in flow – go for it!<br />
If you could travel back in time, where would<br />
you go and why?<br />
I would go back to the beginning of the 1910s<br />
to see the Ballet Russes in Paris, by Russian<br />
impresario Sergei Diaghilev. I would love to meet<br />
people in the arts who were active around that<br />
time in Berlin, Paris and Moscow.<br />
What is something you love now, that you<br />
never could have imagined you would like in<br />
the past?<br />
I love living with Shiba Inu dogs. I adore them<br />
and I am very grateful to my kids and my<br />
boyfriend for insisting on having a Shiba Inu<br />
15 years ago. Now we have more than 10<br />
living with us in our home in the West of Ireland!<br />
I could never have imagined this in the past!<br />
At home in the west of Ireland (above)<br />
Lake Baikal, home (bottom left)<br />
A bright day in Dublin, 2014 (below)<br />
In the above video Olga explains "How the world will be saved by the Western Woman"<br />
LEAD<br />
INTERNATIONAL DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOL | AGES 3-18 | BEAUTIFUL 46-ACRE CAMPUS NEAR LONDON<br />
Developing kindness and integrity is<br />
as important as achieving academically.<br />
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14 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 15
10 Parent Tips<br />
for College Applications<br />
The college search has the potential to be a fun journey that brings families together, OR a battle to<br />
the finish line that leaves family relationships in tatters. Ensure a positive experience by following our<br />
parent tips.<br />
1. Use reminders to move the process along. Try these scripts to remind without nagging:<br />
Would you like to do it yourself, or have me help you?<br />
I need you to _____________.<br />
How will you take care of ____________?<br />
You care, so I'd love for you to decide.<br />
2. Discuss financial boundaries early.<br />
If you have a hard budget for school each year, be honest about what you can(not) afford.<br />
The most selective colleges tend to be the most expensive, so be sure not to send mixed messages.<br />
3. Empower your child.<br />
Doing things on their own will build their confidence. Teens can:<br />
Conduct their own research.<br />
Talk with admissions staff.<br />
Ask for help in secondary school.<br />
Study for the ACT/SAT.<br />
4. Actively listen to your child’s concerns, comments, and priorities.<br />
Remember who is actually applying and attending college, and respect their wishes.<br />
5. Keep an open mind.<br />
College/university admissions have changed drastically since the 90s. If you are unsure about<br />
remaining impartial, hiring LAUNCH can provide clarity for your family.<br />
6. Put the rankings aside.<br />
Colleges are ranked by an algorithm which can be gamed. Many highly ranked colleges do this by<br />
artificially inflating their stats without changing the quality of the education provided. Tread<br />
carefully.<br />
7. Designate times to discuss.<br />
Set aside a designated time every week to discuss the search and application process. Outside<br />
that time slot, enjoy your teen! They’ll be moving out before you know it.<br />
8. Respect your child’s budding adulthood.<br />
Teens pick up on your biases, so try to remain neutral to allow your teen to form their own opinions.<br />
NEVER compare them with their siblings.<br />
9. Stay positive.<br />
When your teen’s emotions are up and down, remain positive and encouraging. They will make<br />
mistakes and miss deadlines. Don’t scold them for it, but help figure out how to move forward.<br />
10. Be happy with their decision.<br />
Trust your teen to know what’s right for them, and get excited about their choice!<br />
We are passionate about guiding families through the complex university admissions process. Go<br />
to https://rb.gy/14a8r to receive the Family Essentials Guide (FREE for FAWCO members with<br />
the code FAWCO) including student timelines to help you on your way.<br />
w w w . l a u n c h e d u c a t i o n a d v i s o r s . c o m<br />
feature<br />
Inspired Reader<br />
INSPIRING<br />
WOMEN<br />
Goodbyes<br />
&<br />
New Beginnings<br />
May <strong>2023</strong> Volume 8 Issue 2<br />
We are delighted to announce that the Inspired<br />
Reader for our "Goodbyes and New Beginnings"<br />
issue is: Margie O’Rourke of the American<br />
<strong>Women</strong>’s Club of Dublin!<br />
A $50 donation has been made to the<br />
Target Project in her name.<br />
Do you want a donation to the Target Project made in your name?<br />
When you are done reading this issue, simply complete the<br />
Inspired Reader quiz<br />
https://bit.ly/InspiredReaderQuizSept<strong>2023</strong><br />
by October 19 and, if you answer all the questions correctly, you<br />
may be our next Inspired Reader!<br />
16 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 17
profile<br />
A Love Affair with<br />
Fabric<br />
Samira Allali, AIWC Casablanca, shares how her passion for fabric led to a<br />
career in fashion design.<br />
I<br />
grew up in a boarding school in<br />
Casablanca in a very lovely<br />
neighborhood. I was there with my<br />
seven brothers and sisters while<br />
my father and mother were living in the<br />
countryside an hour from the big city. My<br />
father was a farmer who owned a lot of land,<br />
and I used to go there during weekends and<br />
holidays. These visits to the fields had a<br />
tremendous impact on me. COLORS! There were<br />
colors everywhere, and it was stunning! I could<br />
observe wildflowers, plants, birds and fruits. I<br />
really loved my connection with nature and all<br />
its beauty - not only colors, but also geometric<br />
forms, smells, textures and sensations. I can<br />
say that those feelings have stayed with me<br />
until now. I wasn’t aware of it back then, but<br />
what I saw during my tours in the pastures<br />
really shaped my vision, style and taste. There I<br />
developed my love for fashion and high couture.<br />
After turning 18, I wanted to learn English,<br />
discover a new culture and find another “way<br />
of being.” For someone fascinated with English<br />
manners, cups of tea and rock and roll, there<br />
was only one city to visit - London! I stayed there<br />
for six months, and it was the farthest and<br />
longest time I had ever been away<br />
from my relatives. It was a<br />
wonderful experience.<br />
Samira Allali<br />
After my adventures in London, I<br />
Caftan made<br />
by Samira and<br />
came back to live with my two<br />
showcased in a<br />
sisters in Casablanca's downtown.<br />
Los Angeles<br />
18<br />
fashion show<br />
INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 19
Examples of Samira's mule designs (above)<br />
On the runway with Samira and one of her beautiful<br />
caftan creations (page 21)<br />
Tell us about your earliest<br />
experience with fashion.<br />
The first piece I made on my own<br />
came about by accident. It was Eid<br />
al-Adha or the “Feast of the Sacrifice,”<br />
which is a Muslim celebration that<br />
consists of sacrificing a sheep and<br />
giving half of it to the needy. I was<br />
selling textiles to make “caftans,”<br />
traditional Moroccan gowns. I sold the<br />
caftan cloth to a client who needed<br />
to make one for her niece who was<br />
about to get married. Close to the<br />
wedding date, the client contacted<br />
me, desperate, because she had been<br />
unable to find someone to make the<br />
caftan. For me, it was now or never, so<br />
I took the opportunity and went for it.<br />
It was both a success and a blast. She<br />
loved it! I did too. That was 2010.<br />
I now create traditional Moroccan<br />
outfits that could be Westernized. I<br />
hand make them for women who wish to have<br />
a beautiful ensemble for a special occasion or<br />
for everyday life. I also create pieces that would<br />
be exhibited in parades (in London, Casablanca,<br />
Montreal, Los Angeles and Doha) or else sold.<br />
What three items belong in every woman’s<br />
wardrobe and why?<br />
High-quality shoes and a high-end purse are<br />
must-haves in every woman’s wardrobe. Those<br />
two items shape and give the tone to your outfit.<br />
You can wear the most luxurious dress with an<br />
uncomely pair of shoes, and your attire will be<br />
screaming to death.<br />
Another component that a woman should<br />
have in her wardrobe is a black djellaba. I<br />
encourage occidental women to try and maybe<br />
to adopt it. A djellaba (see picture on page 23) is<br />
a long type of dress that can be worn on every<br />
occasion in Morocco. It’s delicate, light, comfy,<br />
embellishes any woman's body and, if paired<br />
with beautiful shoes or slippers (picture left),<br />
will make any heart melt and give an undeniable<br />
confidence and allure.<br />
How can a person be both fashionable and<br />
still make good choices for the environment?<br />
It is all about research and willingness. Looking<br />
for environmentally friendly material and fabric<br />
may help. Take the time to find material that is<br />
not made under catastrophic conditions such<br />
as animals’ suffering and torture, children’s<br />
exploitation or human exploitation per se. It’s<br />
really going beyond wearing what’s beautiful<br />
and stylish to choosing a more conscious<br />
wearing that can only start within one’s deep<br />
self. Nowadays, a lot of brands promote their<br />
responsibility toward the environment. Thus,<br />
looking for less damaging textiles and brands<br />
that adopt ethical manners is the way to go. Also,<br />
brands that are not mindful toward their actions<br />
will not display transparency of information<br />
relating to the production process. This is the<br />
first sign to look for. Numerous brands make<br />
the necessary effort to keep the world a happy<br />
place, such as Mango, H&M conscious, Levi's,<br />
Vega, Brava fabrics. Buying local products is<br />
another way to reduce our negative output.<br />
Many companies have started to produce their<br />
own brand to be sold locally.<br />
Fashion magazines tend to market to one<br />
demographic. In a perfect world how would<br />
you like to see fashion marketed?<br />
Fashion magazines tend to have that strict<br />
image about ideal beauty for both men and<br />
women, but it is starting to migrate toward a<br />
I worked in sales and had a decent life. At that<br />
time, I was interested in fashion, but I was not<br />
involved in it whatsoever.<br />
In 1992, I got married and moved into an<br />
upscale apartment in a very chic area. I also<br />
started to go back and forth to Montreal,<br />
where I bought clothes and sold them back<br />
in Morocco. I soon opened a boutique called<br />
Milord, which was designed for men.<br />
A few years later, my little family and I moved<br />
to Montreal, Canada. There, I discovered the<br />
wonderful world of textiles. I fell so hard for<br />
it that I started buying and selling fabric to<br />
women who wanted to transform them into<br />
Moroccan traditional clothes. As I was getting<br />
more and more into that domain, my expertise<br />
got better, and my interest and curiosity grew.<br />
After six years in Montreal, I went back to my<br />
hometown and started to dive deeper and<br />
deeper into the fashion world. Presently, I juggle<br />
between being a mother, a housewife, an<br />
entrepreneur, a businesswoman and an artist.<br />
It is quite arduous, but I compensate with a<br />
good night's sleep!<br />
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
The timeless Coco Chanel once said: “Fashion<br />
fades, only style remains the same. If a woman<br />
is poorly dressed, you notice her dress. If a<br />
woman is impeccably dressed, you notice<br />
the woman.”<br />
To be fashionable or in touch is to wear what we<br />
love, what fits us well, what embellishes us and<br />
what unifies us. It is about being comfortable in<br />
our skin – with who we are and being free in our<br />
movements. It means to be who we are and who<br />
we desire to be simultaneously. It’s also sharing<br />
a message that has a significant intent, toward<br />
a cause, a culture or a tradition. A word to<br />
ourselves and to others. However, it’s mainly<br />
about staying authentic to the self, because if<br />
we wear something for the trend’s purpose, and<br />
we are not convinced of it, it will be seen, and it<br />
won’t be positively eye-catching.<br />
Applying “fashion” to my work means keeping<br />
it fresh, elegant, and, above all else, fitting my<br />
client. To me, she will be the one defining<br />
fashion. But don’t get me wrong, in order to stay<br />
in tune and young I do look at famous creations<br />
and new trends.<br />
20 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 21
more realistic and inclusive one. In a perfect<br />
world, I would certainly encourage that change,<br />
so we can see trends that are not restricted to<br />
“ideal criteria” but emphasize the sensuality,<br />
elegance and well-being of everyone.<br />
What advice would you give to a woman who<br />
wants to dress well, desires quality clothing,<br />
but must remain on a budget?<br />
Let’s begin by focusing on recycling: Visit thrift<br />
shops. It is unbelievable all the treasures you<br />
can find there. You will also find items with<br />
history, heritage and sometimes one-of-a-kind<br />
pieces, which is invaluable. In addition, a lot<br />
of big names are going into the second-hand<br />
market. For instance, in 2021, H&M opened<br />
another segment, H&M Rewear. There are also<br />
apps such as Vinted where people sell their own<br />
clothes. It is also important to look at the clothes<br />
you already have. We all have those outfits in<br />
our wardrobe that we no longer wear but are<br />
unable to give away. Use some creativity to give<br />
them a rebirth, maybe some cutting, or give<br />
them to a professional to see what he or she<br />
could do.<br />
If you want to stay on budget but still want to<br />
look fabulous, invest in shoes or bags that will<br />
give an edge to your outfit and allow you to keep<br />
the other elements discreet. Also, never buy a<br />
cheap dress or shirt because it will show.<br />
Finally, you can come visit me, we will find some<br />
tremendous compromises, simply because I love<br />
what I do, and I love to make other women bold<br />
and sublime.<br />
How does what you do in fashion matter in<br />
the world?<br />
I put the accent on local work and Moroccan<br />
art craft, a talented field that deserves to be<br />
widely recognized. Since I do not produce on a<br />
large scale and work on custom-made basis, I<br />
have a tiny environmental footprint.<br />
Moreover, I work a lot with word of mouth.<br />
Some craftsmen recommend other ones to me<br />
and they in turn recommend others and so on.<br />
This contributes to building the economy and<br />
increasing jobs in Morocco, a country that is<br />
still developing. However, I also contribute to<br />
globalization since my textiles can come from<br />
Italy, India, or Türkiye. By mixing overseas<br />
material with local talent, I create crossbreeding<br />
that promotes Moroccan culture along with<br />
other nation's beauty, and that demonstrates<br />
the fact that togetherness and unity can be<br />
reached without losing individuality.<br />
If someone gave you $500, what would you do<br />
with it?<br />
I would start by exchanging it into dirhams<br />
because, you know, I benefit from the<br />
conversion and then I will simply give it back.<br />
Nowadays, we are so focused on our busy lives<br />
that we forget the beautiful feeling that occurs<br />
within us when we think about others (someone<br />
who is not related to us in any way). So, I will<br />
give some to a cause that matters to me, some<br />
to the needy in my city, and keep 10% of it for<br />
myself – only as a lucky charm.<br />
What’s your favorite beauty tip?<br />
It all starts within me. I try to have healthy habits,<br />
including exercising, mindful eating, keeping the<br />
heart soft and light, and sound sleep patterns.<br />
I cannot stress that last one enough. I am not<br />
a big makeup girl, but I do believe a lot in<br />
hydration (water, cream, sunscreen, cleansing,<br />
facials) to take considerate care of my skin.<br />
Pampering your body (oil massages, exfoliation,<br />
and letting the toxins out with sauna sessions)<br />
will show your inner and outer beauty. As I<br />
mentioned in the beginning, l believe nature is,<br />
most of the time, all we need.<br />
What is something you love now that you<br />
never could have imagined you would like in<br />
the past?<br />
Soccer! My husband was a huge fan of football.<br />
He used to watch matches on TV and then yelled<br />
throughout each game. I was really confused<br />
about it and did not understand his fondness<br />
for the game. Life can be very unpredictable;<br />
I started to go with my younger son to his<br />
soccer games. He inherited that passion from<br />
his father. Game after game, I felt such a<br />
growing fire within myself for football that I<br />
