Halpern Hotlist X IWD
CHAR ELLESSE
"Char (she/her) is the Founder and Director of Girls Will Be Boys (GWBB) and #omgshesbald.
I love her because she’s unapologetically herself. At a young age we were taught that ditching make-up made you a feminist but Char proves that’s not the case. She’s also breaking stereotypes around queer woman and how they represent themselves. I’m here for every single part of it.”
Daniella Lee
TATTY DEVINE JEWELLERY
“I love the sentiment behind the Tatty Devine invisible necklace and support for gender equality.
It’s in collaboration with the Fawcett Society which is all about making women visible!”
Stavros Themistocli
ELLA MILLS
"My IWD inspiration is Ella Mills (Deliciously Ella) – she’s built her own incredible empire, written multiple books, is opening a new restaurant in May and has launched a podcast, which discusses super important topics like imposter syndrome and gut health!”
Tilly Broke-Smith
FAITH AYLWARD
“As if being a Photographer, Director and Creative Director wasn’t inspiring enough, last year Faith started an Instagram account to showcase her incredible pole work which is completely mesmerising. I loved Faith’s photo series commission for ‘Ovar It’: a platform dedicated to destigmatising periods and contraception which was exhibited at Protein Studios in East London.”
Karen Murphy
COURTNEY BLACK
“Courtney Black launched a personal training app during lockdown, offering approachable, real-time live at-home workouts and nutritional advice for any fitness level. I do one of her workouts every morning and it’s gotten me through lockdown!”
Rebecca Baisden
CHRISSY TEIGEN
"Smart, witty, sassy and honest, who cannot feel inspired by Chrissy Teigen!
For a celebrity, I find her openness so refreshing. She breaks taboos around important female topics (E.g. post-natal depression, pregnancy, weight-gain) and provides endless entertainment with her razor sharp clapback’s. Despite the ups and downs of life, and she had more than her fair share last year, she continues marching forwards. Power!”
Selen Morgan
MERCEDES BENSON
"Mega-Marketer and DJ Mercedes Benson is someone I think should be spotlighted this IWD, not only for her drive and ambition but for the work she does for others through the platform SocialFIXT. From hosting talks at Google HQ during Black History Month to providing advice to those within the Black community who want to break into the creative industries, Mercedes is someone fighting the good fight and making it look like fun while doing it.”
Andre Bogues
RIHANNA
“Rihanna Savage x Fenty lingerie because she’s so unafraid to represent women of all sizes, abilities and backgrounds. Plus she makes them all look and feel super sexy which is so important.”
Rosie Davis
BODYFORM’S PAIN STORIES
“Bodyform’s Pain Stories is the most stand out female empowerment thing I’ve seen recently as it aims to dismantle the shame and silence that stops us getting the help we deserve. The concept of the pain gap is so important and very personal to me in regards to periods as I suffer with dysmenorrhea.”
Sidra Imtiaz
KIRA MATTHEWS
“Kira is a manifestation and mindset coach for creatives. She helps creatives struggling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome overcome their biggest fears so they can become unstoppable in their lives and businesses. Even after one workshop with Kira, I can see some elements I manifested come through. I admire her positivity and find her really inspirational.”
Georgia Reed
GRACE LADOJA
“Grace has spent her career connecting cultures and finding innovative ways to cleverly connect brands with talent. Her works spans across the worlds of fashion, music and art - everything she touches is done with authenticity. She was featured in Vogue’s 25 most influential women of the year and awarded an MBE - proof of her crucial role in the UK scene!”
Shereen Amarasekera