GRL PWR
To the mothers, the daughters, the sisters, all the badass ladies out there: we see you.
We see you fighting for what you believe in. We see you supporting and empowering each other. We see you challenging societal norms. It’s safe to say: the sisterhood is stronger than ever. Together, we can do anything.
In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Little Burgundy has collaborated with New Balance to showcase three incredible Canadian women that inspire us. Get to know the incredible work they’re doing and the one word they pass along to other ladies out there.
MARY YOUNG
(@itsmaryyoung)
I founded my namesake lifestyle lingerie line a few years ago with the focus on empowering women through freedom of choice. I grew up being told there is one shape, colour and size of beauty -one look that is considered to be sexy. When in reality, everybody is beautiful and sexy -and when a woman is comfortable and confident, she is sexy. I design products that embrace a woman’s body rather than reshape it -celebrating every curve and line.
Outside of producing garments to empower women we also launched the Self Love Club which is a digital and physical space that opens up dialogue around self love, starting with our physical bodies and moving into all areas of life and emotions. Our goal is to break down the barriers of what we can share and what is normalized to be okay -all emotions are valid and important and by creating a space for everyone to come together and no longer feel alone, we as a collective can make change in our world.
THE WORD AND WHY
If I could instill one word into every woman it would be RESILIENCE. When I look at the woman in my life, specifically those I look up to, the strongest characteristic they all possess is being resilient. Women face obstacles everyday, not only in the workplace but in all areas of life. If we take a moment to look at women throughout history that have stood their ground and made an impact on their community, country and generation, the reason they were able to do so was because of their resilience. No matter what women face, we must remain resilient, standing tall, strong and empowered, not backing off or stepping to the side.
BIANCA HARRIS
(@iambiancaharris)
I am a creative entrepreneur, content producer and founder of
WIPP
(Women Inspiring Passion and Purpose) Toronto. We create events and digital content to empower women through our pillars of entrepreneurship, wellness, mental health, sex/relationships and finances. I started WIPP as a way to provide women with knowledge and empowerment as I saw a lack of outlets providing advice authentically and unfiltered. We did our first event in 2015 as a way to spread awareness to creative women in Toronto -and it grew from there! I am proud any time I get a DM or someone comes up to me telling me they started a business because of our brand or simply helped them get through a tough situation. Knowing we helped one person is powerful in itself.
THE WORD AND WHY
My one word for women is COMMITMENT. Stay committed. Even when you want to give up. Even when it gets really hard. Use that in any area of your life and you will see results!
FLORENCE GAGNON
(@lezspreadtheword)
When I came out at 19, I craved [role] models I could look [up] to or even just take an interest in. At the time, they were few and far between. By the time I was 24, I was throwing parties and hosting events for lesbians. In 2012, a few friends and I launched the Lez Spread the Word (LSTW) website. Things were finally changing in Québec: queer women needed role models and more media visibility and we were finally getting it. LSTW was truly creating something different by not following any rules and focusing on what was missing. In the fall of 2016, Lez Spread the Word published the first issue of lstw, a bilingual print magazine committed to fighting queer invisibility. lstw is currently available in more than 20 cities across North America and Europe.
THE WORD AND WHY
My word would be EMPOWER. We need more creative women getting involved and being out and visible. We need those women to help each other, unite and value each other's work. We need to go after our dreams and show that when we are together, we can do anything. Our culture is so incredibly diverse, beautiful and positively challenging.
Resilience. Commitment. Empower. What’s the one word you’d pass along to other women out there? Head to Mary, Bianca or Florence’s Instagram feed and leave them a comment.