started to play with my son. Now, I even watch<br />
games with him. Funny, isn’t it?<br />
Page 23<br />
Two of Samira's beautiful creations (top left and right)<br />
Doha’s fashion show (bottom left)<br />
Black djellaba made and worn by Samira (bottom right)<br />
22 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 23
profile<br />
Fashion Inspired by<br />
Nature<br />
Mariachiara Giacomel, AWA Rome, explains how her childhood hometown<br />
inspired her to create her own clothing label, Eliot.<br />
Mariachiara Giacomel<br />
I<br />
was born and raised in Cortina d’Ampezzo,<br />
a beautiful town in the Dolomites in the<br />
Veneto region of Italy. Looking back now, I<br />
can say with certainty that I was very lucky<br />
to grow up where I did. Constant contact<br />
with nature and the outdoors, coupled with the<br />
open space and sense of freedom associated<br />
with growing up between mountains and fields,<br />
had a very positive effect on me. It ingrained<br />
important life lessons, ethics and practical<br />
knowledge in me that have proven fundamental<br />
in my adult life. The initial seed that germinated<br />
into Eliot came from my childhood in Cortina.<br />
I attended university in Bologna, earning a<br />
degree in Economics followed by a European<br />
Master’s degree in Law and Economics. My<br />
professional career started with an internship<br />
at Enel and continued in different fields. For<br />
more than 10 years I worked for a small<br />
investment bank at the Rome office in<br />
administration, accounting and compliance.<br />
In 2014, I joined Kering group (Brioni) as a<br />
financial controller working directly under the<br />
CFO in the Rome headquarters.<br />
During my time at the investment bank, I met<br />
my partner and father of my children, Alex.<br />
Giulia was born in 2018 and Tea in 2020.<br />
Professionally. my career took a “non-creative”<br />
path, but all that changed when I made a trip<br />
home, during my second maternity<br />
leave, that started the “snowball”<br />
that became Eliot. There I found<br />
some of my childhood drawings and<br />
sketches. Not just any drawings but<br />
clothing sketches: models<br />
Mariachiara<br />
and her<br />
husband Alex<br />
and children<br />
Giulia and Tea<br />
24 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 25
sporting different looks, wearing pants, shirts,<br />
jackets and more that I had “designed”. It was mere<br />
coincidence that during those months I had been<br />
thinking about maternity wear and how I could not<br />
find anything I liked for various reasons: style, quality<br />
and price. Those sketches, made with childhood<br />
creativity, awakened something within me and forced<br />
me to question many things in my professional and<br />
personal life. With<br />
Alex’s help, I left<br />
Brioni in the fall<br />
of 2021 and the<br />
brainstorming<br />
began. We<br />
researched<br />
materials, fabrics,<br />
and production<br />
partners while<br />
forming a business<br />
plan that would<br />
eventually become<br />
Eliot - a family name<br />
from Alex's side of<br />
the family that he<br />
shares as a middle<br />
name with both of<br />
Two childhood sketches<br />
where the “seeds” of Eliot<br />
grew (left)<br />
our daughters. My mother-in-law spoke to me<br />
of earlier Eliot women who were strong-willed<br />
and independent (in an era where that was<br />
not common). While the brand is Eliot, the<br />
website and the Instagram account are<br />
gteliot (Giulia, Tea). I like to think that our<br />
girls seeing us build something of our own<br />
is educational and inspirational. In the end<br />
we are doing it for them. I also liked how it<br />
sounded phonetically: short and can be<br />
pronounced well in multiple languages.<br />
As with many startups, the first months were<br />
tough: a whirlwind of fabric samples, logo<br />
design, product sketches, sample production<br />
and testing, accompanied by a roller coaster<br />
of emotions from doubt to euphoria. We had<br />
underestimated the effort it would require<br />
to get attention and eyes on our project.<br />
Sales were not constant, marketing costs<br />
were high and we had doubts that we would<br />
be able to gain traction. The key has been to<br />
keep going, constantly “planting seeds” that<br />
eventually would yield results. Perseverance<br />
and dedication have paid off and continue to<br />
do so.<br />
Mariachiara and her sister, Manuela, near<br />
their childhood home of Cortina D'Ampezzo.<br />
Photo taken by Mariachiara's father. (below)<br />
These first two years of Eliot have been a<br />
rewarding yet challenging uphill battle. I have<br />
learned a lot, not only about our market and<br />
niche, but also about myself. My wish is for Eliot<br />
to continue to grow and prosper while keeping<br />
our founding values of quality, sustainability<br />
and uniqueness.<br />
Tell us about your earliest experience<br />
with fashion.<br />
My experience with fashion began around the<br />
age of nine when I decided to buy myself a<br />
beautiful notebook with my pocket money so<br />
that I could draw and bring to life to all the ideas<br />
I had in my mind ... thus starting to give free<br />
rein to my creativity! I stole all the glossy fashion<br />
magazines from my aunts and studied them for<br />
hours, dreaming and trying to imagine my line!<br />
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
Such a simple yet difficult and complex question<br />
to answer briefly! While I think this definition<br />
has changed for me over the years, presently I<br />
believe that fashion should put the needs and<br />
wants of the person wearing it before the<br />
impressions of those observing it (not that those<br />
aren’t important as well). In short, it means that<br />
clothing should transmit a feeling of freedom,<br />
confidence and well-being to the person<br />
wearing it that I believe will be transmitted to<br />
the “outside” world. While fashion should also<br />
be daring and not afraid to go outside the box,<br />
the energy, radiance and confidence of a woman<br />
at ease is the best “dress” one can have!<br />
What three items belong in every woman’s<br />
wardrobe and why?<br />
A wardrobe should be a mix of functional,<br />
practical and comfortable with a pinch of<br />
aspirational/dream. With that in mind, in every<br />
wardrobe of a woman there must be:<br />
1. A dress that makes her dream …<br />
(and I'm working on it!)<br />
2. A piece that is her comfort zone, that she<br />
can't wait to wear as soon as she can to feel<br />
pampered (I started from this idea with Eliot!)<br />
3. A timeless classic item that can be worn<br />
with anything: the T-shirt!<br />
How can a person be both fashionable and<br />
still make good choices for the environment?<br />
All women aspire to be elegant and fashionable<br />
and, without understanding the true meaning<br />
of this term, they buy (and throw away!) tons<br />
of clothes, bags and shoes in a lifetime as they<br />
chase different trends. Then a woman arrives<br />
at a dinner wearing a perfect classic that is in<br />
harmony with her essence and everyone<br />
notices her. Why? Because true elegance is<br />
within us: in our gestures, way of speaking<br />
and how we are with others. If we look good in<br />
our clothes, we will always be elegant and<br />
fashionable. This can be achieved by buying<br />
fewer quality pieces that can be used in various<br />
outfits or by adding small accessories or<br />
modifications to older clothes. Avoid cheap fast<br />
fashion clothes that are usually thrown away<br />
after one season, and don’t be afraid to “play”<br />
with your wardrobe!<br />
How have your fashion choices changed<br />
through the years?<br />
No more corsets, lace, complicated long dresses<br />
and enough with impulsive purchases in the<br />
big low-cost chains. I favor a functional and<br />
minimalist wardrobe that makes me feel free to<br />
move, live and love!<br />
As I mentioned before, I find myself buying (and<br />
thinking of/creating) pieces that have simple,<br />
soft lines that rest on the body and let skin<br />
breathe. This brings me to another important<br />
point which is fabric selection and quality. Many<br />
brands that I once favored I would not buy from<br />
now. Why? The fabric used just does not feel<br />
good on my skin. Before worrying about how<br />
others will see me, I need to feel comfortable!<br />
How can fashion adapt to different body types?<br />
Fashion must be for everyone! That's why I love<br />
simple and soft lines that, leaning gently on<br />
the body, enhance it and make it even more<br />
beautiful. There is no perfect size, but there is a<br />
model of dress that can fit all, and this is what I<br />
continue to study and research in my work with<br />
Eliot. Furthermore, I think that it is the individual<br />
who must adapt their fashion choices to their<br />
body. Sizing is subjective to the person wearing<br />
it. Forget about what the size label says and<br />
judge a piece of clothing on how it looks and<br />
makes you feel when you wear it.<br />
What advice would you give to a woman who<br />
wants to dress well, desires quality clothing,<br />
but must remain on a budget?<br />
Buy in a targeted way and discover the three<br />
words that define your style. First ask “Who am<br />
I? What do I like? Why do I like it?” If you don't<br />
know how to answer, first see what you have in<br />
the closet, what word would you use to define<br />
the things you wear every day? For me that word<br />
26 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 27
is EASY. The second word comes from what<br />
inspires you. For me it is MINIMALIST. The last<br />
word is given by emotion, by the feeling you are<br />
looking for in a dress. For me it is ELEGANCE.<br />
This is obviously not an exact science, but it can<br />
help us adopt a more sustainable approach to<br />
our wardrobe, avoiding waste.<br />
Make intelligent, conscious and intelligent<br />
purchases by buying only things that you need<br />
and like that will last over time. This can mean<br />
spending more initially but you will save in the<br />
long run.<br />
If someone gave you $500, what would you<br />
do with it?<br />
In this moment of my life, I would invest it into<br />
Eliot. While not a huge sum, for a small startup<br />
every little bit helps and currently Eliot is my<br />
focus as I want to see it grow and flourish!<br />
If you could travel back in time, where would<br />
you go and why?<br />
I would relive the trip I took to Japan when I<br />
was 12 to see those places that seemed magical<br />
to me and to remind me of the sensations I<br />
experienced living in a dimension totally<br />
different from mine without my family. This trip<br />
was organized by a volunteer organization that<br />
organizes travel and cultural exchanges for kids!<br />
What’s the milestone you’re working<br />
towards right now in your personal or<br />
professional life?<br />
Presently I am working to grow Eliot from a<br />
small startup into an established reality as<br />
both a personal and professional goal. Eliot<br />
gives me the flexibility to spend quality time<br />
with my family while slowly rewarding me<br />
professionally as well. With Eliot the personal<br />
and professional have become intertwined. It<br />
would be an immense satisfaction for me<br />
both personally and professionally for Eliot to<br />
succeed. Furthermore, I can already see the<br />
effects of my choices on my daughters, who<br />
are starting to realize that their mother doesn’t<br />
work a “regular” job. I hope this example will<br />
one day inspire them to take a chance and<br />
follow their dreams.<br />
All the fashion photos on page 29 are of Mariachiara's<br />
designs from her clothing label, Eliot.<br />
28 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 29
feature<br />
A Club Inspires: Rome<br />
FAWCO Representative Erica<br />
Zmitrovitch introduces us to<br />
FAWCO’s American <strong>Women</strong>’s<br />
Association of Rome (AWAR).<br />
AWAR was founded in 1955<br />
and is part of Region 8.<br />
AWAR <strong>2023</strong>-2024 Executive Board. Left to right Megan Todd,<br />
treasurer, Wendy Holloway, president, Liz Grauman, vice<br />
president, Victoria Clasen, secretary<br />
The American <strong>Women</strong>’s Association of<br />
Rome (AWAR) was founded in 1955 at<br />
the suggestion of then US ambassador<br />
to Italy, Clare Boothe Luce.<br />
AWAR was founded as a non-political,<br />
non-sectarian and not-for-profit organization<br />
with the purpose of creating a stimulating<br />
context in Rome where women could interact,<br />
network and share life experiences.<br />
AWAR is committed to sustaining an inclusive<br />
culture that embraces and celebrates our<br />
differences and diverse backgrounds.<br />
Participating in AWAR offers<br />
unique opportunities for personal<br />
enrichment and connection to<br />
the community.<br />
How many members do you have and what is<br />
their nationality? Are they mainly expats or<br />
not? Is there a theme for why they are there?<br />
AWAR currently has 170 members – 65%<br />
American, 35% from over 20 different countries.<br />
The majority of AWAR’s members are American<br />
women who have come to Rome from a variety<br />
of countries. The organization is composed of<br />
professional women, diplomats, artists, authors,<br />
historians, chefs, translators, creators, business<br />
owners, homemakers and citizens of the world.<br />
AWAR does not have a specific theme. Some<br />
members have come for career reasons, some<br />
for family and others purely to fulfill their dream<br />
to live in Rome.<br />
How does the club run? Elected board with<br />
lots of candidates for each post? Begging<br />
people to participate? Committees/teams?<br />
AWAR holds an annual election for the board.<br />
Elected positions are filled for one or two years.<br />
Piazza Navona<br />
looking down<br />
onto one of the<br />
30<br />
three fountains<br />
INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 31
Each year, a nominating committee<br />
seeks volunteers from the<br />
membership to be candidates for<br />
the board. Candidates are not<br />
required to have experience. Elective<br />
board members collaborate as a<br />
cohesive team, often with an<br />
assigned co-chair to create a<br />
positive and productive environment<br />
that enables effective teamwork.<br />
Members of AWAR are encouraged<br />
to volunteer their time chairing an<br />
activity or being a board member,<br />
with the knowledge that teamwork<br />
is fundamental to the success of the<br />
overall goals of the board.<br />
Throughout AWAR’s history, board<br />
positions have consistently been<br />
filled despite members’ busy<br />
schedules. Keeping the organization<br />
animated is attributed to the<br />
conscious effort made to<br />
accommodate the different<br />
schedules of its members.<br />
Does your club have a signature<br />
event? Tell us about it.<br />
AWAR has traditionally organized<br />
a special annual <strong>September</strong><br />
opening event to commence the<br />
organization’s year and welcome<br />
members back from summer<br />
vacation. The event is organized<br />
with our friends from the US<br />
Embassy in Rome as special guests.<br />
A springtime gala event is organized<br />
from time to time to raise funds for<br />
our community services projects.<br />
Opening event in <strong>September</strong> 2022.<br />
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires addresses AWAR<br />
members and is flanked by Vice-Consul,<br />
AWAR President Wendy Holloway and Vice<br />
President Liz Grauman. (top left)<br />
Violinist Robert McDuffie (middle left)<br />
FAWCO Chair <strong>2023</strong>/2025 Erica Zmitrovich (in<br />
the green checked shirt), AWAR President 2022-<br />
2024 Wendy Holloway and other AWAR<br />
members (bottom left)<br />
The “Italian Glamour” Activity Group visits the<br />
atelier of elite fashion designer Camillo Bona,<br />
October 2021. (page 33)<br />
What other kinds of events do you have in<br />
your club? How often, who organizes, is there<br />
a fee?<br />
The AWAR elected board organizes monthly<br />
events and activities throughout the month to<br />
suit members’ interests, passions and schedules.<br />
Monthly events include lunch, dinner or aperitivo<br />
events. A guest speaker is often<br />
hosted during AWAR monthly<br />
events. Past speakers have<br />
included ambassadors,<br />
artists, authors, doctors,<br />
economists, journalists, film<br />
personalities, creators<br />
and professors.<br />
AWAR also offers tailored,<br />
monthly in-person activities<br />
for lovers of food and wine, day<br />
trips and tours, cooking courses,<br />
conversation groups, hiking<br />
and walking get-togethers<br />
and games (bridge, burraco,<br />
Scrabble and mahjong).<br />
Online events include a book<br />
club, film discussion and<br />
opera appreciation.<br />
AWAR’s events and activities<br />
are open to members only, but<br />
