Females Forward

JJulia Child, the charismatic culinary legend who empowered women in the kitchen and beyond, was born on August 15th, 1912, in a posh LA-suburb called Pasadena.
Her senses didn’t truly awaken, however, until she had a life-changing meal of oysters and sole meunière with her husband Paul in Rouen, which she described as “an opening up of the soul and spirit for me.” Aged 32, Julia signed up for the prestigious Cordon Blue cooking school where she found herself the only female student. “Up until then,” Julia said, “I just ate.”

“Find something you’re passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it.”
— Julia Child

Julia was 6 feet, 2 inches (1.88 m) tall; too tall become a spy, something she started dreaming about as soon as the war broke out. Instead, she was sent by the Secret Service to Ceylon to work on several projects, such as developing a shark repellent, her first recorded recipe. On a tea farmer’s veranda, she met Paul Child: an artist, poet, photographer and gourmet who would be Julia’s biggest fan and supporter till the end of his life. (During the first years of her TV show, Paul did all the behind-scenes washing up – and a great deal of the grating, chopping and pre-cooking as well. “I’m here,” he used to say. “I’ll do anything.”)
“Find something you’re passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it,” was one of Julia’s mottos, and by the time Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique in 1963, Julia had already written the cooking bible ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ and begun hosting ‘The French Chef’ which would become the first cooking show to win an Emmy. The lanky late-bloomer had become a female trailblazer in a world traditionally dominated by men. Thanks to Julia, the stove was no longer a symbol of female oppression.

What was the recipe for Julia’s success? First of all, the combination of her infinite passion for food and her infectious enthusiasm. Then, there was her devil-may-care attitude. Or, in the words of her biographer Bob Spitz: “Julia dealt with rules the way she later dealt with vegetarians; she pretended they didn’t exist.” When she dropped food on the floor or set her soufflé on fire, she would say with a wink: “Remember you are alone in the kitchen and nobody can see. Never apologize!”.
And when she explained how to successfully flip a pancake or omelet, she would insist: “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure!”. Julia didn’t just teach women how to cook, she showed them how to live: with relish and courage.

In 2010, actress Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for playing Julia Child in ‘Julie & Julia’, a movie inspired by Julia’s delightful memoir ‘My life in France’ and a bestselling book called ‘Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen’ (which itself was based on Julie Powell’s cooking blog ‘The Julie/Julia Project’). There was one scene in particular that perfectly summed up Julia’s infectious lust for life. Julia can be seen dancing through her kitchen in France, and at one point snatching some cannelloni out of a pot of boiling water with her bare hands, while crying: “These damn things are as hot as a stiff cock!”

Her French schooling had inspired Julia to believe in using luscious ingredients, but eating moderately. “People are afraid of French food because of all the cream and butter. But you don’t see all those big fat people over there that you see lumbering around here at Disneyland,” she once told an American journalist. She also loved wine and spirits but took long daily walks and lived healthily until the last few weeks. When she passed away, two days before her 92nd birthday, Julia had accomplished so much. She had written 10 bestselling cookbooks and had won many awards with her long-running show ‘The French Chef’. She had been bestowed the Legion of Honour by the French. Yet Julia’s message had remained simple and soulful throughout her life. “The pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite”, she concluded in her last book, ‘My life in France’. “Toujours bon appétit!”

She predicted the brightly colored hair trend years before it hit the runway at Chanel and she foresaw the rise of ‘flawed’ supermodels like Winnie Harlow. One thing is clear: trend forecaster and designer Antoinette van den Berg, aka The Lady in Blu, lives, wears and breathes trends. I sat down with the sparkly, blue-haired personality to find out what the future has in store for us. “I’m telling you, old is cool!”

An interesting thing happened when I did Nadia Narain’s yoga class the other day. I had checked myself in the mirror beforehand, and thought I looked fine, but when I looked again afterwards, I fell utterly in love with my reflection!

