Sunday, November 20, 2011

ROMWE GIRL POWER GIVEAWAY!

Today I launch my third and thus far FAVORITE giveaway! Inspired by Cosette Munch's blog contest in which the best feminist poem earned one lucky reader an $80 gift certificate to Romwe, my giveaway presents the opportunity to earn a haute couture garment in the spirit of GIRL POWER. Here's how it works:

Choose a ROMWE HAUTE COUTURE item from the list below...


And leave a comment with your name, email address, and description of your favorite female idol! Who empowers you? Who inspires you to transcend gender roles and conquer patriarchy? What have they done to change your perspective? (My feminist role model is bell hooks!) The most resonant response wins. Last day to enter is November 26th!

You must also sign up for an account on Romwe.com -- which is totally free, so ya got nothing to worry about! Now listen to this music video and let your creative juices run amuck!!



P.S. If you're making an order on Romwe between now and November 26th, feel free to use whichever coupon code applies to you.

Thanksgiving1 > Save $15 for $60+

Thanksgiving2 > Save $25 for $90+

Thanksgiving3 > Save $35 for $120+


Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

49 comments:

  1. Hey, georgie, georgieheisley@hotmail.co.uk,
    samantha from satc- 'I love you but I love me more', I just love how she is.x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura, laura.ruhe@freenet.de, item 1.
    Somehow no special person inspired me in the past. In the age of 11 I got depression, just started to be alone all the time and think and think and think. When I was 14 I became a vegetarian and questioned myself why should I sleep with some megahorney guy? To be alone again after that? I was all alone with my mindset the last years and I learned how to live that. For me it's really hard to respect people with other positions. And since I read your blog and answers on formspring you gave me the feeling that I'm not all alone (I mean, of course I knew before, but that was more real).
    But there is one thing that's really hard accept now :
    ITEM NO5 IS REAL FUR!
    WHAT THE FUCK?????

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  3. Hey Laura-

    Thank you so much for your entry!!!! I do not at all support the fur industry and am sorry to have the coat featured on my blog (didn't even know it was real, so thank you for pointing that out!) Fortunately this giveaway does not fund its production by any means. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. fredyqa@azet.sk my name is Frederika :)
    number 6 :))
    my idol is my mum :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cecilia, stelzeca@muohio.edu, 6

    Hello Bebe!

    I love Andrea Gibson. She is a slam poet and activist that has always haunted me. If I could choose one person that everyone should listen to, it would be her.

    Here is a link to one of her videos. My favorites are Ashes and Blue Blanket.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVwdgUAMB2w

    ReplyDelete
  6. My feminist idol is Julia Kristeva. It must be because I love the abject. I've written a severe amount of feminist research papers and always use her to illustrate some of my points. She has taught me what an orifice-less body means and about the social construct of the female body. Reading her literature in my feminist studies classes made me start thinking about how we view our periods/zits/shitting and how as women we are taught to be ashamed of our bodies. Shortly after I started learning about this, I wanted to gross out everyone (not ok if you ever want to be considered an attractive female in college).

    After Kristeva though, I love Judith Butler and Laura Mulvey .

    Thank you for reading my rant!

    klloyd@nu.edu & item 1!

    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Savina, savinalee16@yahoo.com, Item: 1
    My feminist role model is Mimi Abramovitz. She focuses on the reform of welfare and the stopping of how government programs have gender roles (i.e. welfare is feminine where as Social Security is masculine) Just recently Ive learned about her views in my Sociology class, and I'm in complete agreement. I recommend her book Under Attack, Fighting back.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Emilija/ Emi Coco/ emilija@fashionwhit.com/item 3

    This is a very hard question to answer. I don't even know if there is any way to do that for me, because even though I get inspired by numerous beautiful and stylish women worldwide (which, Bebe, you are a part of), I cannot choose one that is my absolute and only role model for whatever she does. Either way, one of the most meaningful women for me that have ever lived is Yoko Ono. With my icon being a feminist, I started seeing the world in a different- more feminine- way, if that's the way to say it. I think it's changed my perspective on life as a female being, and that we should all fight for our rights to do, say or wear whatever we like without being stared at as if we were complete freaks for let's say wearing mini shorts or thigh-high stockings. Yoko also fought for the rights of homosexual people and she was completely against racism which I think was very caring and thoughtful of her, because that last subject isn't to be tolerated. Her songs are a true inspiration as well, I'm pretty sure that even someone who's not a fan of hers would be astonished by the lyrics (''Every Man Has A Woman Who Loves Him,Every Man Has A Man Who Loves Him, Every Woman Has A Woman Who Loves Her'', which are from a remake of her song ''Everyman.. everywoman''). She was an ace in everything she did- either in politics, music, art. She was a hippie type of woman in my eyes, and she was also a very free spirit. With her influence on me, that's exactly what I'm becoming- a free spirit.