members are encouraged to<br />
bring a guest and invite women<br />
to get acquainted with other<br />
like-minded women and<br />
perhaps join the organization.<br />
Members are required to make<br />
a "donation" for most of the<br />
monthly events to cover<br />
expenses, whereas most AWAR<br />
activities are free of charge.<br />
Do you raise money for any<br />
particular cause - what is it<br />
and why does your club care<br />
about it? What do you do to<br />
raise money?<br />
AWAR makes funds available to<br />
the American Citizens in<br />
Distress Fund in collaboration<br />
with the US Consulate in Rome.<br />
These funds provide stopgap<br />
assistance to Americans in Rome who find<br />
themselves in need of emergency support<br />
(lost passport, medical emergency, emergency<br />
transportation or lodging.) This fund aids the<br />
Consulate in providing immediate cash resources<br />
when needed.<br />
Other AWAR Community Service initiatives<br />
include donations to women’s and children’s<br />
charities. AWAR raises funds through<br />
membership initiatives and sometimes through<br />
special events, for example a gala or an auction.<br />
Effective <strong>September</strong> <strong>2023</strong>, AWAR plans to expand<br />
its initiatives to include collaboration with other<br />
organizations and businesses, and to support<br />
sustainability-focused activities.<br />
32 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 33
Amanda Drolliger, AWC Central Scotland<br />
(in foreground), speaking to AWAR in Rome<br />
about the Awesome Blossoms Target<br />
Project. AWAR members (left to right:)<br />
Elizabeth Goletti, Giulia Di Ruscio, Jennifer<br />
Landini, Wendy Holloway, Thelma Gambino<br />
Tell us a little about your city<br />
and country in general? Is it as<br />
you imagined? What is/isn’t as<br />
you thought?<br />
One of the most beautiful cities<br />
in the world, Rome is a living<br />
museum with new things to<br />
discover every day. It is rich in<br />
culture and history, not to mention<br />
delicious food. It is easy to travel<br />
and explore Italy from Rome. Rome<br />
is only 24 kilometers from the<br />
seaside, which makes for wonderful<br />
day trips.<br />
What was your own favorite activity/event<br />
last year and why?<br />
A favorite membership activity is always<br />
the annual opening event, the first of the<br />
membership year, and one that enjoys the<br />
highest attendance. It is a moment to reconnect<br />
after the summer, discuss plans for the<br />
upcoming year and enjoy the friendship and<br />
sisterhood that AWAR offers.<br />
What else would you like us to know about<br />
your club? What have we forgotten to ask?<br />
AWAR serves as a resource for its members.<br />
It is a place where members offer each other<br />
support, which can range from asking for a<br />
plumbing reference to seeking career advice.<br />
Our Resources Listserv is an excellent tool for<br />
exchanging information.<br />
Our membership is composed of women from<br />
all different lifestyle, cultural and professional<br />
backgrounds. It is truly a gift to have access to<br />
such an abundance of resources from women<br />
who want to support each other.<br />
As Rome is a city, walking and<br />
driving in the historic center<br />
presents challenges. In addition,<br />
it isn’t always easy to navigate<br />
your way through the Italian<br />
bureaucracy in everyday life. That’s<br />
where AWAR comes in handy as a<br />
support system to help members<br />
face all of these challenges.<br />
Are there any undiscovered gems in your city<br />
and or country?<br />
There are an abundance of undiscovered gems!<br />
The wonderful thing about living in Italy is that<br />
each city/village has its own story and charm.<br />
The country's history is never-ending, and<br />
even the simplest of towns has a significant<br />
importance to the evolution of the country.<br />
The most fascinating thing about Italy is that the<br />
geographical landscape is very rich and varied.<br />
You can spend a day in the beautiful Dolomite<br />
mountains and be on one of the most beautiful<br />
seasides the following day.<br />
Are there any unusual/interesting traditions<br />
or traits of the locals?<br />
Italians are very family-oriented and attached to<br />
their traditions. Their love for food and culture is<br />
inspiring. They have been able to carry forward<br />
traditions for generations. They are very proud<br />
of their birthplace, hometown traditions and<br />
sports teams.<br />
34 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 35
Mark Your<br />
CALENDAR<br />
!<br />
October 4, <strong>2023</strong><br />
The FAWCO UN and Human Rights Teams are joining forces<br />
in a webinar in celebration of the 75 th Anniversary of the<br />
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<br />
It is also midway to the 2030 Sustainable Development<br />
Goals (SDGs), and we'll discuss the status of SDG5:<br />
“Gender Equality.”<br />
Use this link to register<br />
Event Sponsor<br />
36 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 37
profile<br />
Fashion with a<br />
Conscience<br />
The designs of Andrea Saieh Jimenez, AWC Bogotá, prove that fashion can<br />
be both beautiful and sustainable.<br />
Igrew up in Barranquilla, Colombia, a<br />
colorful, musical city on the Atlantic coast<br />
of the country. Since childhood, I have<br />
had a close connection with art and music. I<br />
realized I wanted to design clothes from an early<br />
age. I also took on student leadership positions<br />
as an enabler for change and improvement. I<br />
was captain of my school’s softball team, and<br />
president of my school’s student council as well.<br />
These two passions, art and creation, along with<br />
helping others and making improvements in<br />
society, have continued to be part of my life.<br />
After high school, I moved to East Lansing,<br />
where I went to school at Michigan State<br />
University. My parents weren’t too excited<br />
about my becoming a designer, so I went to<br />
business school and got an undergraduate<br />
degree in Marketing. I was a member of the<br />
School of Business’ Student Senate, and<br />
co-founded the MSU Entrepreneurship<br />
Association, which still exists today.<br />
Andrea Saieh Jimenez<br />
Afterward, I decided to move to Los Angeles to<br />
get an Associate degree in Fashion Design from<br />
the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising<br />
(FIDM.) This opened my eyes to the future, to a<br />
life in design. I won two Cotton Inc. Scholarship<br />
competitions, one on the demands of denim and<br />
the other one on cotton surface embellishments. I<br />
then spent a year in Miami working in a<br />
Diane von Furstenberg boutique<br />
in Bal Harbour. Then an internship<br />
with Marchesa took me to New<br />
York, where I later decided to go<br />
back to school and study Fashion<br />
Andrea in<br />
Chilean<br />
Patagonia, 2017<br />
38 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 39
Design at one of the best fashion<br />
schools in the world, Parsons. New<br />
York and Parsons showed me who<br />
I was as a person and a designer.<br />
I wanted to make designs that<br />
had a strong impact on society.<br />
My mission was to empower<br />
others through my designs, to<br />
make people feel secure and<br />
fearless. I also had an interest in<br />
sustainable design. That’s where<br />
I came upon the book Cradle to<br />
Cradle, by William McDonough and<br />
Michael Braungart, a manifesto<br />
that became my favorite book,<br />
and gave me a new perspective<br />
on sustainability.<br />
My thesis at Parsons was<br />
empowering footwear with a<br />
sustainable angle. It won the<br />
CFDA +2016 award of the Council<br />
of Fashion Designers of America,<br />
among the fifty best portfolios in<br />
fashion worldwide, and was one of<br />
ten finalists for the CFDA and Kenneth<br />
Cole Footwear Innovation Award.<br />
Working at Parsons,<br />
2014 (above)<br />
Council of Fashion<br />
Designers of America<br />
2016 Award (right)<br />
New York, 2016 (below)<br />
who wears them. This past month<br />
was my first fashion show at<br />
Bogotá Fashion Week, and it was<br />
amazing to show my designs to a<br />
wider audience.<br />
Last year I was part of a fellowship<br />
in New York with a non-profit,<br />
Open Style Lab. I had the<br />
challenging task of designing<br />
clothes with a group of five other<br />
designers for people with Spinal<br />
Muscular Atrophy (SMA). This<br />
has opened the door for me to<br />
continue pursuing this work<br />
here in Colombia. I’m currently<br />
working with a business partner<br />
to research and create solutions<br />
for companies to include an inclusive<br />
fashion line for people with disabilities.<br />
In addition to my business and my<br />
project for inclusive design in Colombia,<br />
I’ve been teaching fashion design<br />
for the past year to first-year students<br />
at a top design university here in<br />
Colombia, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge<br />
Tadeo Lozano.<br />
I currently live in Bogotá with my boyfriend. I<br />
had moved back to Colombia from the US in<br />
2017 because my artist visa wasn’t approved<br />
that year. After eleven years of building a life<br />
in the US, I had to start<br />
again here in Colombia. It<br />
wasn’t easy. I moved back<br />
to Barranquilla, where I<br />
realized that a job in<br />
fashion in Colombia<br />
wasn’t going to be an<br />
option because the pay<br />
was bad for my level of<br />
experience and expertise,<br />
so in 2018 I decided to<br />
start a clothing line.<br />
This was a turning point<br />
in my life. It’s been five<br />
years since I started my<br />
brand, and it’s been an<br />
amazing journey. I design<br />
clothes inspired by<br />
modernity and Japanese<br />
aesthetics to<br />
communicate strength<br />
and empower anyone<br />
First week of school<br />
for Andrea at Parsons,<br />
2013 (top)<br />
Parsons Graduation,<br />
F train subway, New<br />
York, 2016 (middle)<br />
Parsons graduation,<br />
Andrea and her father<br />
(left)<br />
Bogotá has been a great city for me, a<br />
place where I feel I belong, just as I did<br />
in New York. I believe in the projects<br />
that I’m working on, and I’m certain that<br />
they will develop into greater things. My parents<br />
are in Barranquilla, so it’s nice to be able to see<br />
them more often, and my older sister lives in<br />
New York.<br />
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
Fashion is a way of expression, a language. It<br />
allows people to connect with society and at the<br />
same time connect with their own self. Fashion<br />
gives us a sense of independence because when<br />
we dress, we alone choose what to wear and<br />
what we want to communicate to society with<br />
our choices.<br />
What three items belong in every woman’s<br />
wardrobe and why?<br />
Go-to black pants or jeans, a basic black top,<br />
and a little black dress. Having the first two in<br />
your closet will allow you to mix and match with<br />
statement tops, pants or skirts, for everyday<br />
wear. As for the dress: you always need a great<br />
modern timeless black dress in your closet that<br />
you can wear for any occasion. Dresses are a<br />
powerful statement.<br />
40 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 41
Bogotá Fashion Week, May <strong>2023</strong><br />
How does what you do in fashion matter in<br />
the world?<br />
I give people tools, "designs" to express and<br />
communicate who they are. As a designer I am<br />
of service to society. I help people fulfill their<br />
needs and desires. People will always need<br />
protection for their bodies, and it is my job to<br />
give them this protection and allow them to<br />
make it part of their identities through style<br />
and design.<br />
What is your favorite go-to outfit?<br />
I designed an outfit for my brand that has<br />
become the signature look: a pair of pleated<br />
pants and pleated top called the Manhattan<br />
Pants and Manhattan Top. The outfit was<br />
inspired by the New York woman who never<br />
stops and never gives up on her dreams and<br />
ambitions. It’s a comfortable two-piece outfit<br />
that draws elements from modernity and<br />
Japanese aesthetics. Its elongated shoulders<br />
and geometric lines give the feeling of power.<br />
This is my favorite outfit in the whole world.<br />
If you could travel back in time, where would<br />
you go and why?<br />
I would go back to trips I’ve taken in the past<br />
because I love to explore different cultures<br />
and foods.<br />
If someone gave you $500, what would you do<br />
with it?<br />
I’d probably invest it in my business.<br />
What’s your favorite beauty tip?<br />
Whatever makes you feel confident and strong,<br />
do that.<br />
What is something you love now, that you<br />
never could have imagined you would like in<br />
the past?<br />
Being back in my home country. I never thought<br />
I would come back, but in the past few years<br />
I’ve come to discover a new side to the society I<br />
knew in my childhood.<br />
How can a person be both fashionable and<br />
still make good choices for the environment?<br />
I think sustainability within fashion has been<br />
greatly misunderstood over the past years.<br />
Being sustainable doesn’t just mean wearing<br />
cotton, linen, what we call eco-friendly materials<br />
or not wearing leather. It is much more than<br />
that. With materials, it’s only sustainable if you<br />
truly know the origin of the fibers. You can be<br />
wearing 100% organic cotton, and ignore that<br />
the mutated seeds used require more pesticide<br />
than is healthy for the farmers. What’s the point<br />
of organic if it harms people? Also, wearing<br />
vegan products is not good if the products are<br />
synthetic. Sustainability means taking care of the<br />
world and that includes humans.<br />
I recommend that people create their own<br />
thought process on how they can each be<br />
more sustainable with their fashion choices.<br />
Don’t cloud yourself with marketing or with<br />
what companies tell you is sustainable. Get<br />
informed and make that decision yourself.<br />
Buying timeless pieces is an idea on how to stay<br />
fashionable while making good choices. Clothes<br />
you can take care of and keep in your closet for<br />
your whole life. Also, fix your clothes and shoes<br />
instead of throwing them out – or give them to<br />
someone who will use them. Buy from local<br />
designers or brands that have traceability<br />
instead of fast fashion brands or producers.<br />
How can fashion adapt to different body types?<br />
I’ve come to realize that the most important<br />
thing is that a person feels great and<br />
comfortable with what they’re wearing. Clothes<br />
can be adapted to specific functional needs<br />
and this can be done through research. When<br />
working with a client, learning their functional<br />
needs comes first, but just as important is<br />
knowing what their style needs are.<br />
Fashion magazines tend to market to one<br />
demographic. In a perfect world how would<br />
you like to see fashion marketed?<br />
We live in a very diverse world and fashion<br />
should ideally be marketed to everyone. The<br />
more present diversity is, the more we learn to<br />
embrace it.<br />
What advice would you give to a woman who<br />
wants to dress well, desires quality clothing,<br />
but must remain on a budget?<br />
I would tell her to invest in great basics so that<br />
she can mix and match with statement pieces<br />
she finds along the way. Local independent<br />
designers usually have impeccable quality and<br />
aren’t as expensive as well-known brands.<br />
Cotton Inc. Scholarship,<br />
Demands of Denim, 2010<br />
Double Take fashion show, Genentech<br />
and Open Style Lab, Spring <strong>2023</strong><br />
42 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 43
profile<br />
Showcasing Heritage<br />
Through Fashion<br />
Yerie Mary Kamara, IWC Moldova, shares how her childhood in Sierra<br />
Leone has influenced her life in fashion.<br />
My life journey began on February 23,<br />
1981, at the 34 Military Hospital in<br />
Freetown, Sierra Leone. I spent my<br />
childhood at the Wilberforce Barracks<br />
1st Battalion, where my father served<br />
in the army. I grew up in an extended family<br />
with two of my father’s wives. Initially, I had four<br />
siblings, but sadly, I lost my elder brother later<br />
on. Both my primary and secondary schools<br />
were military-owned institutions. At home, I had<br />
numerous cousins, and we all lived together in<br />
a three-bedroom house. The girls had their own<br />
room, while the boys slept in the living room.<br />
Instead of referring to my cousins as cousins, we<br />
considered ourselves sisters and brothers due<br />
to the way we were brought up. I always looked<br />
up to my elder female cousins as big sisters, and<br />
they treated me and my siblings the same way.<br />
