What is Feminine Power
If you watched Meryl Streep’s take on legendary Vogue editor Anna Wintour in “The Devil Wears Prada,” you’ll remember the scene where her character Amanda Priestly schools the naïve Andy (played by Ann Hathaway) on the value of fashion.Andy makes the mistake of giggling when Miranda can’t decide between two seemingly identical belts. The powerful editor says, “You go to your closet and you select that lumpy, loose sweater because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back, but what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue. It’s not turquoise. It’s not lapis. It’s actually cerulean.“
She continues: “You’re blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns, and cerulean quickly shot up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through department stores, and then trickled on down onto some tragic Casual Corner where you no doubt fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs. in fact, you’re wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room.
Boom. A painful lesson, but Andy goes on, not only to succeed at her job, but to move on to serious journalism with the assurance and maturity she gained from her internship with an icon of feminine power.
Women wield power in many ways: politics, science, education, the workplace and the home. Remember Norma Rae? Sally Field plays a poor southern textile worker in this 1979 Oscar- winning movie about abused workers trying to unionize. The climactic moment comes when Norma Rae stands on a table holding up a union sign, compelling her co-workers to turn off their machines, one by one, in a dramatic gesture of unity.
Feminine power is not a station in life: your job or the power you wield in your community, church or even on the national stage. It finds expression in how astutely you recognize what is unique about you, and how effectively you use your gifts. It’s expressed through your voice, your body language, how you speak, set your boundaries, how you dress and your conduct
La Jolie MLN
I launched La Jolie MLN to give women a place to do what they love most — find a style that expresses your individual feminine power, whether in the workplace or in everyday life.
Hand-picked fashion items that will help you mix and match for just the right statement and for any occasion.
We’ll share stories from the front. You’ll get to hear from women in top positions throughout corporate America, entrepreneurs who launched start-ups and those sitting in power positions in the world of finance, community volunteering and in the home. The MLN in our name are the initials of my three young daughters. It’s my mission to give them the lessons all of you can share with us.
So, let’s share our experiences, strength and stories. I cordially invite you to join a cohort of empowered women. We want to hear your voice by e-mailing us blog@lajolie-mln.com. We will pick a story of the month and author will receive $100 Gift Certificate from our boutique.
La Jolie MLN gives back
As a little girl, I would be asked what I want to be when I grow up. I would confidently reply, I want to be a clothing designer and a respected leader. Fast forward 30 years, after working in the corporate world, traveling, getting married and having children, the aspirations of my youth inspire me today. I want to create clothes that make women feel both feminine and powerful, beautiful and strong, sophisticated and elevated. It takes a moment to make a first impression. Dressing well sets the tone, so one can own that moment.
It is important to La Jolie MLN to give back to the community, to women who don’t have the same opportunity as others. And, for that reason, 10% of every purchase will go toward our goal to donate 100 dresses to Dress for Success, a non-for-profit organization that supports underprivileged women to achieve economic independence by providing various services - one of them professional attire for interviews and new employment. For more information about “Dress for Success” please visit their website at dressforsuccess.org.
Written by: Daisy Malek-Shadid and La Jolie MLN’s Team