    By the way, is that real fur in the 5th picture? Gasp! (I wish I could bring Yoko back to life if I could so we'd fight for animal rights and against fur garments. You could join us if you like, ha!)

    ReplyDelete
  9. This competition fills me with joy, Bebe! If people like you are talking feminism then it will help feminists lose the image of uptight and man-hating. A few of my friends call themselves feminists, but I haven't come across a young person who preaches it as openly as you do. I feel less alone now! We need more YOUNG people supporting gender equality.

    My feminist role model is Naomi Wolf. Her book The Beauty Myth was the first academic feminist work that I read. It really opened my eyes to the extensive reach of patriarchy and I was so sad to realise that I had internalised many patriarchal values. As Wolf says the beauty myth is a distraction for women, and by reading her work I've been able to consciously become aware of my personal impulses to fit this attractiveness image and not allow myself to be distracted by it. It has helped me to appreciate my body in its healthy, natural form and I haven't become another poor woman obediently dieting and starving herself in order to be 'attractive'. Without the stresses of living up to this very narrow form of beauty, I have been able to fully focus on furthering my education and have just completed a degree in journalism and gender studies. I will be doing my Masters next year and then I will find a job that I really care about and that I enjoy and that furthers the position of women! #positivity

    mda981@uowmail.edu.au and item 6
    Thanks Bebe!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Im Kristina..
    I like number 5
    magyarova.kristina@gmail.com
    and I adore Jessie J.. shes amazing person

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm Faith, I like number 2, and you can find me at auntfernsumbrella[@t]gmail[d.t]com

    My favorite feminist icon is Dana Scully. (Are fictional characters permissable?) She was intelligent, logical, and professional, and held her own as an equal in a male-dominated profession. Too many female characters are forced to be overly emotional and sexy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow. Cheetah Girls? That's one helluva throwback. But a good one at that. I'm definitely dying over cape/coat number 3.

    fefesluva@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. hi Bebe :)
    My name is Meg and im slightly melting over item '3'.
    my email address is meg.puddy@hotmail.com

    While at a glance she may seem pathetic- changing not only her physical appearance and values in order to accepted by a boy, ever since i was little i have always admired Ariel from the Little Mermaid. She was motivated and she strived to reach the goals which were provoked by her undying passion to have legs. She acknowledged the criticism of her friends and family, but continued her own way. She faced challenges and set backs but with perseverance eventually found love and legs. While the original tale of The little mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen finds a more tragic conclusion, I think the disney version was more appropriate for the 5-year-old version of myself. :)

    and also she has wicked red hair and empowers us gingers to embrace it haha

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi I'm Nancy but my friends like to call me Fancy!
    My email is NMAI2@yahoo.com

    Ever since I was little I've adored Oprah Winfrey! She embodies all that I respect in a person: somebody able to overcome their hardships and make the most of it. The fact that she was able to accomplish all these great things although she started in poverty really inspires me to do my best for my family since we're immigrants.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Bebe!I believe my mom would absolutely love Coat 6. My name is Ellen Kim, and my e-mail is: 13kime@gmail.com