This was during the war in my country, so my<br />
father, who was a paymaster, would often be<br />
away at the end of each month to pay the<br />
soldiers. Since there was no banking system<br />
for the soldiers at that time, payments were<br />
made in person. Whenever my dad was absent,<br />
I worried, fearing it might be the last time I<br />
would see him. I shared a close bond with my<br />
father, and my siblings always knew I was his<br />
favorite because he named me after his mother.<br />
Yerie Mary Kamara<br />
Growing up at the barracks was an enjoyable<br />
experience, but the surrounding<br />
communities held negative<br />
stereotypes about people from<br />
the barracks. This was particularly<br />
true for girls, who often ended up<br />
getting pregnant as teenagers and<br />
A special dress to<br />
celebrate Yerie's<br />
40th birthday<br />
44 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 45
failing to complete their education. I was<br />
determined not to fall prey to that stereotype<br />
so I worked hard in school and was able to finish<br />
my education.<br />
I completed my college education in 2004, and<br />
the following year, in 2005, I secured a position<br />
at the largest and most established bank in the<br />
country. This opportunity filled me with<br />
excitement as I was assigned to work at one of<br />
the bank’s branches in a different city. It marked<br />
the first time I left the comfort of my parents’<br />
Yerie with husband and children in Chisinau<br />
home and ventured out on my own. Since I<br />
began my employment working at the bank, I<br />
have never returned to live with my parents.<br />
This transition was a bittersweet moment for<br />
me, as there were times after work when I would<br />
find myself crying in my room, overwhelmed<br />
with homesickness. However, over time, I<br />
gradually overcame those feelings. I remained<br />
employed with Sierra Leone Commercial Bank<br />
for five years.<br />
I first met my spouse while celebrating my<br />
birthday with friends. I remember being slightly<br />
intoxicated and quite talkative and we became<br />
good friends. Eventually, we transitioned into a<br />
romantic relationship, and, after several years<br />
of dating, we decided to marry. Due to my<br />
husband’s job posting in Chisinau, we relocated<br />
to Moldova as a family. We are blessed with two<br />
wonderful children, twins, a boy and a girl. Since<br />
I am unable to work in Moldova as a diplomat’s<br />
family member, I chose to engage in charitable<br />
work and joined the International <strong>Women</strong>’s Club<br />
of Moldova.<br />
Given my passion for fashion,<br />
I conceived a charitable<br />
initiative through a fashion<br />
show, aiming to showcase my<br />
homeland’s heritage and<br />
promote my country.<br />
Consequently, we organized<br />
the first-ever African Fashion<br />
Show for charity in Moldova.<br />
The event took place at the<br />
Museum of History, where<br />
I had the privilege of<br />
presenting them with a<br />
representative garment from<br />
my heritage, known as<br />
country cloth – a locally<br />
crafted garment woven from<br />
natural wool and dyed<br />
using plant-based colors. This<br />
unique Sierra Leonean dress<br />
now hangs proudly in the<br />
historical museum.<br />
Tell us about your earliest<br />
experience with fashion.<br />
My earliest encounter with<br />
fashion occurred during my<br />
teenage years when I<br />
participated in my first beauty<br />
contest. I vividly recall my<br />
beauty coach, who assisted me with various<br />
outfits, selecting one that did not complement<br />
my body type. I respectfully expressed my<br />
concerns, stating that the dress was not suitable<br />
for my petite frame. I inquired if it would be<br />
possible for me to have a say in choosing<br />
dresses that flatter my body features and colors<br />
that harmonize with my skin tone. Agreeing with<br />
my suggestion, she proceeded to help me select<br />
all the necessary outfits for the contest. At that<br />
moment, she acknowledged my keen fashion<br />
sense by remarking, “You have a good eye for<br />
fashion.” For me, fashion holds significance in<br />
terms of my identity, allowing me to express<br />
myself and represent my beliefs.<br />
Models showing Yerie's creations<br />
for her first-ever African Fashion<br />
Show in Moldova.<br />
46 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 47
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
Fashion, to me, encompasses my identity<br />
and serves as a means of self-expression,<br />
reflecting my beliefs, emotions and thoughts.<br />
It allows me to exude confidence and joy in<br />
my attire, irrespective of others’ opinions,<br />
judgments or appearances. The confidence I<br />
feel in what I wear is paramount, as it empowers<br />
me to embrace my personal style without<br />
concern for external perceptions. In this way,<br />
fashion becomes a source of unity, bringing<br />
people together. For an enthusiast like me,<br />
fashion represents a way to communicate and<br />
connect with others. It allows me to convey my<br />
personality, mood and individuality to the world.<br />
Through clothing choices, accessories,<br />
hairstyles and makeup, I can curate a unique<br />
visual identity that reflects my taste, values<br />
and aspirations.<br />
What three items belong in every woman’s<br />
wardrobe and why?<br />
There are three essential components every<br />
woman should have in her wardrobe.<br />
1. Confidence. If a woman possesses the<br />
confidence to wear any outfit, it will make her<br />
feel comfortable and exude self-assurance.<br />
2. A well-fitting bra. A good bra is crucial for<br />
providing support and lifting the breasts, even<br />
for those with smaller busts who may benefit<br />
from additional padding, allowing women to<br />
wear beautiful outfits with ease.<br />
3. A collection of basic garments is essential,<br />
including timeless pieces like classic jeans, a<br />
little black dress, white T-shirts, white<br />
sneakers, sleek leggings, sweaters, summer<br />
sandals, tank tops and button-ups. Having<br />
these versatile items will complement the<br />
existing contents of your wardrobe effortlessly.<br />
How have COVID-19 and environmental<br />
concerns impacted fashion?<br />
COVID-19 disrupted global supply chains,<br />
leading to production and distribution<br />
challenges for fashion brands. Many factories<br />
and retail stores temporarily closed, resulting<br />
in a decline in sales and financial difficulties<br />
for the industry. The closure of physical stores<br />
also accelerated the shift to online shopping.<br />
Consumer behavior changed, with a greater<br />
emphasis on comfort, loungewear and casual<br />
clothing as people spent more time at home.<br />
Sustainability concerns were also highlighted<br />
during the pandemic, prompting discussions<br />
Yerie with Elena Postica, deputy director of historical culture, and Livia Sirbu<br />
about overconsumption, waste and the need<br />
for more ethical and responsible practices<br />
in fashion.<br />
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting<br />
industries globally. Environmental issues, such<br />
as water pollution, deforestation, greenhouse<br />
gas emissions and textile waste, have gained<br />
more attention. As a result, there has been<br />
an increased focus on sustainable and<br />
eco-friendly practices. Fashion brands are<br />
adopting measures like using organic or recycled<br />
materials, implementing ethical sourcing,<br />
reducing waste through circular economy<br />
initiatives and promoting transparency in their<br />
supply chains.<br />
Prioritize quality and durability: Invest in<br />
high-quality clothing that is well-made and<br />
designed to last. Avoid fast fashion trends and<br />
focus on timeless pieces that can be worn for<br />
multiple seasons.<br />
Buy secondhand or vintage: Explore thrift stores,<br />
consignment shops, or online platforms for<br />
pre-loved fashion. Buying second hand not only<br />
reduces the demand for new production but<br />
also gives existing garments a longer lifespan.<br />
Support sustainable fashion brands: Look for<br />
fashion brands that prioritize sustainability,<br />
ethical practices and transparency. Check for<br />
certifications like Fair Trade, GOTS (Global<br />
Organic Textile Standard) or B Corp.<br />
How can a person be both fashionable and<br />
still make good choices for the environment?<br />
Choose sustainable materials: Opt for clothing<br />
made from organic or recycled materials, such<br />
as organic cotton, hemp or recycled polyester.<br />
Avoid fabrics that have a high environmental<br />
impact, such as conventional cotton or synthetic<br />
materials like virgin polyester.<br />
Yerie and Livia Sirbu, deputy director of the<br />
Historical Museum of Moldova, signing a document<br />
of agreement for the African dress, bags and slippers<br />
presented to the museum (page 48)<br />
Practice mindful consumption: Before making a<br />
purchase, consider whether you truly need the<br />
item and how often you will wear it. Avoid<br />
impulse buying and aim for a minimalist<br />
wardrobe with versatile pieces that can be mixed<br />
and matched.<br />
Take care of your clothes: Extend the life of your<br />
garments by following proper care instructions,<br />
repairing them when needed and donating or<br />
recycling them at the end of their life.<br />
48 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 49
How can fashion adapt to different<br />
body types?<br />
Size-inclusive designs: Fashion brands can offer<br />
a wide range of sizes to cater to different body<br />
types. This includes extending size ranges to<br />
include plus sizes and designing garments that<br />
flatter various body shapes.<br />
Diverse representation: The industry needs<br />
to embrace diversity in advertising and<br />
marketing campaigns. Showcasing models<br />
with different body types helps consumers<br />
see themselves represented in fashion and<br />
promotes body positivity.<br />
Adaptive clothing: Fashion can adapt to different<br />
physical abilities and needs. Designing clothing<br />
that considers mobility, ease of dressing, and<br />
functionality for individuals with disabilities or<br />
specific conditions can enhance inclusivity.<br />
Education and awareness: Educating designers,<br />
stylists and industry professionals about the<br />
importance of catering to different body types<br />
can lead to more inclusive and diverse<br />
fashion offerings.<br />
Video<br />
Be consistent. Establishing a skincare routine<br />
tailored to your skin type and concerns is<br />
crucial. This typically involves cleansing, toning,<br />
moisturizing and applying sunscreen daily.<br />
Additionally, incorporating treatments like<br />
exfoliation and masks can help rejuvenate<br />
the skin. A balanced diet, regular exercise<br />
and sufficient sleep also contribute to healthylooking<br />
skin.<br />
What is the milestone you’re working<br />
towards right now in your personal and<br />
professional life?<br />
When it comes to fashion, my personal and<br />
professional goals are almost invariably intertwined.<br />
First off, I am constantly working<br />
towards expanding my industry knowledge by<br />
staying updated with the latest fashion trends,<br />
designers and industry news, which is crucial<br />
for me as a fashionista. I believe reading fashion<br />
magazines and blogs, and actively engaging with<br />
the fashion community, help to broaden<br />
my knowledge and perspective. I also always<br />
believe in broadening my network, as it plays<br />
a significant role in the fashion industry.<br />
Connecting with like-minded individuals and<br />
organizations like FAWCO, attending industry<br />
events and building relationships with<br />
professionals can open doors for collaborations,<br />
opportunities and mentorship.<br />
Yerie doing some online shopping.<br />
Collaboration with influencers and consumers:<br />
Engaging with influencers and consumers who<br />
represent a range of body types can provide<br />
valuable insights and feedback, leading to more<br />
inclusive designs.<br />
If someone gave you $500, what would you do<br />
with it?<br />
Invest in a statement piece: I would search for a<br />
high-quality, versatile fashion item to elevate my<br />
wardrobe. It could be a designer handbag, a pair<br />
of classic shoes or a timeless coat. Either that or<br />
I would upgrade my wardrobe staples by<br />
buying well-fitted jeans, versatile tops or a<br />
tailored blazer.<br />
What's your favorite beauty tip?<br />
Skincare!! Taking care of your skin is essential for<br />
maintaining a healthy and radiant appearance.<br />
Celebrating Victorious Spring, a festive monthly<br />
meeting hosted by the IWC Moldova, raising funds<br />
to help Ukrainian children.<br />
50 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 51
feature<br />
Through My Lens<br />
"Through My Lens" is a compilation feature<br />
with a photo and short caption from<br />
multiple contributors.<br />
Inspired by the statue La Victoire de<br />
Samothrace, depicting the goddess of<br />
victory Nike, to symbolize victory over<br />
waste, student designer David Demovic<br />
used thread waste to resemble marble<br />
in this stunning two-piece dress.The<br />
outfit offers multiple possibilities to<br />
wear the skirt or top separately and<br />
remove the “wings.”<br />
For this "Through My Lens" feature, we are<br />
highlighting the Foundation Night Gala at<br />
the FAWCO Biennial Conference <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
"What is Old is New Again”<br />
Foundation Night Gala Fashion Show<br />
FAWCO participants at the gala were treated to a sustainable fashion<br />
show organized by Plus421 Foundation, The FAWCO Foundation and<br />
the International <strong>Women</strong>’s Club of Bratislava (IWCB) in partnership<br />
with AWA Vienna. The fashion show featured designs by Atelier 71,<br />
established by Mola Couture head designer Monika Lacekova, who<br />
has been working in the field of textile design for 30 years.<br />
52 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 53
Led by haute-couture designer<br />
Monika Lacekova, these young<br />
Slovak clothing designers showcased<br />
their artistic creations based on<br />
textile recycling and upcycling.<br />
This hot pink dress was designed<br />
by Andrea Berdisova.<br />
Textile recycling involves recovering<br />
fiber, yarn or fabric and reprocessing<br />
it into a beautiful new products.<br />
Ema Ozoganyova designed the<br />
blouse, lilac pants and lilac<br />
denim jacket.<br />
54 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 55
Plus421 Foundation raises awareness<br />
of Slovak arts, culture and<br />
humanitarian issues, through art<br />
exhibitions, performances, educational<br />
workshops and cultural events.<br />
Plus421 also supports diverse<br />
humanitarian causes in Slovakia and<br />
throughout the world.<br />
Upcycling is transforming old, worn<br />
or damaged clothing into exciting<br />
new fashions. Monika Lacekova<br />
designed this collection of the<br />
upcycled men’s shirts, as well as Eva’s<br />
teal organza outfit on page 56.<br />
56 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 57
Lauren Mescon, AWC Amsterdam,<br />
models one of Monika Lacekova's<br />
upcycled men’s shirts after<br />
purchasing it at the gala.<br />
Special thanks to the models:<br />
Simonetta Hladka, Ema Vrbovski and<br />
Miss Slovakia finalists<br />
Sofia Hrivnakova, Jana Vozarova and<br />
Viktoria Spotakova.<br />
For Foundation Night, conference participants and guests<br />
were encouraged to wear their favorite sartorial “blasts from<br />
the past” (shown on the next five pages).<br />
Dressed in a sparkling array of vintage regalia, members<br />
showed off some of their cherished outfits – some “au courant”<br />
enough to wear today!<br />
"What is Old is New Again”<br />
Foundation Night Gala Member Fashions<br />
58 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 59
Kanika<br />
Holloway<br />
AWC Antwerp<br />
Unique, and fun!<br />
The 60's Flower<br />
Power attire!<br />
Ann<br />
De Simoni<br />
AIWC Genoa<br />
Rozanne<br />
Van Rie<br />
AWC Antwerp<br />
"It's a<br />
TEE-ARA!!"<br />
Patricia Jentz<br />
AWA Kenya<br />
Cheongsam chic!<br />
Baroness<br />
Cynthia Holden<br />
AWC of Central<br />
Scotland<br />
60 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 61
Whitney Edwards<br />
AWC London<br />
My-Linh Kunst<br />
AWC Berlin<br />
Barbara Bühling<br />
AWC Düsseldorf<br />
Elisabeth Tutein<br />
Nolthenius<br />
AWC<br />
The Hague<br />
Electric rock!<br />
The power pantsuit!<br />
Vintage glamor!<br />
Mary Adams<br />
AWC The Hague<br />
The yuppie<br />
businessman<br />
look!<br />
Rick Chizmadia<br />
FAUSA<br />
62 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 63
Joan Taugher<br />
Guest<br />
Monica Jubayli<br />
AWC Lebanon<br />
Desert chic!<br />
Dress right<br />
dress!<br />
