One of the main things we truely value here at iamibu is our community and the amazing, inspiring women who have supported us and celebrated us through this incredible journey so far. The name iamibu, means 'I am mother' and today we would like to acknowledge that we as women are all nurturers. We hold a space for all women and what we are building here is a reflection of the people around us who support and carry us. In honour of International Women's Day, we wanted to shine a light on the women who bring meaning and inspiration to our world.
"The ambition of the brand has always been to create and nurture community while supporting the journey of women no matter the stage of life they are at. I share a great affinity with these women from my personal community as they own their passions and truely understand the value of looking after one another and their communities."
JESSE ARIFIEN | Founder, iamibu
"For me, my identity was always about being the busy person. Everybody would praise me and talk about how amazing it was that I was so busy with my career. And when I paused to take a break and have a baby, it was almost seen as I was stepping away from it and it wasn't valued as much as being that busy person in society. But in my opinion, it's the greatest, most fulfilling, most purpose-filled job I've ever done. As a society we need to value our mothers, praise them and mother our mothers."
RENEE BARGH | Emmy Award Winning TV Host
"I think a lot of women are feeling the pain in the world at the moment. For me the most important thing to remember and what I have been really focusing on in regard to that, is action. Action is the antidote to despair. What can really empower us as women, is to act and to act together. I feel like when women are in empathy overdrive it can go either way. You can either be in perpetual worry or you can be a really good example for future generations and show how you can use your skills, knowledge, community and influence to make the world a better place and contribute. When we come together we can do great things."
ELLIE WATERHOUSE | Curator & Arts Educator
"It's so important to celebrate other women's success because it really paves the way for other women and younger women to see what is possible in the world. I believe behind every successful woman there are so many women that have helped her reach that place. And as women we are natural collaborators and we build community and I really think it's important that we cultivate that in our society."
LAURA MAY GIBBS | Founder, Nagnata
"As a woman I think it's so important to celebrate one another and unite together because we are so much better when we're together. I'm so done with any idea of any competition between women. We really rise when we are together and I think of us as this mycelium network that weaves through the soil of life and when we can really make that strong we can make such beautiful things grow."
NINA KARNIKOWSKI | Author
"I feel inspired when I see other women around me succeed and achieve great things. Only when we thrive on an individual level can we thrive on a collective level as well. United we can become an unstoppable force. We all have such unique gifts to share with the world. Celebrating and uplifting each other is acknowledging these gifts and creating a ripple effect of empowerment."
NATHALIE SOLIS PEREZ | Holistic Doula & Parent Coach
"For so long we were brought up to feel that women are in competition but growing up, the women in my life have been the most inspiring humans and they're the ones who have saved me from darker times. We should be looking to each other for inspiration because the women in my life are strong yet vulnerable, beautiful beings and I am so lucky to have them in my life. I want more of them. Now is a good time to start looking at each other like sisters."
CANDICE SEPTEMBER | Make Up Artist
"Celebrating the success of other women is foundational to fostering your community of support, empowerment and inspiration. Celebrating each others success is not just about the individual, but about raising the collective voice and visibility of women everywhere."
SAHAR ZADAH | Founder, The Muse Co
"Being a mum can be completely encompassing and at moments it's easy to lose yourself in being a mum. But then you have these moments, moments of remembering the girl you were before you had children, the woman you've become since having kids, the woman that you've always been and the woman you continue to become. The moments started out small and they continue to come through every day, but one of my biggest realisations is that I, we women, are incredible and capable of such magic. We love our families endlessly and give so selflessly but at the end of the day still have the capacity to work, run businesses, run the households whilst continuing to grow within ourselves. The world should be run by women and hopefully we're on our way."
DARSAN OCONNOR | Hair Stylist
"I have two daughters and twelve nieces. There is nothing like looking at the little women in my life to inspire me to live in my feminine power and surround myself with other incredible women, to make sure that the world is a much fairer place for the next generation. I want to show them what it is to live life in a big-hearted way, gentle but fierce. It makes me so emotional thinking about how the strong influence and love of my precious daughters, nieces, friends, sisters, aunties, mother in law and mum have been in my life. They’re the kindest, coolest, strongest, smartest, most-creative, and kick-ass women on the planet, and they're changing the world."
GEORGIE MEAGHER | Interior Stylist