    The one person that actually motivated me, influenced me, and helped me to truly strive for my goals and to overcome any challenge is, undoubtedly, my mom. My family and I live on the second floor of a small two-family house. My mom is a single mom, and for 28 years, she has worked until her bones ached, her hands sore, her hair white, her face filled with wrinkles, and until her smile (as Taylor Swift would say, "which could light up this whole town") disappeared. Instead, her eyes became filled with tears every night, and her head filled with worries because she no longer believed that she had the money to raise three of her daughters by herself. She had recently been laid off, her oldest daughter was unemployed, her second daughter was at college, and her third daughter was attending high school. Every day and night, she struggled to scrounge up whatever food she could find from the barely empty refrigerator and cabinets to put on the small kitchen table, and to provide money for her youngest daughter, who was at the stage where she wanted to go shopping, buy the most trendiest clothes, hang out with friends, and ultimately, spend money. Little did her daughters know that their mom had given up all dignity and pleaded to her friends and colleagues secretly to ask for a job, wrote to the government asking for financial help, looked at newspapers for jobs, and cried and prayed every night that she may raise her daughters to their finest and that God help her to overcome her challenges. Even during the hardest times, my mother, no matter how depressed or hopeless her situation seemed, hung onto the smallest thread of hope in her heart that maybe, just maybe, things will get better. To add to the situation, she got hit by a car (a hit-and-run) and is no longer able to use her right arm as fully as she used to be able to. Nonetheless, she tells me that she thanks God that she was not hurt very seriously and is still able to take care of her three daughters, the reason why she continues to work hard. Even without a husband or financial help from anyone, even without work, even without the full use of her right arm, even without the most expensive clothes or shoes, even without any thanks or the frequent show of affection from her daughters, my mother is THE strongest person in the world. She loves my sisters and I even when we have so many flaws. She is always thankful for her life and never, ever gives up. It will be Christmas soon, and for once I want to give my mom a beautiful coat and tell her how much I love her and that she is honestly the best mom anyone could ever ask for.

    I love you mom,
    Ellen

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. I like number 2 and My name is Perri McGregor. Email is grimtoothfairy@yahoo.com.

    My idol, my only idol has always been my sister. We had a rough childhood, constantly moving, no father, my mother was working most of the time and, but I my sister was always there. My earliest memory was of her; she’d stolen my sock while we were taking a family picture. As the youngest I was shielded by the realities of our situation, my sister took the brunt of it. She had always been a strong character, an individual who knew who she was and didn’t let other people’s perception of her stand in her way. When I started to read I tried to relate to characters in stories, but they were always boys; they were the ones that saved the day, fought battles, won people's hearts but most importantly they stood up, not for themselves, but for other people. Something that I was to frightened to do, how could I, a girl, be a hero of any story? My sister always proved me wrong, when I would get bullied on the bus she was there helping me. When we grew up things became difficult, I moved in with my father and she stayed with our mother. It was the worst moment in my life, the iron that held me steady throughout these years was taken away, or so I had thought. But a little piece of her kept inside of me, telling me to listen to myself, excel no matter what, and I did. However after we left, she made difficult decisions, becoming embroiled in a punk lifestyle, partying, drinking. Everyone in the family thought she’d keep going down this path, but I knew who she was. A brilliant, strong and independent woman.
    After leaving high school without graduating, the family still doubted her, and to be honest I wavered in my conviction. I loved her though, I would never doubt that. Now, without any help from our family she has a steady job, she’s is paying her way through college with the top scores in her class. I could have easily said Ann Rand, Jane Goodall, or any number of well known women. But it’s the women around you, that you can see make mistakes and grow from them that are really inspiring. I’ll never forget the bond we have as sisters. She is the person that I’ve known my whole life and I want to be her. Strong, independent, hardworking and a little crazy. She’s helped me realize that there are heroes in women, that we don’t have to live by society’s expectations of women. She taught me that even when things are oppressing us, and we’ve no help from others, we can still pursue our dreams.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Joan Jett..
    I love her music and her tuff girl rock style.
    she has always been a favorite of mine. She had a hard time getting where she is today but never gave up. and still rocks face ;)


    dollhousecreation(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. My female idol is my grandmother. I don't speak her language, and she seems to live what is worlds away from me, in a tiny village called Olenivka. She has lived in Ukraine her whole life. She is 86 and has Osteoporosis from the hard life she's lived and the two starvation periods she's endured during the war. She has atleast half a dozen medals and commendations for her role as a strong female survivor of the hardest time her country and it's people have ever faced. She was left with four children by an alcoholic. One of which is my mother, who grew up and made her way through college and eventually immigrated to Canada. I was born shortly afterwards. She is the only person who left that village and it wouldn't be so if my grandmother was not such an intelligent, inspiring person. My grandmother raised her children with all she had, and taught at the village middle school for 30 years. She worked, cooked, cleaned and provided for five people - with no man, a crumbling government and an aching heart. I have travelled to Ukraine to see her a couple times, and the village is heartbreaking. The government has completely forgotten about it's people and it is most visible there. Rarely running water, people grow their own food, and the road is barely recognizeable since it has not been paved in half a century. It is like turning back time to the 1900s rural living. Yet she is the happiest, most inspired and inspiring I have ever met. She has truly taught me that you do not need a male to fulfill yourself or your life.
    Women rule!