Lorraine De Bock<br />
AWC Brussels<br />
64 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 65
profile<br />
Holding Fashion<br />
Accountable<br />
Callie Riemann, AWC Hamburg, works hard behind the scenes to make sure<br />
clothes are produced ethically.<br />
I<br />
grew up in a small beach town in<br />
Connecticut and was constantly either on<br />
the beach or exploring the woods. When<br />
I was ten years old, my family went on our<br />
first out-of-country vacation. We went to Saint<br />
Martin and stayed in a resort. The rest of my<br />
family was content with swimming and lying<br />
on the beach, but I was incredibly restless and<br />
wanted to explore. I was happiest exploring the<br />
local markets, chewing on fresh sugar cane and<br />
feeding the stray dogs. That is when my love<br />
for traveling and learning about new cultures<br />
first started.<br />
After high school, I decided that I had had<br />
enough of small-town life and was in search<br />
of a college with more diversity and a warmer<br />
climate, so I ended up studying social work at<br />
North Carolina State University. Unfortunately,<br />
I really didn’t enjoy my college years as much<br />
as I would have hoped. So I overloaded myself<br />
with classes and finished in three years instead<br />
of four so I could leave sooner (that and also<br />
because of the costs). As much as I enjoyed the<br />
sunshine and diversity, I realized that I did not<br />
fit in culturally very well.<br />
Callie Riemann<br />
After pursuing my undergraduate degree in the<br />
US, I was financially broke but wanted to travel.<br />
I became an au pair for an<br />
Austrian family of five for about<br />
six months but wasn’t quite<br />
ready to leave Europe yet.<br />
My then boyfriend’s family<br />
convinced me to get my master’s<br />
Callie and<br />
husband Timo<br />
66 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 67
As a child, Callie, enjoying a coconut on Saint Martin<br />
(top left)<br />
Callie with family and four-legged friends (top right)<br />
Callie and husband appreciate German quality of life<br />
(bottom left)<br />
degree in Germany, so I found a free program<br />
that was completely in English and ended up<br />
studying Sustainable Development Management<br />
at the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.<br />
After finishing my studies, I moved to Hamburg<br />
to finally be in the same city as my then<br />
boyfriend (we are now married). I found work<br />
and have been living and working in Hamburg<br />
for the past six years. I live a happy life with<br />
my German husband and our silly dog, which<br />
I fill with travels, pizza nights, gardening<br />
and photography.<br />
Tell us about your earliest experience<br />
with fashion.<br />
Right before finishing my master’s degree, I<br />
started working for a company that conducts<br />
social audits for large German textile companies.<br />
I was lucky enough to get the chance to travel<br />
to India to become certified as a Social Auditor<br />
(SA8000). A social auditor verifies the working<br />
conditions of factories (e.g. ensuring that there<br />
is no child labor or forced labor, making sure<br />
that workers are paid according to the law,<br />
making sure that the workplace is safe, etc.).<br />
I then audited factories in Bangladesh and<br />
Enjoying a street performer’s music in traditional costume<br />
Zimbabwe, gaining my first experiences in<br />
the world of textiles. Currently I work in the<br />
Corporate Responsibility Department for a<br />
German importer and have been given the<br />
opportunity to audit factories in Türkiye<br />
(formerly Turkey) and Egypt.<br />
How has COVID-19 and environmental<br />
concerns impacted fashion?<br />
COVID-19 has, at large, resulted in worse<br />
conditions for textile factory workers and<br />
made it more difficult for brands to monitor<br />
compliance with social and environmental<br />
standards (due to not being able to travel to the<br />
factories). Since lockdowns have now ended, it<br />
will be a steady journey to return conditions to<br />
how they were before COVID-19, and hopefully<br />
be able to continue to improve them even more.<br />
How can a person be both fashionable and<br />
still make good choices for the environment?<br />
I am a proponent of second-hand shopping. It<br />
is one way to shop without feeling guilty about<br />
the conditions of the workers who made the<br />
clothes or about the environmental impact. If<br />
you are not a fan of second-hand shopping, the<br />
next best thing to do is buy classic/basic pieces<br />
you can pair with many outfits, make sure<br />
that the quality is good and can last you many<br />
usages, and, finally, not washing with every<br />
wear can really help (hang your clothes to air<br />
out between wears).<br />
Do you prefer shopping online or in person?<br />
In your opinion, what are the advantages and<br />
disadvantages of each?<br />
Honestly, I prefer to shop second-hand and<br />
online. I use the app called Vinted to get<br />
quality and affordable second-hand clothing. I<br />
try to stick to brands where I know my size and<br />
know that they offer good quality to prevent<br />
ordering things that I don’t like or that don’t fit<br />
(extra bonus for ordering from brands that<br />
support sustainability initiatives, publish their<br />
supply chain online, have a meaningful<br />
sustainability report online, etc.). If I find<br />
something I really like, I will try to order the<br />
exact same product/brand/size, etc. but maybe<br />
in another color.<br />
What advice would you give to a woman who<br />
wants to dress well, desires quality clothing,<br />
but must remain on a budget?<br />
Again, buying second hand from brands you like<br />
and trust is the way to go in my opinion. Even if<br />
the thought of wearing someone else’s clothes<br />
68 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 69
doesn’t sit well with you, give it a chance and<br />
filter for “brand new with tag” – some people<br />
get gifted items or realize later that it doesn’t fit<br />
right and cannot return the clothes. Instead of<br />
having them throw the items away, you can<br />
purchase them for a small price. It is good for<br />
both the environment and your wallet.<br />
How does what you do in fashion matter in<br />
the world?<br />
I hope that what I do makes a positive impact on<br />
the workers who make our clothes. I hope that<br />
when I sit with workers, that they feel that their<br />
stories are being heard. After each audit, we<br />
create an action plan and implement measures<br />
to improve the working conditions at factories.<br />
It may not happen overnight, but many in the<br />
industry have seen positive changes over the<br />
past decade.<br />
What is the future of fashion?<br />
I hope that the future of fashion will be circular,<br />
meaning that all inputs (e.g. cotton, wood,<br />
plastic) can be fully recycled, upcycled or<br />
composted at the end of their lives. This is<br />
what the industry is moving towards and what<br />
German and EU legislation is beginning to push<br />
for. This will involve a rethinking of the entire<br />
production process, including what materials to<br />
use, how the item is produced in a way it can be<br />
easily taken apart and recycled, etc. It will also<br />
require new technologies in order to recycle<br />
mixed materials (e.g. cotton-polyester blends).<br />
It will take a while, but we are headed in the<br />
right direction.<br />
How have your travels impacted your<br />
fashion choices?<br />
My travels to textile factories around the<br />
world have made me realize a few things. First<br />
off being: less is more. I try to keep my closet<br />
minimal and simple, using jewelry and scarves<br />
to give an outfit a pop instead of many<br />
statement clothing items. Secondly, being in<br />
this work really made me realize that paying<br />
more for a piece of clothing does not mean that<br />
the workers are paid more. The exact same<br />
factory workers will be making clothes for<br />
discounters, H&M and Ralph Lauren and are<br />
getting paid the exact same wages. Don’t think<br />
that if you are paying more, that you are doing<br />
it as a service to the garment workers. If you<br />
want to make sure that your money is making<br />
its way down to the most vulnerable workers,<br />
you have to do a lot of research unfortunately.<br />
What’s your favorite beauty tip?<br />
Nivea Matte Face Sunscreen is the best! It is the<br />
only sunscreen I will use on my face and chest<br />
since it isn’t oily and doesn’t lead to breakouts.<br />
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve<br />
ever received?<br />
It seems really simple, but one of my friends<br />
once told me something along the lines of, “if<br />
you can’t do anything about it right now, let it<br />
go and don’t let it stress you.” Sometimes I<br />
worry about something that already happened,<br />
or something that will happen in the far future,<br />
and it is a good reminder to ask myself, can I do<br />
anything about this right now? If not, let it go. It<br />
has helped me a lot.<br />
What is something you love now, that you<br />
never could have imagined you would like in<br />
the past?<br />
Living in Germany! I grew up reading<br />
autobiographies from the Holocaust and never<br />
in my life did I imagine living in Germany. I am<br />
so glad that I gave it a chance and moved here;<br />
it has provided so many wonderful opportunities<br />
and I have a much better quality of life than I<br />
did previously.<br />
Getting certified as a social auditor in India (right)<br />
Learning how the locals carry goods from the market<br />
during a study abroad trip in Guatemala (below)<br />
A little sightseeing between auditing factories in Egypt<br />
70 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 71
profile<br />
Connecting the Dots<br />
of a Fashionable Life<br />
Designer Gaby Basora, Association of American <strong>Women</strong> in Europe Paris,<br />
shares her favorite design influences.<br />
I<br />
grew up in Seattle, where my mother had<br />
a cinema in the Pike Place Market. I found<br />
inspiration everywhere and in everyone –<br />
friends, parents, my parents' friends,<br />
teachers and characters in films and books. I<br />
looked at things and found beauty in the things<br />
I saw, places I wanted to belong.<br />
One sad childhood memory stands out. I used<br />
to take weekly horseback riding lessons. My<br />
friend’s mother, Sylvie, drove us in her VW<br />
Beetle to the stables. After we rode it was a<br />
tradition to get a hamburger at Burgermaster.<br />
We thought it was the greatest thing to have<br />
the tray brought to our car, hooked onto the<br />
window and sit, cramped together smelling<br />
of stable, eating fries and drinking vanilla<br />
milkshakes. One rainy day we were sitting<br />
in the car, windows steamed, listening to the<br />
radio, when they announced John Lennon<br />
was assassinated. They played “Imagine.” We<br />
sat in the car and cried. It was sad but still<br />
beautiful that we could love John Lennon so<br />
deeply at nine.<br />
Gaby Basora<br />
I left home at 15 to study in Amsterdam, living<br />
with family friends. The mother of the family,<br />
Sheryl Ball, was a writer and co-creator of<br />
Rolling Stone magazine. I was always a reader,<br />
but it was Sheryl who got me<br />
into writing.<br />
On weekends I took the bus to<br />
Paris to stay with Francine, the<br />
grandmother of Sylvie, who was<br />
Handmade<br />
earrings ... pose<br />
for it!<br />
72 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 73
from Paris. Paul Klee once said: “A line<br />
is a dot that went for a walk.” Well,<br />
Francine and I went on long walks through<br />
Paris; sometimes we went to the cinema.<br />
We didn't really speak to each other, just<br />
walked and looked. I did not speak French<br />
yet and she did not speak English. I loved<br />
walking by her side.<br />
I had skipped two grades and began<br />
college in NYC at 16. I assisted fashion<br />
stylists for magazines and ad campaigns at<br />
the end of college. I did this for a few years<br />
and then started to do my own jobs as a<br />
stylist. I worked on campaigns for Target<br />
and dressed musicians such as Lauryn Hill.<br />
I stayed in NYC after graduating from<br />
Sarah Lawrence College with a degree in<br />
Creative Writing. Then came marriage and<br />
babies. I always wanted to be a mother.<br />
I enjoyed living in NYC very much. I was<br />
working as a stylist and started a fashion<br />
brand, Tucker, in 2006. It was a busy,<br />
bustling, thrilling time with young children<br />
and a business that was also growing<br />
and growing.<br />
It was an extraordinary time of<br />
possibilities and ideas brought<br />
to fruition. I feel lucky<br />
to have created my<br />
business. I loved my<br />
work, the work we did<br />
and the people who<br />
came to work with me.<br />
It is a joy to watch their<br />
careers, personal and<br />
professional lives<br />
blossom. My children<br />
were there in the<br />
studio, in the office and<br />
on business trips. In<br />
2015, I partnered with<br />
Resonance, who are<br />
dedicated to<br />
innovation in the<br />
fashion industry<br />
on the side of<br />
production. We work<br />
to make things better<br />
by eliminating waste<br />
on the production side,<br />
made to order. It is<br />
an exciting and<br />
challenging time.<br />
I moved to Paris because I had always wanted<br />
to live in Paris. I just thought it would have been<br />
sooner. When I walked around Beaubourg with<br />
Francine all those years ago, passing the Niki<br />
de Saint Phalle Fountain, I imagined pushing<br />
my babies in the stroller around this fountain.<br />
My dear friend, fashion photographer Virginia<br />
Thoren, believed that in Paris, the beauty of<br />
the city inspires a certain kind of generosity<br />
of human interaction.<br />
Tell us about your earliest experience<br />
with fashion.<br />
Seeing the women around me, seeing<br />
characters in film and literature. Falling in<br />
love with books, stories, music and dance,<br />
photography and painting.<br />
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
Fashion can be just dressing, participating in<br />
life or expression. It’s a connection, exploration,<br />
and entertainment. Inherently there is<br />
something contradictory about fashion – the<br />
desire for newness and being conscientious<br />
about the environment – making more.<br />
Certainly things can be made in less wasteful<br />
ways and consumers can be less wasteful/<br />
insist that things be made with environmentally<br />
friendly practices or they don't have to<br />
purchase. This is an important partnership,<br />
conversation between the brand and customer.<br />
How has COVID-19 impacted fashion?<br />
COVID-19 changed a lot. People became more<br />
flexible, perhaps more courageous.<br />
How can fashion adapt to different<br />
body types?<br />
I think everyone can find ways to incorporate<br />
things of the moment, colors, cuts of clothes,<br />
into their looks and then find things they<br />
feel great in. Loving the way you look can<br />
be marvelous – a sense of<br />
self-assuredness!<br />
Do you prefer shopping online<br />
or in person?<br />
Shop in person, see touch, feel,<br />
try on clothes in a store. Little<br />
boutiques can be beautiful<br />
universes – convivial places where<br />
women meet in neighborhoods.<br />
How does what you do in fashion<br />
matter in the world?<br />
Fashion can be frivolous. Unless<br />
you think of fashion as how you<br />
dress in a particular moment,<br />
to work, to celebrate … then<br />
fashion is important. For instance,<br />
the actress Judy Greer said she<br />
wore Tucker on her first date with<br />
her husband.<br />
Page 74<br />
Motherhood (top)<br />
Gaby and her mentor Virginia<br />
Thoren (bottom)<br />
With the Tucker team at the<br />
factory in the Dominican Republic.<br />
(left)<br />
74 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 75
What is your favorite beauty tip?<br />
Alexandra Soveral of London! Her Angel Balm<br />
is a marvelous smelling balm mask you apply<br />
and then apply heated cloths to create a<br />
steamy effect. Then wipe clean and you are<br />
left totally glowing!<br />
If you could travel back in time, where would<br />
you go?<br />
I would love to go to Studio 54.<br />
What is something people may not know<br />
about you?<br />
I would like to ride my bike without holding the<br />
handlebars and to be able to pop a wheelie.<br />
What is the milestone you’re working<br />
towards right now in your personal or<br />
professional life?<br />
Work goals, to keep imagining where the<br />
creativity can be applied and to paraphrase<br />
Dr. Seuss “Oh! The places we’ll go!” To stay<br />
involved with the world, caring for loved ones,<br />
Page 76<br />
Top row-<br />
Inspiration comes<br />
everywhere (left)<br />
Gaby at her desk<br />
(right)<br />
Bottom row-<br />
