Celebrating The Key Women in my Life on International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day helps us to look at women and their position in the world on a global scale, but today I wanted to celebrate some ladies in my life who have been key to me in my little old life, whether or not they know it. Of course it’s the small connections and encouragements that have led to me feeling the way I feel about myself, but also reaching for career goals that I never thought possible. When I look over my career, I can see a sort of collage of people and events that led to where I am today. Here are some of the inspiring women who helped me get there.

1) My fellow new faces at Select

I know that’s not one specific woman, but there were loads of models at Select who really influenced me. There was level-headed Louise Adkins (pictured), who was so above any of the fashiony bullsh*t surrounding her. Steph Boote, who was always taking a wry, dry glance at the drama of agency life. Agyness Deyn (before she was famous), who sauntered around to castings in DMs and a chunky-knit, second hand jumper when the rest of us were being told to wear a wrap dress with slingbacks. Jenny Meister, who had an infectious love for her job. Sweet Lauren Rippingham, soft Kate Bibb, stunning curly-haired Talia and grown-up Kate Mahoney…though many of these women won’t be on your radar, they were on mine. I felt like this hyper, awkward, insecure teenager and I learned so much from the different ways these models conducted themselves and pushed their careers, fearlessly (it seemed) travelling and trying their luck in different cities.

2) Namalee Bolle

Namalee was an assistant stylist, who I met on a shoot where I was being a body double for a Spanish mobile phone advert. Not the finest moment in either of our careers: Namalee was an assistant and had to stuff three chicken fillets per bra cup, and I had to dance on a unicycle with no pedals (ouch). However it turned out that Nam had a different life as a flamboyant stylist, all about colour and maximalism and optimism in the dour world of black, simple, ‘chic’ fashion.

Follow Namalee on Instagram

I changed the way I dressed when I got to know Namalee, being inspired to go wild with colour (and spandex) and experiment with my clothes. However it wasn’t this but Namalee’s belief in me as a model, likening me to the supers throughout the ages, that gave me a lot of confidence in myself at a time that I felt like I’d transitioned from ‘exciting new face’ to MOR commercial model who suddenly had hips. At a time that I felt the least beautiful and most dull that I had ever in my life, Namalee got me sparkling again. Also, Nam also got me writing my first ever column for her mag, Super Super, and has always believed in my writing.

3) All the ladies at Fluorescent PR

I had wanted to start a blog for AGES, but I simply didn’t have the get up and go. I was a bit shy and scared, especially because I’m not very computer literate. Laura, who I’ve known for yonks, said to me one day, “Start a blog and I’ll have work for you.” Knowing this made me finally start, and I often joke that Fluorescent PR pay my mortgage – seriously – they build up so many women.

4) Bethany Rich

Beth’s a make up artist who I’ve known for…Seven years? I just feel SO built up and beautiful and full of love and energy when she does my make up and hair. There are loads and loads of special MUAs out there but I genuinely feel that I sparkle when I’m with Beth.

5) Amanda Bell 

Amanda is not just a make up artist. She is not just head make up artist at Pixi, for whom I have worked in one capacity or another with for 7/8 years now. Amanda is a facilitator. She likes making connections on behalf of other people with no discernible gain for herself. She’ll make introductions, starting each one with an ego-boosting speech about the huge achievements they make, making you feel like a puffed up peacock. She sees talent in students and gets them jobs and internships. It’s for no other reason than…She’s really bloody nice.

Amanda supports me whenever she can, and in this industry, loyalty is a super precious thing.

6) Tessa Maye and Lazara Storm

The ladies I met on my Very commercial. We bonded in seconds at the (very strange) casting, which was more like a sped-up version of The X Factor. Very, very often you’ll find that you bond outrageously with fellow models and team mates on shoots and trips, but that this never every lasts beyond a few half-hearted messages of ‘we must meet up.’ Not so these two, they have become real friends who I turn to when I need advice or support. They’re both very driven and strong in themselves, and even though I’m older than them, I find myself inspired by their ways of being and working in the same way those fellow Select new faces did all those years ago. By the way, we really must meet up soon…

7) Sophie Thomas

It’s a funny thing, age: as you get older, you’re meant to get more imperious and dismissive of the younger generation as you gain wisdom and power. Not so me. I can bond with people at any age, because if they are valuable to you then that shouldn’t matter.

Sophie’s a decade younger than me: she’s a very energetic, healthy, positive, wise and curious cat and I feel energised when I’m with her, so why wouldn’t I go to her for advice and support? The age thing really amuses me – people really limit themselves.

8) Sarah Mac

Sarah and I have a lot of similarities: we were both left out at school, so we have a bit of an eager-to-please mentality, we were both high achieving so we have a certain neurotic drive to do things perfectly and we both take doing our best at work very seriously. Sarah has been a successful commercial model for years, and is now creative director at M Life yoga, who I’ve worked with for years. For me, it’s the fact that when I am with Sarah, I feel like we are one and the same. Like I’m with someone who gets what it’s like to be me, in my head and my body. Also, she has supported me with regular work (every model’s dream) with M Life as well as constantly championing my writing, on top of being a role model to me as a model who’s still got a toe in the water but a great, fulfilling, challenging job outside of the industry.

She truly is a powerhouse of creativity and industriousness and feels it’s super important to build up her female friends. I’m lucky to know her.

9) Ruth Crilly

Ruth is now a superstar blogger at amodelrecommends.com, and inspires me with her insane work ethic and incredible achievements. But actually, she was on a programme YONKS ago called This Model Life, which aired about a year before I was scouted. Ruth was so blasé, not in a bad way but she just clearly wasn’t having a true ‘Cinderella moment’ and wasn’t hiding that because, as the show illustrated, there was tonnes of crap, boredom and unpredictability associated with the job. It gave me a more realistic view on modelling as a career and Ruth’s manner on the show came across as cool and fearless, which I always found influential.

10) Mum

Who came with me to my first castings? Who sat around shivering on shoots while I tried to ignore her and be cool in front of clients? Who came to agencies to be wined and dined and cajoled into trusting them with her daughter? Who paid for my endless travel tickets? Who gave me lifts from school to train stations so I could get to castings? Who told me never to shoot nude and transparent cos I’d regret it? Who let me take chances and travel around on my own, despite her fears of my safety/poor orienteering skills, because I wanted to strike out on my own? Who ferried me to and from Morden station ENDLESSLY for castings? Who still cheerleads me daily? Who still gets swept up and crashed down by exciting yet ultimately doomed first options? Who tells me I look gorgeous even when I had acne, hacking coughs, insomnia, weight insecurities? Who is still as proud of every tiny shoot as she was when I was sweet 16?

Mum.

Happy International Women’s Day

Rebecca x