    Katharine K.
    Katharine.ak@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. fav item-no.2//
    name-khusbu gauchan
    email-khusbu_meh@hotmail.com
    my favourite women ido is oprah winfrey as she is the very powerful women who donates money for underprivelaged people and i love wht she is doing for the world

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  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. i like the 3rd one

    my idol would be dolldelight (cyril lumboy). she is a filipina self-taught and aspiring lolita designer. i love how she expresses her self through lolita fashion because here in our country if you wear something different than jeans/short and shirt/sleeveless people will look at you but she was not afraid to express her self. she makes her own dresses and now takes commissions.
    she inspires me and make me dream to be a designer too. Now, even though just a bit, I'm starting to create headpieces by hands and i'm now more comfortable to express myself :)

    minagawa_ryoma7@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hey, Doll :) I love the sixth one, it's just really special.
    My idol has to be my older sister ... at just 21 she's independent, happy, beaufitul, healthy, a very good cook, artistic(designes and makes jewelry), smart, loving, selfless and all-in-all just one of the best persons I've ever met in my life. and I love her :)
    iamrenke@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Urja Dave
    UrjaADave@gmail.com
    Item #1

    My idol is Lucille Ball. I grew up watching 'I Love Lucy.' She had spunk, she had wit and she just didn't care about what anyone else said. She stood up for herself against her husband and got into trouble with her best friend. She was a far cry from the stepford perfect 'Leave It To Beaver' mom. More importantly she was the first woman to have her own studio, which of course paved the way for Oprah and others. In 1940, she eloped with a Cuban bandleader, Desi! This was a point in history when interracial marriage wasn't even legal. She wasn't afraid to be herself and I truly believe young women watched her, internalized her beliefs and grew up to become powerful women.

    ReplyDelete
  25. My Idol is Keira Knightley. She was my fashion inspiration when I started blogging. She doesn't only has a great taste she also is a beautiful model and actress. She could already achieve things when she was 6 years old, and she kept holding on that she wanted to be an actress! And she became one. I always think of her when I want to give up with things. She truly is my inspiration and she shines in the coco mademoiselle advertisements!
    Stylish, talented, beautiful, now I hope she is very kind in real life and than she is perfect XD

    themadtwins@hotmail.com
    And the 3th one is beautiful Ö

    ReplyDelete
  26. chantal thomas
    fineballersangel@yahoo.com
    item 5

    my woman role model is Tyra Banks. She is a tall woman and i too am a tall individual. Im 5'11 and my whole life i have always been kind of embrassed of how tall i am and would always wear flats to try to make myself shorter. But Tyra Banks promotes girls to be yourslef and love every aspect of your body and own and be proud of yourslef and your appearance. And i love how confident she is and how she encourages females like me to find that same confidence she has. She has truly inspired me to not be ashamed of my height but to be proud of it and embrace it, and i love everything she stands for she is a great role model.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Name: jessica montague
    email: astrocoast@gmail.com
    item number 5 :)
    My feminist idol is Simone de Beauvoir. She was always overshadowed by her partner, Sartre, and I think she deserves more fans. In the late 40s she published The Second Sex, and this was groundbreaking at a time when women were relegated to the "weaker" household roles. First-wave feminism was dried out at this point, and Second Sex helped to start the Second-wave movement. Women (and men) of today can take inspiration from Beauvoir's hardworking, progressive attributes - she never married and never had kids, and she was also a bisexual. She definitely had weak points. She went after underage girls, something that I really dislike about her. I actually was hesitant about considering her my "feminist idol" because of this. At times, though, it is important to separate the art from the artist and there is no mistaking Beauvoir's skill in writing and the influence of her writing on feminism.