Proud of first run<br />
in the NYC<br />
marathon (left)<br />
Posing at a fitting<br />
(right)<br />
Page 77<br />
One of Gaby's<br />
styling jobs<br />
featured in Bon<br />
Appétit (top)<br />
First shoot in<br />
Vogue (bottom)<br />
76 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 77
feature<br />
In My Own Words -<br />
A Day in the Life of a<br />
Fashion Stylist<br />
Originally from the UK, Nadine<br />
has lived in Spain with her Spanish<br />
husband since 2009. Nadine has<br />
been a member of the Barcelona<br />
<strong>Women</strong>'s Network (BWN) almost<br />
from day one. The club activities<br />
and the dear friends she has made<br />
have been really important to her.<br />
She loves being a stylist, and<br />
she has combined it with charity<br />
fundraising, both for the club and<br />
for the refugee NGO she supports.<br />
The club motto is "Socialising with<br />
a social purpose", and this is one<br />
of the many things she loves about<br />
BWN: the activities directed<br />
towards helping others.<br />
Nadine Kazerounian<br />
Tools of the<br />
trade, the<br />
color palette<br />
I<br />
trained as an Image Consultant in the<br />
UK over 20 years ago, sometime after<br />
I completed my MBA. As part of the<br />
programme, I had a consultation myself.<br />
It changed my life in more ways than one.<br />
Knowing what suited me and how to<br />
shop for it solved several dilemmas: how to<br />
dress my heart-shaped body, how to look and<br />
feel stylish, and how to ensure I always had<br />
something to wear whatever the occasion. In<br />
addition, I gained confidence because other<br />
people responded to me more positively. I’d<br />
always believed the saying: "Go in looking like<br />
a winner." And now I knew how to do it. In fact,<br />
so great was my belief in this process, that I<br />
changed careers, switching out of management<br />
training and into starting my own Image<br />
Consultancy business. I never looked back.<br />
I call myself "The Style Guide", but clients come<br />
to me for many reasons, often at change points<br />
in their lives: divorce, menopause, new career, a<br />
promotion, a big birthday, or an important event.<br />
My most recent consultation was with a longstanding<br />
client who had allowed her hair to<br />
become its natural grey. We had done a<br />
colour consultation some years previously,<br />
and she wanted to know what suited her best<br />
since the switch from brunette to grey. Using<br />
78 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 79
her colour palette (mid-toned, cool), we<br />
systematically went through everything in her<br />
wardrobe and culled what no longer suited<br />
her. We ended up with quite a haul. Not least<br />
because she had (naughtily) bought a lot of<br />
items without referring to her colour palette<br />
and ended up with stuff that looked, well …<br />
not the best.<br />
A happy personal shopping client (top left)<br />
Two of Nadine's own "uniform" combinations.<br />
(middle and bottom left)<br />
The ultimate light packing technique (below)<br />
We had a friendly tussle over some items. But<br />
my question was always this: Why would you<br />
choose to wear that unflattering item when<br />
you have so many others that suit you much<br />
better? The discard pile was huge. But she<br />
finished the day with a big smile because she<br />
was now confident that everything she owned<br />
made her look her best.<br />
I travel quite frequently, as do many of my<br />
clients. Their dilemma is always about panicking<br />
and overpacking “Just in case”. And so, on my<br />
Facebook business page I often feature blogs<br />
about planning your trip, what to pack, as well<br />
as what to wear to travel in. My crusade is to<br />
encourage others to pack as lightly as possible,<br />
and a recent discovery was how much I could<br />
squeeze into an EasyJet under-seat bag if I rolled<br />
my clothing and packed vertically. This was a<br />
big hit with my followers, many of whom have<br />
adopted my packing methods after years of<br />
overpacking and hauling huge suitcases around.<br />
This small bag held enough for a week’s visit to<br />
my family.<br />
Personal shopping is another service I offer,<br />
and clients often come to me when they have<br />
a special event and need something stunning<br />
to wear. One client – curvy like me – was in<br />
despair. She found shopping a nightmare and<br />
could never find things to fit and flatter her.<br />
The brief was to find her a full-length evening<br />
dress plus accessories.<br />
I pre-shopped for her in a large department<br />
store with a good range of plus size fashions,<br />
and I picked out three dresses I thought she<br />
might like. We met up and I had the dresses<br />
waiting for her in the fitting room. Number<br />
two was a winner. She absolutely loved it. AND<br />
it was under budget! So then we popped to<br />
another floor for shoes, and finally we picked<br />
out some gorgeous sparkly earrings to finish off<br />
the look. Done and dusted in just over an hour.<br />
The outfit was a great success and garnered<br />
a lot of compliments on the night. I love how<br />
super-confident and happy she looks.<br />
The discard pile (top)<br />
The "keepers" after the culling (bottom)<br />
If you're tired of all your clothes, you can revive your interest<br />
in what you already own by being bold and mixing things up.<br />
First, consider what is your preferred style or "uniform".<br />
My own is a combination of three items: top, pants or skirt,<br />
and some sort of jacket or cardigan accessorized with a<br />
scarf and/or jewelry. I wear it in all weathers because it suits<br />
my body type (cuts me into three neat vertical slices) and<br />
takes me anywhere.<br />
So now for mixing it up. Here are my tips.<br />
1. Don't be afraid of unusual combinations.<br />
Pair a crisp button-down shirt with a flowy midi skirt –<br />
tuck in the shirt and cinch your waist with a belt.<br />
2. Put color with color and pattern with pattern.<br />
Experiment with unexpected combinations and see what<br />
emerges. Take some photos of your outfits to see which<br />
you like best.<br />
3. Accessorize.<br />
I love scarves and jewelry. Dig them all out and look<br />
at them with fresh eyes. Again, think about unusual<br />
pairings: layer dramatic necklaces over a plain white shirt,<br />
pile up the bracelets, wear your most dramatic earrings<br />
in daytime. Break the rules. Have fun. Channel your<br />
inner diva.<br />
80 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 81
feature<br />
In My Own Words-<br />
Palm Beach Glam<br />
"Cloffice" Makeover<br />
Diane Naveau is from New York<br />
City, where she obtained her BFA<br />
in Fashion Design from Parsons<br />
School of Design and spent over<br />
20 years working in the fashion<br />
industry as a visual merchandiser<br />
and stylist. Diane founded The<br />
Closet Merchant in 2018 to create<br />
sustainability in the fashion<br />
industry by focusing on personal<br />
style, showing how to create more<br />
options from what you already<br />
own, and promoting sustainable<br />
shopping habits. Diane is a<br />
member of the American <strong>Women</strong>’s<br />
Club of Antwerp and currently<br />
resides in Antwerp, Belgium with<br />
her husband, Paul, and new baby<br />
Jean-Jacques.<br />
Diane Naveau<br />
As a visual merchandiser, I worked to<br />
create the feeling that a customer was<br />
shopping in their own inspiring closet.<br />
As a wardrobe consultant, I bring the<br />
concept of store visual merchandising<br />
into my client's closet. Creating that “boutique”<br />
experience with the clothes and furniture my<br />
clients already have helps them<br />
see their wardrobe as a<br />
personalized collection, and it<br />
solidifies their style identity by<br />
also reflecting it in their interior<br />
space. I had the pleasure of<br />
working with my friend Kanika Holloway,<br />
business owner and current 2nd VP for<br />
Member Clubs at FAWCO, to help her sort<br />
through stored clothes, her current wardrobe,<br />
and revitalize her home office space. I wanted<br />
to showcase her fabulous style and keep her<br />
inspired both when getting dressed, and as she<br />
is working throughout the day!<br />
STEP 1: Determine Your Personal Style<br />
Kanika is an ardent Classic Glamour personal<br />
style type. She loves looking put together and<br />
a little (or a lot!) glamorous. One look at her<br />
Wardrobe<br />
capsules make<br />
fabulous<br />
outfits fun<br />
82<br />
and easy<br />
INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 83
apartment and this same aesthetic was clear in<br />
her choice of furnishings and home accessories.<br />
Kanika was trying to convert a second bedroom<br />
into an office. I thought the color story and<br />
space would be great to work with, so I offered<br />
to not only work on her clothing situation, but<br />
also to help create a glam "Cloffice"!<br />
STEP 2: Gather Everything and EDIT<br />
The next step was to go through her wardrobe<br />
and storage containers she had been putting<br />
off going through. She kept her “hanging”<br />
pieces (silky blouses, some sweaters, dresses,<br />
dressiest pants) in a beautiful armoire. The rest<br />
were folded into baskets. Her Fall/Winter and<br />
Spring/Summer clothing were mixed, although<br />
the hanging pieces did flow by color.<br />
We began editing the storage containers as this<br />
was the initial problem to be solved. We sorted<br />
the items into Discard to the thrift shop, Discard<br />
to recycling, Keep that can be washed at home<br />
and Keep that needs dry cleaning and/or<br />
tailoring. Next, I sorted the Keep files into Winter<br />
and Summer so she could get the "wear now"<br />
pieces cleaned as soon as possible and the cold<br />
weather items later.<br />
Then I quickly separated the clothes from the<br />
armoire that Kanika wore more regularly by<br />
season, themes and colors.<br />
STEP 3: Create Wardrobe Capsules<br />
I created two Spring/Summer capsules: a<br />
Palm Beach Glam collection and a sophisticated<br />
and feminine collection based on black, white,<br />
blush and gold. Kanika clearly had fabulous 60s,<br />
Palm Beach inspired pieces with flowy dresses,<br />
blouses and pants in bright colors and mod<br />
prints as well as several retro-feeling cocktail<br />
dresses. Kanika is also someone who shops<br />
for "needs," like a particular meeting or event,<br />
mentally limiting her outfit options. When you<br />
know everything in your wardrobe, you will<br />
know what you buy will work with things that<br />
you already own ...<br />
The method I use to "merchandise" a wardrobe<br />
includes hanging as many items as possible for<br />
the most clarity on what you own. When you<br />
After<br />
Before<br />
see items near each other that you normally<br />
wouldn’t, you often come up with more outfit<br />
ideas and get the most use out of your<br />
existing wardrobe.<br />
STEP 4: Designing the Space<br />
After creating the basic capsules, I planned<br />
what I needed to create the Closet/Office to<br />
fit with Kanika’s personal style and keep her<br />
inspired and empowered. With a few Ikea<br />
purchases (rolling racks, two wall shelves, rugs,<br />
decorative baskets, a light fixture, pillow covers<br />
and hooks), some rearranging and re-purposing,<br />
I was able to create a whole new space without<br />
a huge budget.<br />
I differentiated the capsule collections with gray<br />
and pink velvet hangers. These color-coded<br />
hangers help create space as well as keep items<br />
from slipping off, and as items get worn, you can<br />
see where the empty hangers are and replace<br />
items to their spot. I organized her shoes and a<br />
few accessories around the appropriate capsule.<br />
The space turned out quite glamorous and<br />
lively! All of Kanika’s best Spring/Summer pieces<br />
are showcased in two main wardrobe capsules:<br />
a sophisticated blush and black capsule and the<br />
colorful 60s-inspired glam capsule with a base<br />
of black and gold. Kanika has a lot of formal<br />
pieces for business and philanthropic gala and<br />
cocktail events. Mixing some casual pieces with<br />
more glamorous ones (jeans with a colorful<br />
blouse or flowing white pants with a gold and<br />
black sweater) can bring more fun to her<br />
everyday outfits and doesn’t limit her to specific<br />
ensembles. Now, when she is hard at work,<br />
she is surrounded by things that inspire her and<br />
remind her to bring that glamour to everything<br />
she does!<br />
The original blog post was published at theclosetmerchant.com<br />
<strong>September</strong> 13, 2020.<br />
This article was edited for space and content.<br />
84 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 85
profile<br />
Self-Designed, Self-Made<br />
Deborah Briggs, AWC Denmark, shares her experiences designing and<br />
sewing her own clothes.<br />
My fashion journey began with my<br />
mom. I was born on January 1,<br />
1972, and to this day, 1970s style<br />
represents the height of elegance for me. My<br />
mom, an elementary school teacher, made<br />
her own pantsuits and tunics at that time, so<br />
my wheelhouse included fabric stores. There, I<br />
would run my hands over fabrics and imagine<br />
what they could be used for, just as she did.<br />
When we looked at sewing patterns together,<br />
she would tell me to “look at the lines,” not the<br />
colors or the fabric, because that was up to us.<br />
That sense of agency, plus free access to<br />
sewing supplies, led me at age seven to start<br />
creating custom garments for a doll who was<br />
missing an arm. Mom was very excited and<br />
proud when she discovered a black one-armed<br />
jumpsuit, and that’s when she started helping<br />
me read patterns and sew real clothes. I took<br />
to it like a fish to water. I also started dreaming<br />
about clothes. In seventh grade I dreamt about<br />
a bright yellow jumpsuit with gathered balloon<br />
pant legs, kind of an 80’s version of my onearmed<br />
prototype.<br />
Deborah Briggs<br />
When I first moved to Denmark, I was so<br />
impressed with the impeccable style of the<br />
older women on the buses, with their small<br />
white gloves and little hats. I was a young<br />
adult, working in a toy store,<br />
traveling when I had the means,<br />
and eventually getting my teaching<br />
degree. I sewed the pink tunic and<br />
pants that I wore to my wedding at<br />
Copenhagen’s city hall. I was very<br />
Deborah with a<br />
collection of her<br />
clothes<br />
86 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 87
active in the American <strong>Women</strong>’s Club at that<br />
time, but my elderly parents were on my mind,<br />
so we moved the family to the US. After a fiveyear<br />
stint back in Kansas, we returned to<br />
Denmark five years ago, when my sons were<br />
16 and 10 years old. The fine elderly ladies with<br />
their gloves were nowhere to be seen.<br />
How have your travels impacted your<br />
fashion choices?<br />
After college, in 1996, I flew to Russia for a<br />
teaching job. Aside from border runs to Juarez,<br />
I had never been outside the US. Upon landing<br />
in Siberia, I was greeted by a charming young<br />
woman named Masha. I remember being<br />
momentarily confused by her clothing. She<br />
was wearing a conservative skirt, blouse and<br />
sweater, but each garment had its own colors<br />
and patterns. To my Kansan eyes, it clashed.<br />
I can almost recall the noise of the gears<br />
crunching in my brain as my paradigm of<br />
“well-dressed” expanded. My eyes found a<br />
new setting, called “Russian.”<br />
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
I think the clothes we choose to wear signal<br />
something to the world around us. Maybe they<br />
even signal “I don’t think about my clothes” or<br />
“I’d rather not be seen” but there is always a<br />
signal sent out. What group are you part of?<br />
How do you want to stand out? I know it sounds<br />
very high school, but imagine your thought<br />
process before a job interview or a party with<br />
new clients, and you know it’s true.<br />
How have your fashion choices changed<br />
through the years?<br />
I had a typical Scandinavian body type as a<br />
young adult. At 5 foot 7 inches and 120 pounds,<br />
I could have worn just about any fashion<br />
"correctly,” but I’ve always been more of a maker<br />
than a buyer. I spent half a year wearing only<br />
jeans and white tops… as a mantra! I made<br />
garments as I saw fit, and was never surprised<br />
that a sewing pattern fit as it was intended.<br />
Well, that has changed, and I’m not sorry.<br />
Although I was never a stranger to making<br />
adjustments to sewing patterns or going<br />
rogue, I now regularly alter patterns to my<br />
51-year-old body and that has made me a<br />
much better sewist. As I follow a variety of<br />
sewists on social media, my knowledge of<br />
structuring beautiful garments for all body<br />
types has grown. The sense of agency I<br />