Forget waiting around for compliments and a candy G-string; this Valentine’s Day, let’s seduce ourselves! How can you seduce others if you don’t know how to seduce yourself, right? But it actually goes so much deeper than that. I was in New York recently, where the magnificent Mal Harrison – clinical sexologist, TEDx speaker and clit-pioneer – explained to me why loving yourself up is one of the most empowering things a woman can do, in the bedroom and beyond. “It’s about owning your pleasure, your body, your power!”

It was a dream come true, working with the legendary photographer Ellen von Unwerth. I had admired her work for years, her iconic images of women like Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna in magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair, her unforget-table campaigns for Guess and Chanel, but I had also felt a very strong kinship with her: here was another woman who celebrated women’s bodies without ever objectifying them. A woman who had been pioneering feminine feminism, just like me.

– 3 reasons why Julia Child is one of my favorite feminine feminists –

All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses. Powerful female icons from past and present. Although women have been marginalized for centuries, archetypes of female power have always been there. Through my designs, I bring them to you. To help us shape the world of modern-day feminism.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how did your legend grow? So much more than just Elizabeth I’s older sister or the wicked ‘Bloody Mary’ who burned over 280 protestants at the stake, Mary Tudor (1516–1558) lived a life full of heartbreak, defiance and glorious triumph. Born the daughter of the notorious King Henry VIII and the Spanish Catherine of Aragon, the auburn-haired beauty grew up as a cultured Renaissance princess with a knack for languages and a passion for fashion.

She is mostly known as ‘that other Boleyn Girl’ or ‘the Mistress of Kings’. But I see Mary Boleyn (1499/1500 – 1543) as a woman who dared to defy all the rules to follow her heart. In other words, a historical heroine in her own right.

Tudor (1516–1558) lived a life full of heartbreak, defiance and glorious triumph. Born the daughter of the notorious King Henry VIII and the Spanish Catherine of Aragon, the auburn-haired beauty grew up as a cultured Renaissance princess with a knack for languages and a passion for fashion.

Crowned Queen of Scotland at only nine months of age, proud Mary Stuart (1542- 1587) was off to a flying start. A tall beauty with golden-red hair and bewitching hazel eyes, Mary was so charismatic, so brilliant with words that her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, refused to meet her during their lifetimes for fear of being overshadowed.

Was Jane Boleyn, aka Viscountess Rochford, a villain or a victim? One thing is certain: no other woman in the 16th century was as closely associated with as many dramatic events…

Of all the splendid performances in the movie ‘Elizabeth’ (1998), Fanny Ardant’s brief, but wickedly sexy portrayal of Mary of Guise is amongst my very favorites. In real life too, this French vixen may not have been as legendary as Elizabeth, but she was a feminist power house in her own right.

One of Frida’s most potent weapons was her style. The more she was suffering, the more elaborate and regal she would dress. And so, you could often find Frida laid up in bed in a spectacular headdress and extravagant jewelry, looking like a surrealist vision and a folkloric Mexican queen.

You may not think of Frida Kahlo as a typical gardener – can you imagine her in rubber boots? – but together with her beloved Diego she turned the garden of their ‘Casa Azul’ into a luscious paradise of locally sourced flora.

Frida didn’t just accept her ‘masculine’ look, she exaggerated and cultivated it! In one famous family photo, a young Frida wears a three-piece menswear suit with so much ‘swagger’ that one thing becomes clear: at just 17 years old, Frida already knew how fashion can transform you into a living work of art.

Of all the vibrant colors Frida used in her paintings, blue conveyed her deepest emotions. “Cobalt blue is electricity and purity. It’s love,” the Mexican painter wrote in her journal.

As a child, polio crippled Frida’s right leg; as a teen, she was injured horrifically in a traffic accident. After that, Frida’s health would continue to deteriorate, causing her unbearable pain and forcing her to wear corsets for the rest of her life.

On October 18th Marlies Dekkers and her FEMININE/FEMINIST movement showed her signature collection and the latest collection inspired by the great Edith Head, during a distinctive Burlesque fashion show in downtown Los Angeles.