    ReplyDelete
  28. sabik0@seznam.cz
    I like NATALIA PORTMAN :))
    I am in love with number 2 :)))

    ReplyDelete
  29. hey bebe!
    there's no point in writing an essay here, i dont want to make you bored before i even start with the amount of text. but i feel like i need to stress out what feminism means to me. i wish with all my hear than one day women and men will be equal in every way, we will be paid as much as them for the sae job, we will not be discriminated in any way and so on, but i believe there are many differences between our genders and we need to respect them, even if it means that men are better at some things than us.
    my mom wrote a book on the subject of women and feminism so the topic is quite close to my heart :)
    you probably never heard of her, but my idol is a woman called Irena Sendlerowa. she was one of the bravest women on earth and she saved many jewish children during WWII (Im from Poland and she was living here). she is an example of a woman who did more for this world than any man in the army at that time. i wish if i ever had to, i will have the courage of hers.

    my name is cristina, kkubisa@gmail.com
    seems unimportant after my little exposee, but i adore no.3 ! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Honestly, I never really had someone I looked up too until now. The person who is now a role model, more than anything, is Annika M. She doesn't specify a last name so that's all I've got to work with. She is the writer of the blog: According To Annika.
    I think she is such a strong person. She has been through depression, anorexia and now, she just got diagnosed with cancer. I believe she'll be able to overcome it as she has in the past.
    She's my idol because she just stays so positive even when she's in the dumps; even when she's struggling through things I can't even imagine myself struggling through.
    She's an amazing writer, blogger and person in general.

    My name is Gillian and my email is gilliansmiles@hotmail.com
    Item 1;

    ReplyDelete
  31. Name: Nadine Gurtner
    E-Mail: nadine.gurtner@gmx.at

    My female idol is Coco Chanel, i'm sure she was mentioned before but i'm convinced that my love for her is even bigger :D
    Ever since i can think i wanted to be a fashion designer so my obsession with Coco comes from that aswell but i also love her for being the first woman that was successful in fashion industry and that she didn't give a shit that men told her to wear giant hats and corsets, she just got on her feet and built up her own business
    she just did what she wanted and thats what emancipation and girl power is about
    too bad ill never be able to talk to her that would be really fascinating, id love to know what she says about how much woman achieved since then
    WHO RUN THE WORLD, GIRLS!
    hugs,
    nadine

    http://justrottencandies.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  32. Item 3
    theyhadmecrystalised@hotmail.com


    I'd have to say that my female idol is definitely Audrey Hepburn. It may not seem liek the most original choice, but I'd always been fond of the style that was the norm in her epoch. But as I grew older, I watched many of the movies she starred in and I loved the way she'd always seemed poised. She managed to look classy throughout her entire career and is now considered one of the mot famous female idols of our time along with Marilyn Monroe. I can never get over her beauty and ho she continuously remained perfectly composed while remaining mysteriously attractive. Her simple black dress, her signature updo and customary pearls from Breakfast At Tiffany's will forever remain my favorite .

    ReplyDelete
  33. #4 sweetseventeen@tut.by
    My icon is Marilyn Monroe. Yeah, I know this name is famous and so many people could say their icon is MM too. But I changed my mind about her after reading her real biography and I realized how strong woman she was.
    She always has a dream to be a movie star, to be an actress. And she was an actress since she was a child changing so many families and pretenting to like them. But our life is always about black and white. When something was given to you that something will take away from you. Its all about the balance. And the price of the MM dream was never to be herself. Its hard. Its really hard to play the same silly role everyday. Its hard to play sexy chicks with boobs in movies after that come home and read the russian literature. Well, for me she is icon for her force and kindess, for her beauty inside and for her fighting for the dream. She is icon for her work with herrself because we never could be perfect. She is icon because she changed my mind how grey could be gold Hollywood....

    ReplyDelete
  34. Ally
    perpetualvelocity@gmail.com
    item #5 (sorry i know i'm horrible!)

    I don't know if 'idol' is the right word but i've always admired Hatshepsut from ancient Egypt. She was one of the very seldom female rulers in history in a highly patriarchal segment of time. Her reign was prosperous, peaceful, and long due to cunning political tactics. I think it's just so amazing that way back then there was a woman ruling a an enormous, innovative, and influential part of the world and doing it great.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I'm Claudia :)
    enyou4ever[at]yahoo.it
    I love so much item #6!