acquired as a young child choosing a<br />
different fabric than the one shown on the<br />
pattern envelope has expanded to let me<br />
imagine the "lines" of the garment as they<br />
fit curvier body types. Let me tell you, it’s a<br />
gorgeous view, and I see greater inclusivity<br />
awakening both at the ground roots and the<br />
large pattern companies!<br />
Here’s the thing – customization is the whole<br />
point of sewing for yourself. Although we’re<br />
bombarded by fast fashion, there is also a<br />
counter-trend that appreciates garments<br />
tailored to the individual. We were at a<br />
birthday party last weekend, when suddenly<br />
a friend stopped the conversation and<br />
demanded to know if I’d made my sundress.<br />
“Yes,” I said, then decided to proselytize<br />
a bit on behalf of my craft. “I wanted a<br />
sundress that I didn’t have to wear a bra<br />
with, so I made it to fit like this.” There were<br />
literal gasps. Another friend returned to the<br />
table, and the first told her right away about<br />
my braless sundress. A conversation ensued<br />
about finding garments that fit, and how<br />
“lucky” I was to be able to make my own.<br />
How can a person be both fashionable<br />
and still make good choices for<br />
the environment?<br />
I like to imagine a Western society where<br />
custom-tailored garments are the norm<br />
again. As we have these conversations, we’re<br />
normalizing the idea that people can make<br />
their own clothes, just as they did before the<br />
days of Target and H&M. Those of us who<br />
create customized garments, made well and<br />
with pride, can do our part to influence the<br />
collective consciousness. A society buying<br />
fewer, yet cherished, garments contributes to<br />
a healthier environment.<br />
The teen girls at the school where I teach buy<br />
fashions from Shein and other inexpensive<br />
Deborah’s fashion sense on display around town<br />
(page 88)<br />
The Signature Look – casual and relaxed with<br />
sophisticated details (right)<br />
88 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 89
Deborah at work at her machine (left)<br />
Discussing styles with fellow AWC member Clarice Scott. (above)<br />
Dolls can enjoy great fashion too! (above)<br />
places. The boys get caught up in buying basic<br />
white T-shirts with an expensive label. These<br />
are fast fashion. They cost little to mass produce<br />
and sell like hotcakes. To me, these buying<br />
habits show that many people – including<br />
people my age, the parents of these kids –<br />
do not understand the real worth of garments<br />
in time and materials.<br />
But I’m not in despair. Sure, 20 years ago, in<br />
the days of the white-gloved ladies, there were<br />
many more fabric stores in Copenhagen than<br />
there are today. However, the fabric stores<br />
that exist now do a brisk business from a multigenerational<br />
clientele. There’s great promise<br />
among the many inclusive makers online,<br />
inspiring both women and men of all makes<br />
and models to sew their own clothes.<br />
What are your recommendations for<br />
beginning sewists?<br />
Use social media to kickstart your sewing<br />
journey. A few Instagram hashtags presenting<br />
real women and men in the clothes they’ve<br />
made are #SewOver50, #SewersGonnaSew and<br />
#McCallPatternCompany. Join some Facebook<br />
groups where you can ask questions and learn<br />
from others, for example Self Sewn Wardrobe by<br />
Mallory Donohue.<br />
Get in touch with a local fabric store for<br />
instruction. You might be surprised that your<br />
local store offers classes! Getting the feel of<br />
sewing with an instructor beside you is worth<br />
its weight in gold. The employees should be<br />
able to assist with choosing appropriate<br />
patterns and fabrics.<br />
When you’re ready, get a hold of a basic,<br />
second-hand machine and go to town with it.<br />
Don’t be tempted to get specialty machines<br />
right off the block – I literally sewed my<br />
swimsuits on a basic machine. First learn what<br />
sewing can do for you.<br />
Fabric is not exactly cheap, so before running<br />
your fingers through the full-priced textiles,<br />
it pays to check the tables with remnants or<br />
end-of-bolt pieces. If anything, you can pick up<br />
cheaper pieces to experiment with before<br />
cutting into the good stuff.<br />
Have fun with your journey and don’t give up.<br />
You’ll be an inspiration for others.<br />
What is your favorite go-to outfit?<br />
I’m a teacher in Denmark, and my current goto<br />
outfit is a blousy blouse with stretchy jeans.<br />
In cooler weather, I often wear a prof-looking<br />
jacket over this ensemble. I go from professional<br />
to casual settings like this and feel great.<br />
What is something you love now that you<br />
could never have imagined you would like in<br />
the past?<br />
Blousy and flowy clothes are something I love<br />
now that I didn’t appreciate much in the past. I<br />
was much more about fitted clothing in the past,<br />
but now, since Corona – hm hm – I love gathers,<br />
pleats, and flowy fabrics and silhouettes.<br />
What’s your favorite beauty tip?<br />
My favorite beauty tip comes from one of my<br />
first jobs in a restaurant. Just as you came from<br />
the “floor” to the kitchen, there was a sign, outof-sight<br />
for customers. It read, “You’re beautiful<br />
when you smile.” I really think that says it all.<br />
What’s the best and worst piece of advice<br />
you’ve ever received?<br />
The worst style advice I’ve ever heard is to<br />
"wear black to make yourself look smaller.”<br />
I’m not going to pick apart the self-deprecating<br />
implications, but to get your best smile, you<br />
have to project your light, not fit into someone’s<br />
dark box.<br />
My favorite style tip comes from a little book<br />
by Lee Heyward called Simply Effortless Style.<br />
She advises to pick three adjectives from her<br />
handy list and use those as guide words for<br />
cleaning out your closet and purchasing<br />
clothes. Obviously she describes the mentality in<br />
greater detail, but the end result is a wardrobe<br />
that makes you happy. My adjectives happen to<br />
be “fun, friendly and easy.” Read into that what<br />
you will!<br />
What is the milestone you’re working<br />
towards right now in your personal or<br />
professional life?<br />
I’ve enjoyed Brené Brown’s talks for years now,<br />
and have just watched her newest, currently on<br />
Netflix. It was fantastic to get a refresher in the<br />
importance of being vulnerable in order to be<br />
creative and joyful. I’d really like to keep that in<br />
mind as I grow older and wiser!<br />
90 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 91
profile<br />
Southern Influence on a<br />
Parisian Lifestyle<br />
Diana Levaton, AWG Paris, shares her fascinating journey from shy<br />
Southern girl to owning a Parisian modeling agency.<br />
My career in fashion happened over<br />
two chapters of my life separated<br />
by a long stint as a stay-at-home<br />
mom. First, as a shy, lanky (but tall) 17 year old,<br />
I was “discovered” by a model scout and sent<br />
to Italy on a modeling contract. That was the<br />
beginning of a 20-year modeling career. The<br />
second happened 35 years later. After more<br />
than 10 years at home with my son, I found<br />
myself widowed and expected to take my<br />
husband’s place as president of our modeling<br />
agency, Metropolitan Models.<br />
I was born in Alabama, near the NASA base<br />
where my father worked as an aeronautical<br />
engineer. But we moved shortly thereafter<br />
back to my parents’ hometown in Tennessee<br />
to be closer to their aging parents. I grew up<br />
surrounded by strong Southern ladies - my<br />
grandmothers, my aunts, my sister and my<br />
cousins. Southern women are known for two<br />
things: never leaving the house without full<br />
makeup and dressed perfectly, and their talent<br />
for gathering everyone together to get things<br />
done. Watching them at church, schools and<br />
town meetings had a huge impact on my life.<br />
I learned that great joy can be found in banding<br />
together to complete a task. When Hillary<br />
Diana Levaton<br />
Clinton wrote It Takes a Village, I could identify<br />
with her vision, thanks to all of<br />
those Southern Belles. Like my<br />
fellow Tennessean, Reese<br />
Witherspoon, once said: “if you<br />
Diana at her<br />
desk at the<br />
want something done, ask a<br />
Metropolitan<br />
Southern woman.”<br />
Models office<br />
in Paris<br />
92 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 93
I was a very happy child, but I was self-conscious<br />
about my height. My older sister, Debra, saw<br />
that I was struggling and enrolled me in a “selfimprovement”<br />
school. The “self-improvement”<br />
school just happened to share lobby space with<br />
a modeling school. How those small town model<br />
agents saw the model behind the skinny girl<br />
with braces and bottle cap glasses is beyond me,<br />
but they did, and before I knew it, I was flying to<br />
Italy to begin a modeling career that would last<br />
more than 20 years.<br />
In 1988, I came to Paris for a couple of weeks<br />
to see clients with a brand new agency called<br />
Metropolitan Models. I met the charming<br />
founder of the agency that first day and fell<br />
madly in love. Those two weeks turned into 35<br />
years! Michel was my husband, my agent, my<br />
business partner and my best friend. We were<br />
inseparable for 30 years. I ended up investing in<br />
the agency and for more than 25 years, we were<br />
co-owners of Metropolitan. However, when our<br />
son was born, I wanted to stop traveling and<br />
stay home to raise him. Michel kept running the<br />
agency, and I settled into my new life as a stayat<br />
-home mom. When Michel was diagnosed<br />
with the cancer that would take his life, we<br />
decided that I would come back to our modeling<br />
agency as a co-director so I could help him run<br />
the business during his treatment. After a little<br />
more than a year, he lost his battle, and I was<br />
left to manage the agency alone.<br />
Tell us about your earliest experience<br />
with fashion.<br />
Southern women dress beautifully and they<br />
dress up! Nice clothes all the time, lots of<br />
makeup and hair done! My mother and sister<br />
were very fashionable, but I was a bookish and<br />
shy child and had no fashion sense whatsoever.<br />
My earliest experience with European fashion<br />
was on May 16, 1986, the day I arrived in Milan<br />
to begin my modeling career. I was wearing a<br />
light blue dress with light blue high heels, and<br />
the looks on the agents’ faces made it VERY clear<br />
that I was not dressed appropriately! I looked<br />
around and saw that everyone was in jeans,<br />
T-shirts and Santiago boots, which I found to be<br />
very strange, because, in my part of the world,<br />
you wore that outfit for rodeos, not rendez-vous<br />
with modeling agencies! I can assure you that<br />
by the second day, I was running around<br />
Milan dressed exactly like them. One of the<br />
peculiarities of the fashion business is that<br />
most people in my sector dress down. Jeans,<br />
no makeup and messy hair – the opposite of<br />
my Southern upbringing.<br />
What does “fashion” mean to you?<br />
Fashion is difficult to define, because the word<br />
fashion can mean either a trend or someone’s<br />
style or approach. So it can mean something<br />
ever-changing or (contrarily) someone’s<br />
constant way of being. I work in an industry that<br />
Diana's original model information card<br />
promotes the first meaning, by changing trends<br />
every season. However, I think that a woman<br />
needs to develop her own style, and that style<br />
obviously cannot change every time a designer<br />
thinks it should. I believe a woman’s way of<br />
dressing reflects what she wants others to<br />
perceive about her. As a tall, blond model in<br />
Paris, I was always a bit worried that people<br />
would take me for a flake, so I dressed<br />
classically in hopes that people would take me<br />
more seriously. I only wear flats, I never wear<br />
frills and haven’t worn an above the knee skirt<br />
since I turned 45. I don’t think the fashion<br />
business is going to change my way of dressing.<br />
Designers can tweak what we wear a bit by<br />
changing fashion trends, but I believe that by<br />
the time we are in our 40s and 50s, we know<br />
what we want to portray, we know what looks<br />
good on us and tend to look for exactly that<br />
when shopping.<br />
What three items belong in every<br />
woman’s wardrobe?<br />
Wow! It’s hard to edit it down to three things,<br />
but I’ll try. I agree that every woman needs a<br />
good black dress (not necessarily “little” because<br />
I like my skirts long). I am in love with the Molli<br />
brand. Molli was known mostly for newborn<br />
layettes but the young designer, Charlotte de<br />
Fayet, has renewed the brand and offers<br />
beautiful knits for women. I also think a high<br />
quality and perfectly fitting black or navy blue<br />
pantsuit is amazing. I splurge for mine at Chloé<br />
every few years (expensive, I know). It is sad<br />
that the great Gabriella Hearst is leaving Chloé<br />
as creative director, as she was making terrific<br />
headway in sustainability for my favorite brand.<br />
No one can deny that a perfect handbag is<br />
something that is hugely important for women,<br />
considering that we carry them wherever we go!<br />
So that will be my third item. My favorite go-to<br />
brand for handbags right now is Sézane, founded<br />
by the young Morgane Sezalory, a young female<br />
designer and entrepreneur who offers quality<br />
pieces at mid-range prices.<br />
How have your travels impacted your<br />
fashion choices?<br />
I basically lived out of a suitcase during my<br />
20- year modeling career. The fact that I had<br />
to be ready to go anywhere at the drop of a hat<br />
definitely impacted my fashion choices. I choose<br />
fabrics that can pack easily and need little<br />
ironing. The casual chic way that Parisian<br />
women dress also influenced my way of<br />
dressing, but because of my southern US<br />
upbringing, I will never be able to go full “hippy<br />
chic.” Unless I am out jogging, you will never see<br />
me in sweatpants! As they say, “you can take the<br />
girl out of the South, but you cannot take the<br />
South out of the girl.”<br />
Fashion magazines tend to market to one<br />
demographic. In a perfect world how would<br />
you like to see fashion marketed?<br />
As a model agent, I can see that fashion<br />
magazines are beginning to market to several<br />
demographics. I started modeling at the same<br />
time as the “supermodels” like Cindy, Claudia,<br />
and Linda, when most of us were white, tall<br />
and skinny. Then I watched as the waif<br />
movement came and models got even skinnier!<br />
Now, things have changed. If you go to my<br />
agency’s website (metropolitanmodels.com),<br />
you will see that models now come in all shapes,<br />
sizes and colors. Plus-size models, already the<br />
rage in the US, are slowly (too slowly for my<br />
taste) making their way across the Atlantic. Also,<br />
Metropolitan was the first agency in Paris to<br />
create a non-binary board.<br />
How does what you do in fashion matter in<br />
the world?<br />
I take pride in being one of the few female<br />
presidents of a modeling agency and dedicate<br />
much of my time to making sure that my models<br />
are treated with respect and dignity. When I<br />
started modeling in 1986, this business could<br />
be quite dangerous for young girls. Almost all of<br />
the agency owners were men, and some were<br />
preying on their models. Thanks to the #MeToo<br />
movement, a lot of that bad behavior has<br />
disappeared, and I consider it my job to make<br />
sure that the models are safe and protected,<br />
something that was not necessarily the norm 25<br />
years ago.<br />
If someone gave you $500, what would you do<br />
with it?<br />
I would like to travel back in time to 1984 and<br />
invest it in Apple.<br />
If you could travel back in time, where would<br />
you go?<br />
See above!!<br />
What is your favorite beauty tip?<br />
Do 30 minutes of exercise a day. It helps<br />
maintain good body weight and extends life<br />
expectancy. Exercise increases blood circulation<br />
94 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 95
A look back at Diana's<br />
modeling days...<br />
and flushes out toxins, so it gives the skin a<br />
healthy glow. I consider that, unless one has<br />
babies or toddlers at home, there is no excuse<br />
not to spend 30 minutes a day exercising. I think<br />
it’s the best thing I do for my health and beauty.<br />
My tastes in exercise have changed throughout<br />
the years, but right now I jog five days a week<br />
and do yoga twice a week for 30 minutes.<br />
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve<br />