Some people call her the most important figure in the history of Hollywood costume design, to others she is the style maven who showed millions of women how to dress for success. But to me, Edith Head will always be the mistress of transformation. In the words of one of her star friends: “If Cinderella had Edith Head, she’d never have needed a Fairy Godmother.”

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of an app-addict. With my phone being an extension of myself, the apps on it make me feel like I’ve got the world at my fingertips: from the weather to the stars (tip: try SkyView, it’s a hand-held planetarium!) to those hard-to-get Charlotte Olympia heels.

All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses. Powerful female icons from past and present. Although women have been marginalised for centuries, archetypes of female power have always been there. Through my designs, I bring them to you. To help us shape the world of modern day feminism.

Once upon a time, goddess Athena outsmarted Poseidon, god of the sea, and had the most desirable city of Ancient Greece named after her. Visiting this powerhouse of female energy turned out to be an epic journey…

Op 25 september 2015 zullen honderden ambitieuze zakenvrouwen aanwezig zijn bij het Marie Claire @Work Lifestyle Experience event.

Who run the world? GIRLS! To me, Dafne Schippers is a symbol of true female power.

Miranda is much more than my right hand. She has been making my (design) dreams come true for over 15 years. But what does she think of me?

“I want to create a whole new technology – one that is aimed at helping humanity at all levels regardless of geography or ethnicity or age or gender”. Maak kennis met Elizabeth Holmes.

Mark Zuckerbergs missie om miskramen te de-stigmatiseren door openlijk erover te praten heeft ons aan het denken gezet; Hoe vaak zien wij mannen die openlijk vrouwen steunen? Dat was zeker niet moeilijk te vinden en wij hebben zelfs een aantal perfecte voorbeelden!

Je weet waarschijnlijk wel dat ik een trotse feministe ben. Ik geloof in gelijke rechten voor mannen en vrouwen.

I love women who give convention the middle finger, especially when they do so in a creative, elegant way. Meet one of my heroes, Indian director-writer-producer Mira Nair.

This Wednesday the world celebrates Women’s Day. The theme this year: ‘Be bold for change’. I couldn’t agree more. Let’s do it!

Yes, Indian Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi is ridiculously sexy, but it’s her sass that makes me love her. That, and her awesome recipe for a vegetarian curry.

This Wonder Woman wears a sari, rides a ferocious tiger, and is a rape survivor. The message: there is no excuse for sexual violence. Ever.

To show or not to show, that’s the question when it comes to belly buttons. While Taylor Swift vowed to never (ever, ever!) show hers, Indian women feel very different about it.

I’ve told you before about my fascination with the leading ladies of today’s hit series. Now let me introduce you to my latest crush, Gothic sex goddess Vanessa Ives.

Can you be a feminist fashionista? Karl Lagerfeld certainly seemed to think so when he sent his models on the runway for Chanel’s spring summer collections.

Success never comes easy. There are down, and when you are lucky, many more ups. For me, following my dreams and trying build my brand never came easy. It wasn’t only the talent that brought me where I am today, but my dedication, focus and believe in myself.

A long-overdue correction in gender equality is at our doorsteps. A tipping-point in the history of women rests in our hands. This is our moment….

Writer, director, and feminist Lena Dunham was in town for her book tour. I have been a big Lena fan for quite some time, even before she was the well-known lady she is today.

In 2009 Anastacia and I had our first rendez-vous. I never expected we would meet up again 5 year later and have a personal talk about modern day feminism.

What’s currently on my nightstand? This shouldn’t come as a surprise; it’s a nasty gal! The book #Girlboss is the latest achievement of power house Sophia Amoruso.

Some women can inspire me in such a way that you can maybe even call it a little crush. Want to know which ladies have this effect on me? Follow my #WomanCrushWednesdays on Twitter.

Olivia, Carrie, Lagertha and Maya, all main characters in todays hit series and also the reason why I have lately spend all my weekends in front of the TV. But what is it about these leading ladies of todays hit series which makes them so popular.