    When I read that you were asking us to talk about our female idol, the first name that came in my mind was Twiggy. She's beautiful, and I look up to her because she represented such a big change in the standard idea of beauty, back then in the sixties. At the time the standard of beauty were women with an hourglass figure, with bold curves and a really seductive and feminine look. Twiggy was, as her nickname says, really thin, nearly flat-chested, and as this wasn't enough, had short, boysh hair. Nevertheless, she looked beautiful in her unique way, and had a great impact on fashion at that time. I think it's really great how she made people realize there's not such thing as only one kind of beauty, because beauty lays also in how people can be different and unique.
    Also, I'm a really thin girl too, with nearly no curves at all, and sometimes I find myself not enough feminine or attractive, but figures like Twiggy help me understand how being a girl doesn't just mean big boobs and long lashes, but it's also a matter of style. It's how you behave, it's how you dress and how you act, that makes you feminine and sexy, not just curves.

    (Btw, sorry if I made some mistakes, I'm italian!)

    ReplyDelete
  36. cindydarosa@hotmail.com
    number 4

    The female personality that inspires me is Nicole Richie, cause she's got this gipsy+rock style and I these are my two favorites kind of looks.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Larissa - Lunessence5000@gmail.com They are all adorable but #4 is my favorite.
    Let me first just say, that you are my favorite blogger of all time. I love that you have so much personality and you are not afraid to show it. You are defiantly one of my female idols. I thank you for this opportunity to win these prizes! :)
    My favorite female role model is Stephanie Germanotta, or otherwise known as Lady GaGa. Call me weird, call her weird, but she empowers me. She started out as a normal girl with a big dream. She was always bullied for being herself. But she never gave up. She worked hard to get where she is and deserves every second of her fame. She inspires me to never be afraid of who I am. Everyone is insecure about something, but we need to overcome that and not be afraid to be who we truly are and what we really feel. Everyone thinks she dresses the way she does, and acts the way she does because she wants the attention. Although I’m sure she enjoys the attention, she does what she does because she enjoys it. She wants her fans to be able to “feel the freak in her” and have a role model to turn to when they feel insecure. And that’s exactly what I do. I know that no matter what I do, I can always look to her and her fearless personality to help me get through whatever it is I am having trouble with. I am a small-town girl with big dreams and thanks to her I will never give up on them. I have learned from her that the people in this world will do anything to tear you down. But the question is: Do you have enough strength to get back up?
    As different people with different perspectives on life, we all may have different answers to this question. However, mine is simple. Thanks to Lady GaGa and all the amazing people in my life, I will always have the strength to stand up again.

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  38. I like #2
    Registered at romwe.com
    My female idol is Audrey Hepburn

    anna_k67 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi my name is Juliane! My favorite item is the number one.
    My email: julianeharumiito@gmail.com
    My female idol is Scarlett O'hara from the book "Gone With the Wind". I know she's not real at all, but I admire her because she is a strong woman and never give up even when things aren't that good. She is smart and hard-working. I'm sorry English is nor my 1st language, so yeah, I could write an essay about Scarlett but I don't know how...

    ReplyDelete
  40. My female icon is Angelina Jolie.
    Not only is she a successful actress, she has sex appeal and a lovely family. She has gained respect through doing charitable work as the Goodwill ambassador of UMHCR.
    To me Angelina has brought together all aspects of empowerment.

    I like coat 6 because it looks like something Angelina would wear =p
    chinablur[at]
    hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Name: Karolina
    email: karolina.w01@web.de
    wanted item: 1

    Well, if asked which woman inspired me the most, I would have to name 2. First is the activist and campaigners field: the women rights campaigner Lubna Hussein, and in the fashion and art field it would be obviously the fabulous Stefani Germanotta.
    Why I chose Lubna Hussein? Well, after being arrested for the crime of wearing trousers in Sudan, she was not scared to fight for her rights. Even though she was horrible beaten in a police-car, it didn't terrify her to stop speaking about women's rights. I think that it is really cruel and frightening how they still forbid women do things that show their liberty, banal things like wearing pants! Mrs Hussein motivates me to help women in Islamic regions where they are restricted from their rights, that other activists have achieved in other countries. I hope, that in my future I could contribute something into the improvement of the women's rights.
    Going over to another inspirational woman, particularly Stefani Germanotta. There are so much wonderful things about her, that count for me as inspirational. First it is her music. She has so much passion and dedication to music, that it is really easy to understand her intention and feelings behind the lyrics and the melody. Some people see her as a object, who acts revealing in her music videos but they don't see her purpose.
    Mainly I adore her for getting involed in the gay rights and sees herself as the voice of outsiders. She was the reason why the USA removed the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy, which bars gay people from armed forces. She is the reason why peolpe find safety and believe in theirselves.
    There is also her distinctiveness in style. She doesn't care what peolpe say about her, which gives all the peolpe who feel like outsiders hope and believe. Obviously many peolpe find her strange and don't understand her, but if Stefani hadn't made this step and had worn the same clothes as her colleagues, we wouldn't have known that someone can wear meat on the body or hundreds of frogs. This grotesque, surreal and unsetting style made her become a style icon, which will be always remembered and I think the peolpe should consider it from anothe rpoint of view than staying superficial and judge a person after her outward appearance. That is power and bravery for me. That is the reason why I appreciate these two amazing, but very different women, which both fight in a certain way for fashion and freedom.

