What characterizes the pieces we create the most, is the women who wear them. For this reason, we are calling on our core community to join us in our series of talks where we cover subjects of the female gaze, womanhood, beauty, community, and female empowerment.
In our first episode, Stylist and British GQ’s Retail Editor Itunu Oke celebrates how sharing your story has the potential to help others.
What were some of your early female influences growing up and what were you drawn to by them? Who are your influences today?
I mean, which girl didn’t grow up loving Beyoncé? Seeing a black woman on my screen who was loved and adored by all I couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
To be honest I don’t really have a singular influence at the moment: I feel like every woman is doing a different thing, which is really lovely to see, and I just feel that people are just really owning who they are and owning the fact that we all don’t have to be the same.
Through your work, what have you learnt about the importance of community?
Community is very important to me and I feel with the new generation of people coming through in the industry. We're all about supporting each other and actually making real connections and I feel that is what community is all about. It's about being able to lean on each other and support each other cause we're all going through the same thing and work in the same industry so why shouldn't we be there for each other. Nobody else understands what we're going through better than each other.
When do you feel most empowered? Why is that?
I feel most empowered when I’m doing something I love. Like when I’m on set styling a shoot. There’s nothing better than coming up with a concept, being on set, bringing that concept to life, and then seeing the final product come to life on the page.
The female gaze is powerful, what have you experienced that can happen when women get to tell the stories?
I think it’s very freeing not just for the person telling their story but for the ones who hear it too as we all go through similar things, and you never know who you’re helping by sharing your story.
This campaign is called “In Celebration of All Women”, what message would you like to share with women and those who identify as, around the world?
First, go and do what you want to do. Do not let the opinion of others, especially people you don’t care about, dictate your decisions in life. Then I believe, we are not given more than we can handle. You are much stronger than you think. Finally: behind every strong woman there is a tribe of other strong women. None of us can do this life alone, we need each other to support and hold each other up.
Credits
Production by Stephanie Lawley Styling by Bonnie Langedijk Photography by Sam Copeland Interview by Iselin Skogli Casting by Andrea Martinez
