For Immediate Release:
Dateline: New York,
NY
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
IInternational Women’s Day, celebrated annually on 8 March, represents over a century of action to promote equality for women. This hugely important movement is an opportunity to recognise the incredible progress in women’s empowerment and equity globally – and it calls for continued positive change. It is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. A message that calls for an equity approach to women’s empowerment because ‘equal opportunities are no longer enough’. While equality means giving individuals or groups the same resources or opportunities, equity acknowledges that unique circumstances will mean that allocating different resources and opportunities is necessary to achieving an equal outcome. We asked those within our Butterfly Mark Community what International Women’s Day means to them/ their brand, how they embrace equity and what they are most proud of achieving in relation to IWD.
STEPHEN WEBSTER
Kate Jarvis, Managing Director What does International Women’s Day mean to you/ your brand? As a brand that exists to empower women, our collection ‘The Rebelles’ spotlights extraordinary women from very different walks of life, who have endured to accomplish great things. It is a true celebration of women but also an important reminder of the continued pursuit for equity. Personally, I am incredibly proud of the talented female leaders at Stephen Webster who head up design, sales, marketing and pperations. They contribute hugely to our culture of nurture and development. For example, Kellie, our Head of Operations, acts as Wellness Officer, utilising her psychotherapy training to provide support to the wider team. Also, many of the Stephen Webster team are parents and I understand the struggle to manage the combined demands of parenting and work. If we want women to remain and excel in the workplace, we have to ensure there is flexibility and support to do so.   BAV TAiLOR
Bav Tailor, Founder & Creative Director What does International Women’s Day mean to you/your brand? A celebration of Divine Femininity. How are you embracing equity personally or as a brand? Women are voices. Women are courage. Women nurture creativity. A dedication to all the Women that have supported and fuelled my energy to build my holistic metasphere. Is there anything in particular you are most proud of achieving in relation to IWD? Women in unity instead of competing power. IVAR
Ritika Ravi Appaswamy, Founder and Designer What does International Women’s Day mean to you/your brand? I think International Women’s Day is a great way for me to celebrate all the amazing women in my life. Women have consistently been a source of support and strength to me. While I hope I show them their value every day, on this Women’s Day I choose to celebrate the women at Ivar, who work with me across the world, at home and always, always my mother who gave me her love for jewellery and who inspires me to keep creating. How are you embracing equity personally or as a brand? Ivar is a brand founded by a woman, led by women and managed by women. I was fortunate to receive every opportunity to study, work and travel and I hope to be able to give back to women and children around the world.   CULT MIA
Nina Briance, Founder What does International Women’s Day mean to you/your brand? From my perspective as the CEO of Cult Mia specifically, when I look ahead at my career trajectory and that of the business, I know that only 8.8% of Fortune 500 companies’ CEOs are women, and I also know that there is still a huge disparity in the funding received by female founders vs male founded businesses. There’s still work to be done to even out the gaps. On the positive side, I can say that I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support that I have received via dedicated female founder groups and support networks. The power of women supporting women is growing, and for me, IWD should be a celebration of this, and serve as a reminder to all women that supporting each other makes a difference, and will have positive knock on effects as we work to improve on the imbalances we see as a broader community and society. How are you embracing equity personally or as a brand? One of our four core values is Cult Power, where Cult Mia is committed to constantly promoting and supporting women-owned businesses – 75% of the brands on our platform today are women and/ or minority-owned. We are proud to be the platform for growth for minority-led fashion labels and provide support every step of the way, from digital marketing, logistics to accounting. We equally want to ensure that as a platform and through our brands, we remind women of their sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others. Many of our brands do just that and are a constant reminder of how much we can achieve. Is there anything in particular you are most proud of achieving in relation to IWD? As a female founder, leading our growing team of 10, made up entirely of women! SMILING ROCKS
Ms Kish, Global Brand Director What does International Women’s Day mean to you/ your brand? For Smiling Rocks, we are proud of the achievement and the new heights women are bringing in their field of work or life. Women’s strength, confidence and aura is a part of the brand as jewellery has always been a part of their lives. Either it is a special gift to them or they have bought for themselves, each piece has become a part of their story. In Smiling Rocks, we want to embrace these feelings of power and confidence in our wide range of styles and collections. How are you embracing equity personally or as a brand? Today, we are very proud to say that we have an equal number of women working in our company as men. Women are taking up leading roles in our business and are excelling tremendously in their departments. Our Co-founders are embracing the strength of women and are giving them equal opportunity of growth in the company. Is there anything in particular you are most proud of achieving in relation to IWD? Every year, we celebrate the women in our company and in our industry. Last year, we invited successful women in their own field to share the success and their viewpoint on womanhood on our podcast, Talks To Tell. We invited Reena Alhuwalia (Artist, professor and NFT artist), Prachi Shevgaonkar (the founder of Cool the Globe & a very inspiring environmentalist) etc. This year, we are celebrating the work our women colleagues are doing daily and the hard work they are putting behind the brand and the company.   