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  42. My favorite is 4! And my female idol is Jane Goodall. I admire her bravery and all the work she has done. allthingsgo at gmail.com

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  43. liany
    liany.mateo@yahoo.com
    i adore Emma Goldman! a female anarchist and a huge role in first wave feminism! she is so intellectual with her words and her love of the arts just motivated me!(not to mention her love of sewing and killer blouses!) i would love having #4 in my closet!

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  44. Name: Lauren
    email: lauren.chan29@gmail.com
    I love the look of item #2

    When reflecting upon the questions presented... Who empowers you? Who inspires you to transcend gender roles and conquer patriarchy?
    artist, Cindy Sherman resonates in my mind.

    I myself struggle with media pressures to conform to a 'standard' of beauty. I also loose myself in thoughts of where I "fit in" on a scale of traditional 'success' in a westernized/monetary value based society.

    As a struggling artist trying to find direction, for me, Cindy's work has shed light on the value of self expression & crossing boundaries. Her confrontational photographs depicting women as stereotypical over sexualized "fantasy objects" force viewers to rethink the ingrained connections we form between gender/sex/'beauty'/fame and fortune in media. Through her art, she is able to shatter boundaries of the sexual propoganda thrust upon women, something we are confronted with on a daily basis. By forcing viewers to re-evlauate the very nature of 'beauty', Cindy twists the point of view from voyerism and eroticism to a new level. I enjoy the indulgent nature of self reflection she creates through her photographs, & the fearlessness of taking on such subject matter ahead of her time during the sexual revolution.

    I have come to realise that I myseld have the ability to inflict change & can educate a whole new generation through my art. I can take a simple message or a weighted topic of oppression/inequality and create social awareness. Like many others, I feel as though I'm fighting multiple battles each day just to be heard. Cindy Sherman is my inspiration to conquer these universal issues of self worth in an unbalanced world.

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  45. Name : Maxine.
    Mail : flying_pink_panther@hotmail.fr
    I really like the item #4.

    My feminine icon is Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter's story.
    She's unique on her own way. She's very clever, cultivated, and know (or imagine) things no one ever know.
    Also, the interpreter, Evanna Lynch has suffer of anorexia and fight to help persons who suffers of this disease. And I think accepting yourself and your body is really important for being happy.
    So, Luna is my favorite feminine icon, because her attitude didn't suppose you need men for your happiness.

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  46. Sonal Patel
    joydivision1190@aol.com

    I LOVE BELL HOOKS! I just read about her in my Women and Politics class and she truly explained how the term feminism should not be limited to just gaining rights to men but ending ALL oppression. She recognized racial differences in women status and I feel like she was one of the few who understood that it was too ideal to simply acquire equal rights. Her ideals reflected Sojourner Truth's, who is also another very empowering women. I feel like since you already stated Bell Hooks as a favorite idol, my second idol and a women who inspires me is Somaly Mam. She was a victim of human trafficking and she managed to escape her terrible situation after so many years of torture and now runs a foundation to help victims. Sure it's not necessarily a person who stomps on patriarchy but that does not make her any less of an idol. She truly empowers me because she makes me realize anything is possible and to never give up. It may sound like a total cliche but it really is the bare truth. She was overpowered by the patriarch in cambodia and still managed to escape and help other women that fell victim to such a tragedy. I really think if you googled or wikipedia'd her you would understand why she is such a good role model!

    btw LOVE YOUR BLOG! and of course music!

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