ever received?<br />
The best advice I ever received was (of course)<br />
from Mom. One day, when I was procrastinating<br />
about a big homework assignment, she gave<br />
me an oven timer and said “Diana, always<br />
remember that almost anyone can accomplish<br />
almost anything in 15 minute increments." She<br />
explained that if I had a difficult task to do, I<br />
should set the timer for 15 minutes and work<br />
on it, and I would be surprised as to how much I<br />
could get done in that time. From that moment<br />
on, I became obsessed with the 15-minute rule.<br />
When I left for Italy, that oven timer came with<br />
me, and it helped me throughout my career.<br />
The 15-minute rule helped me complete an<br />
MA in French History and later, an MBA, while<br />
working and/or raising my son. The 15-minute<br />
rule helped again after Michel died. Right after<br />
his death, I found myself paralyzed with grief<br />
and my mind racing, wondering how I was going<br />
to run our business that he had always managed.<br />
On my first day back at work after his funeral,<br />
I arrived to find 30 grief-stricken employees<br />
looking at me in a panic. I went into my husband’s<br />
office, closed the door, took a deep breath and<br />
set my phone timer for 15 minutes. I needed that<br />
time to think about how we were going to move<br />
forward without Michel. I pictured my Mom, my<br />
grandmothers and my aunts gathering everyone<br />
together in times of emergency and need. This<br />
was no different. In this emergency situation, it<br />
was time for me to admit that I needed help.<br />
I walked out of my office and explained to my<br />
employees that I would not be able to do this<br />
alone. We were going to have to join together<br />
as a team to pull us back from this tragedy.<br />
Everyone played along and agreed to take on<br />
more responsibility and more work to show<br />
Michel and the world that we could do this. And<br />
petit à petit, my little village succeeded. We felt<br />
empowered by the strength of our group, as we<br />
worked together to pull the agency back on track.<br />
Our work paid off, as the agency flourished and<br />
we ended up doing better than we ever had! In<br />
fact, after four years, our annual revenue has<br />
increased by more than 70 percent! I think Michel<br />
(and all of those petite Southern mamas) would<br />
be proud of us.<br />
Dogs on Show!<br />
Fashion Forward Pajamas<br />
for a Night In…or Out!<br />
We’re feeling good in these colorful,<br />
whimsical pajamas from Karen Mabon<br />
“Fancy Dress Dogs ”<br />
Made in organic cotton<br />
available online now.<br />
Shop The Pajama Company<br />
for the newest styles of the season!<br />
Ellie Badanes, AW Surrey and FAUSA Member.<br />
96 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 97<br />
Founder, The Pajama Company
feature<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> Reads:<br />
Modern Resin Jewellery<br />
Sara Naumann has been in<br />
the creative industry for over<br />
20 years. As a designer and<br />
instructor, her mission is<br />
to make the technical parts<br />
easy so that crafters of all<br />
experience levels can enjoy<br />
the creative process. Originally<br />
from Oregon, Sara lives in<br />
Germany with her husband<br />
and daughter. She is the vice<br />
president of the American<br />
<strong>Women</strong>’s Club of Hamburg.<br />
This is Sara's fourth book, and<br />
her second on making resin<br />
jewellery. You can find her on<br />
social media, where she posts<br />
instructional crafting videos<br />
and blog-post tutorials.<br />
What was your inspiration for the book?<br />
This is my second book on resin jewellery. As with<br />
the first, How to Make Resin Jewellery, my mission<br />
was to create a pathway that makes this craft –<br />
which can seem intimidating – easy and accessible.<br />
Before COVID-19, I often taught in-person workshops,<br />
and my inspiration always comes from the people I<br />
met who bravely tried something new and were<br />
happily surprised at their own abilities!<br />
I often hear that crafters are curious about how to use<br />
resin, yet, because it involves mixing chemicals, they’re<br />
uncertain of where and how to get started. Making<br />
98 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 99
esin jewellery is absolutely one of the most fun<br />
things I do, and I always want to share that joy in<br />
creative exploration.<br />
How long did it take you to write the book?<br />
I initially spoke with Search Press, the publisher,<br />
at a craft trade show in the UK in February 2020<br />
– and we all know what happened shortly after<br />
that! Developing the outline, sourcing<br />
supplies, designing the projects and going back<br />
and forth on the editing process took about a<br />
year. Yet COVID-19 travel restrictions between<br />
Germany and the UK ultimately caused a big<br />
delay, and meant we needed to reschedule the<br />
photo shoot again… and again… and again,<br />
which postponed the release by nearly a year.<br />
Eventually I made it to England so we could<br />
shoot the "step-by-steps" – about two years<br />
after that initial discussion.<br />
What kind of research did you do, and how<br />
long did you spend researching before<br />
beginning the book?<br />
This is my second book on resin jewellery –<br />
and while much of the basic technique<br />
(measuring, mixing and pouring) remains<br />
the same, there are always new products<br />
on the market to research. As a crafter,<br />
my research is hands-on. I love trying<br />
something new and having it turn out<br />
beautifully… but it’s also great to experience<br />
the things that don’t work, which allows<br />
me to troubleshoot – and so, as an<br />
instructor, help people to avoid making<br />
the same mistakes.<br />
What is the most important thing you<br />
want readers to take from your book?<br />
I talk to a lot of people who enjoyed arts<br />
and crafts as children, but as adults they<br />
consider themselves “uncreative.” Sometimes,<br />
that’s because someone, somewhere along<br />
the line, told them they were doing something<br />
wrong. With resin, once you know the basics,<br />
there really is no wrong way to create. You<br />
can keep it simple, or add in all kinds of<br />
other jewellery techniques, from beading to<br />
mixed-media. I want readers to take the<br />
power of the how-to knowledge I share in the<br />
book – from the basics to troubleshooting –<br />
and feel comfortable either replicating the<br />
designs or using them as a starting point for<br />
their own pieces.<br />
When did you start writing?<br />
As a child, I loved writing and drawing and spent<br />
ages making my own little stapled-together<br />
books. I was considered shy and often felt<br />
self-conscious speaking, but writing provided<br />
a safe way for me to express myself. I’m not<br />
so shy anymore, but even now I depend on my<br />
morning journaling practice for reflection.<br />
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?<br />
Ack – there are so many I could name! Recently,<br />
I discovered this fantastic British independent<br />
publisher called Peirene, which publishes literary<br />
fiction from all over the world translated into<br />
English. The books I’ve read from this publisher<br />
have been consistently excellent, including<br />
Dance by the Canal by Kerstin Hensel and The Love<br />
of Singular Men by Victor Heringer.<br />
What is your favorite childhood book?<br />
Oh, the list I could give you! I was always reading<br />
– it was like a book was a permanent part of my<br />
hand, and I read everything from Beverly Cleary's<br />
books to Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Harriet<br />
the Spy. Plus all the Judy Blume books! I was also<br />
a repeat-reader, and Charlotte’s Web made me cry<br />
no matter how many times I’d been through<br />
my dog-earred copy of that book.<br />
What are you reading now?<br />
I’ve been dreaming of a trip to Asia; so fornow,<br />
I’m reading lots of books from Japanese,<br />
Korean and Vietnamese writers. It’s my luck<br />
that so many novels are being translated into<br />
English so I can travel virtually until I can go<br />
for real.<br />
If you could tell your younger writing-self<br />
anything, what would it be?<br />
When I was in school, I loved writing – but<br />
the only type of writing I really knew was the<br />
kind I read in novels. If I could, I would tell<br />
my younger writer-self that there are lots of<br />
other kinds of writing besides fiction – such<br />
as historical books, textbooks, science books,<br />
reference books… and craft instruction books!<br />
What’s next for you? Are you working<br />
on anything new you’d like to share with<br />
our readers?<br />
After the summer holidays, I’ll be back in gear<br />
with classes and workshops here in Hamburg.<br />
COVID-19 really stopped all in-person workshops;<br />
while I love the ease and efficiency of<br />
online classes, it’s really much more fun to be<br />
together creating in the same room!<br />
A short summary of the book<br />
In Modern Resin Jewellery, Sara Naumann<br />
shares tips, techniques and instructions for<br />
making over 50 jewellery projects, using<br />
two-part resin epoxy and craft supplies,<br />
such as glitter, embossing powders, inks<br />
and patterned papers.<br />
The technique is easy: simply mix the twopart<br />
resin epoxy together and pour into a<br />
mould or bezel. You can combine clear<br />
resin with papers – from patterned papers<br />
to maps or vintage ephemera – or color the<br />
resin with inks and dyes. Another option?<br />
Embed items such as dried flowers in the<br />
resin before it cures. Once the resin is cured,<br />
you’re ready to make your own jewellery<br />
with the piece. Rings, pendants, cufflinks,<br />
hairpins and bracelets are all easy to make,<br />
and look professional.<br />
In this book, Sara shares a broad range of<br />
fresh, stylish projects to inspire you to make<br />
your own bespoke wearables or fabulous gifts.<br />
Books presented in the<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> Reads feature are<br />
available for purchase via<br />
the FAWCO website in the<br />
Books by Members or Books<br />
by Clubs sections.<br />
Enjoy!<br />
Author Sara Naumann shows off her elegant<br />
jewelry creations. (page 100)<br />
100 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 101
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<strong>September</strong> 22 nd<br />
Call for<br />
November<br />
Nominees!<br />
FAWCO clubs are rich with<br />
members from different<br />
countries and cultures. Sharing<br />
our heritages brings so much<br />
to our club experiences and<br />
activities. One of the reasons<br />
many of us join FAWCO clubs<br />
is to engage with others and<br />
elevate our understanding and<br />
enjoyment of other cultures.<br />
For our next issue of <strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong> we are looking for women who embrace culture.<br />
Do you know someone who keeps their “home culture” alive in their adopted country? Perhaps<br />
someone who has jumped all the way into a new culture? Or, someone who found a unique way<br />
to blend new and old?<br />
How about someone teaching about local culture or running a business related to cultural<br />
awareness. A cultural tour guide? Cultural sensitivity trainer? Writer or blogger about culture and<br />
how it affects one’s identity? Cookbook authors or culinary instructors showcasing a particular<br />
culture? Is there someone in your club who is known for sharing their cultural traditions?<br />
Someone blending multiple cultures within their family unit? Help us share their stories with<br />
our readers!<br />
inspiring you<br />
Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a global women's NGO (non-governmental organization), an<br />
international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 58 member<br />
clubs in 31 countries on six continents. FAWCO serves as a resource and a voice for its members;<br />
seeks to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide, especially in the areas of human rights,<br />
health, education and the environment; advocates for the rights of US citizens overseas; and<br />
contributes to the global community through its Global Issues Teams and The FAWCO Foundation,<br />
which provides development grants and education awards. Since 1997, FAWCO has held special<br />
consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.<br />
our mission statement<br />
FAWCO is an international federation of independent organizations whose mission is:<br />
• to build strong support networks for its American and international membership;<br />
• to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide;<br />
• to advocate for the rights of US citizens overseas; and<br />
• to mobilize the skills of its membership in support of global initiatives for<br />
education, the environment, health and human rights.<br />
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FAWco receives financial remuneration for page space from advertisers. Views expressed or<br />
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directly from these adverts are not endorsed by FAWCO.<br />
copyright <strong>2023</strong> fawco<br />
<strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong>© <strong>Magazine</strong> is owned and published electronically by FAWCO.<br />
All rights reserved. All bylined articles are copyright of their respective authors as indicated herein<br />
and are reproduced with their permission. The magazine or portions of it may not be reproduced<br />
in any form, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic,<br />
mechanical, photocopy or otherwise – without written consent of the publisher.<br />
Photographs are integral to our magazine.<br />
We end each issue with a full page photograph<br />
that offers a unique perspective on its theme.<br />
The photo can be provocative, amusing,<br />
entertaining and/or a photo that you think says<br />
"That's Inspired!" for each issue.<br />
Please contact: inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org<br />
Our photo-centric feature "Through My Lens" is a<br />
compilation of photos and short captions<br />
in keeping with the issue’s theme.<br />
Please contact:<br />
inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org<br />
102 INSPIRING WOMEN INSPIRING WOMEN 103
more about<br />
this issue<br />
The <strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong> Team<br />
That's<br />
Inspired!<br />
Michele Elsie Kristin Connie Cristin Hollis<br />
For more information about this magazine, please contact a member of the <strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong> team:<br />
Editor in Chief, Michele Hendrikse Du Bois, inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org<br />
Advertising and Sponsorship Manager, Elsie Bose, advertising@fawco.org<br />
Layout Coordinator, Kristin D. Haanæs, inspiringwomen.layout@fawco.org<br />
Features Coordinator, Connie Phlipot, inspiringwomenfeatures@fawco.org<br />
Profiles Coordinator, Cristin Middlebrooks, inspiringwomenprofiles@fawco.org<br />
Marketing Manager, Hollis Vaughen, iw.marketing@fawco.org<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
Thanks to our profilees (Olga, Samira, Mariachiara, Andrea, Yerie, Callie, Gaby, Deb, Diana and<br />
Sarah) and our feature contributors (Eva, Liz, Whitney, Wendy, Nadine and Diane) for their work<br />
on the articles and also for the use of their photos and those of their friends and families.<br />
The cover photo of Olga Johnston Antonova (AWC Berlin) wearing sustainable designer garments<br />
was taken in Berlin by Kamila Heil of Kamila Heil Photography. Read Olga’s profile on page 8.<br />
Special thanks to the proofreading team of Laurie Brooks (AWC Amsterdam and The Hague/FAUSA),<br />
Mary Stewart Burgher (AWC Denmark), Sallie Chaballier (AAWE Paris), Janis Kaas (AAWE Paris/<br />
FAUSA), Janet Davis ((AIWC Cologne), Carol-Lyn McKelvey (AIWC Cologne/FAUSA), Jenny Taylor<br />
(AIWC Cologne and Düsseldorf), Barbara Bühling (AIWC Düsseldorf), Teddie Weyr (AWA Vienna) and<br />
Roberta Zöllner (Munich IWC).<br />
Please note: images used in this publication are either sourced from our team, the authors<br />
themselves, or through canva.com or pixabay.com.<br />
Please post a link for this issue of <strong>Inspiring</strong> <strong>Women</strong>,<br />
"We Are Talking Fashion" in your club<br />
publications until "<strong>Women</strong> Embracing Culture"<br />
is published on November 16, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
Using my hands to create new<br />
things makes me feel complete.<br />
When designing clothes, I love<br />
to drape because using the<br />
dressform helps me understand<br />
the curves of the body and<br />
working with the fabrics and<br />
materials directly on the surface<br />
gives me a real idea of how they<br />
will look on a person.<br />
Andrea Saieh, AWC Bogotá<br />
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