SEABODY What does International Women’s Day mean to you and your brand? SEABODY is a female founded and led luxury skincare and supplement brand. This annual celebration of women reminds us to reflect on the work we are doing as women within the luxury industry and the advances that have been made year on year in the pursuit of equality for all. How are you embracing equity personally or as a brand? When we embrace equity, we embrace inclusion and a diverse level playing field. By embracing equity we work towards success for all in an equal environment. In SEABODY we encourage each individual to embrace equity. Is there anything in particular you are most proud of achieving in relation to IWD? On International Women’s Day and for the month of March each year we, at SEABODY, highlight women within our community who are working towards a more sustainable future for us all. These women work in areas such as communications, consultancy, fashion and retail and are advocating for more sustainable living. We share their profiles and celebrate their achievements. This can be seen on our Instagram page @_SEABODY CANDACRAIG At Candacraig we have a heavy female presence in the team! We are very proud to have a female led team with three of the ladies living only a few minutes from Candacraig. Candacraig is located in an extremely rural area of Aberdeenshire. Lynne Lino – the owner – has always considered employing local staff a top priority. When it comes to women, this often means having a flexible approach and allow women to work around their childcare and family arrangements so that they can maintain a healthy work/life balance. However what we are most proud of is the teamwork and collaboration that goes on between men and women in our team. Running a house and offering first class service requires the strengths and abilities of both men and women. We also work with some fantastic external contractors, many of them are female. Valuing each member of our team for their contribution to our success and their individual talent is what allows us to deliver a great experience to all our guests. 
About Positive Luxury
Since 2011 Positive Luxury has been accelerating organizations' adaptation to the new climate economy, keeping clients ahead of cultural and economic shifts. The company's unique four-part methodology is the only ESG assessment and certification program designed specifically for the luxury industry and incorporates a particular focus on innovation. Visit: www.positiveluxury.com and follow @Positiveluxury
Rejecting the traditional model rating past performance, Positive Luxury provides clients with precise gap analysis and the ability to identify and address current and future sustainability risks and diagnostics. In addition, the Connected Butterfly Mark communication tool also helps them leverage areas of strength and opportunities for competitive advantage.
Companies that meet Positive Luxury's exacting standards for certification are approved for the Butterfly Mark, a globally respected trust mark, independently verified, signaling that companies meet the highest standard of sustainability best practice across ESG+: environmental, social, governance and innovation. With a growing community of nearly 200 luxury companies, Positive Luxury has created a community of brands, retailers, and suppliers taking tangible action – measuring, managing, and reporting their ESG impact.
Diana Verde Nieto, Co-founder, and Co-CEO of Positive Luxury
Diana Verde Nieto is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Positive Luxury, a pioneer in ESG, and a globally recognized figure in sustainability. Diana holds a degree in Global Leadership & Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, was trained by Former USA Vice President Al Gore at the Alliance of Climate Protection and was subsequently honored by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. In addition, Diana sits on various boards, including BA&SH and Grass Roots Soccer, an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth in developing countries.
"Consumers, employees, and the investment community demand transparency and accountability from brands, and our new Connected Butterfly Mark answer to that. From a single source of truth, people can easily access an unparalleled depth of verified ESG+ verified performance data, including a brand's sustainability journey, clearly stating their actions and ambition. This level of disclosure raises the bar for Luxury and beyond." Diana Verde Nieto, Co-Founder, and Co-CEO of Positive Luxury
Amy Nelson-Bennett, Co-CEO
Amy Nelson-Bennett brings 25 years of global experience across business transformation, brand and commercial strategy, and digital commerce and communications gained across media, retail, and luxury goods. Most recently, she led the successful turnaround of Molton Brown as CEO & President and joined the PE-backed Clive Christian Group to modernize the brand and operations and deliver rapid growth. Amy is responsible for the strategic direction of Positive Luxury, brand and commercial strategy, and day-to-day business operations. By championing a new definition of Luxury that aligns with the core principle of Luxury and sustainability, she aims to accelerate the actions of the Luxury industry and the collective positive impact it can make on nature and society.
"Our unique four-part methodology – assessment, certification, trust-building, and future-proofing – ensures every luxury business can continuously improve its ESG performance, realize ROI and optimize sustainability as a driver of corporate value. In addition, the Connected Butterfly Mark certification sets a new public disclosure standard for certified companies and the unique value Positive Luxury provides to luxury brands, retailers, and suppliers." – Amy Nelson-Bennett, Co-CEO of Positive Luxury.
For more information, please contact: Amore Philip | Apples & Oranges Public Relations | 929-229-5512 | Admin@aoprllc.com
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