In celebration of International Women’s Day, we speak to 3 strong, beautiful women on what the 2022 theme of "Break the Bias" means to them. Read more about their personal style, breaking bias mindsets, unlocking self-limiting beliefs and their hopes for the future in our blogpost. 

At Oleah, we believe that the empowered woman empower others. As a collective community, we can work towards a more inclusive world by sharing our thoughts and inspiring others to make a change. Every woman has a voice and every woman has a story.

 

Meet Chandani

Chandani relocated from India to Singapore in 2017. Her motivation, perseverance and grit to do better for herself and her family is really admirable. Always ready with colourful story to share, this ever-stylish community sales manager is not afraid to make bold choices in life and in fashion.

Chandani is wearing the Eden

 

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

I would describe my style as strong yet playful. Working in Spaces with many different, sometimes challenging clients, i think it's important for me to feel empowered and strong to tackle difficulties. I like changing things up from day to day and i think my personal style has evolved over time as i myself have grown. I don't mind being different from everyone else because I enjoy standing out from people.

Q: Growing up as a girl in a traditional Indian society, did you experience any gender stereotypes? How has that experience influenced your mindset and who you are today?

Growing up female in a rural village in India, I faced a certain set of expectations - as a child, to help my mother with the household work and later on to marry and produce children (preferably sons) for my new family.

Education for a girl in this worldview was seen as wasteful - what use would it be to read or do sums in housework? - and my father faced ridicule for keeping me in school beyond the age of 12, at my insistence. I had seen what became of my grandmother, my mother, my aunts, and i was determined not to follow the same path. I saw education as a way to break stereotypes and tradition and I was proud of myself when I became the first female in my family to graduate college.

 

rainbow shoes, pastel heels, pink pants and pastel heels, oleah shoes

Q: What is one gender stereotype you wish were broken?

As a woman, I would like if every woman who dreams of a career should have the chance to pursue it and receive the support she deserves from her family and community. There are still many women all over the world who are forced to stay home and look after the household and kids and are denied the chance at a successful career. I think they should have the choice to make that decision on their own and should be encouraged to pursue their dreams instead of being forced to give them up.

 

Meet Karyn

IG:@iamnotagirl

In addition to working full-time, this multi-talented woman is a singer-songwriter, events emcee, part-time radio DJ, mermaid and now, add actor to that list too. Her bubbly and vivacious personality instantly lights up any room. 

Karyn is wearing the Oleah Classic 90 in Black

 
Q: How would you describe your personal style?

Simple and basic is me! I like to have basic pieces in my wardrobe for versatility! For a more casual look, I'd complete the look with a pair of white sneakers (it never goes wrong). For a more classy look, I would put on a pair of pretty heels, and that helps me feel more confident too! 


Q: As an artist, do you ever have moments of self-doubt? How do you manage that and build confidence in your craft?

I do! All the time, in fact! Especially when the online world can be a little brutal at times haha. I get affected very easily with negative comments and sometimes I will subconsciously allow these negative comments to get into me, and I would start thinking "what have I not done adequately", "what can I do better?". It's not healthy at all, and I am fully aware, but it's a learning journey that I am on, to slowly tune out negative and non-constructive comments. 
I'm glad to be going through this, because I feel that it makes me stronger mentally. Throughout the process of learning how to cope with negative comments, I have started to slowly accept the fact that I can't make everyone like me, but most importantly, I have got to love myself. 

And it's precisely because I love myself, I want to be a better version of myself than the one I was yesterday. This is what I live by, and it helps me a lot. Because I want to become a better version of myself, I treat every opportunity that comes by as a chance for me to learn, to be even better than before. This helps me to stay focused, to continually be in the pursuit of acquiring skills and knowledge, and this helps me to build my confidence! 

black classic heels, black patent heels, oleah classic heels, black heels, patent heels, black patent heels

Q: What advice would you give your younger self or women reaching for their goals?
Vocalise your goals! And vocalise them to people whom you trust, people who don't judge. In fact, I just came across a video 3 years ago, when I first started to host casual livestreams on my company's social media platform. It sparked my interest in hosting, and I started to vocalise to people around me. It really only started with "I want to be a better host", and from there, I grabbed every opportunity my way, worked crazily hard for each of them, and now things have slowly started to pick up for me.

I think vocalising your goals is a very powerful thing, and it is also very magical at the same time. So choose wisely on who you vocalise your goals to, and if you can't find anyone, your diary is always your best friend.
And remember, love yourself! 



Meet Jessica

Originally from the US, Jessica moved to our little red dot 4 years back to take on a position as regional claims manager at an insurance company. She is a big advocate of female empowerment and believes in the importance of solidarity for gender equality. Energetic and vivacious, she is one who is never afraid to always speak her mind.

Jessica is wearing the Aria in Gold

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
I love high end and luxury goods.  I think I got expensive taste early on from my aunt Jen. Sadly, I figured out that my budget wouldn’t lend itself to buy expensive clothes and accessories very often.  However, I did learn that as a treat for an achievement or for a big birthday or Christmas, I could afford to build a small collection of designer accessories to pair with more affordable clothing options. When you’re wearing a Zara blazer paired with a nice bag or shoes, I think it elevates the look and suddenly your Zara blazer feels more like a Theory blazer.
As Instagram became more popular, it became easier to get style ideas and find good deals on clothes.  I’m not afraid to make bold choices, but I love the classics.

Q: What does the phrase “woman of strength” mean to you?
Over the last decade we’ve seen a real shift in women standing up for themselves, being trail blazers and not tolerating it when someone puts them down.
Although I can think of several strong women who’ve lead this movement, nothing to me is more powerful than we are collectively.  When you take on one of us, you take on all of us and that shows our real strength.

gold heels, metallic heels, oleah gold heels, oleah shoes, comfortable heels, gold wedding heels, gold pumps

Q: What is one main change you would like to see for young girls in the next generation?
I’d love to see the next generation be strong, stand up for themselves and each other and not be scared to be who they are. Take risks - in fashion, at work, in life. 
Remember who helped you get where you are and if the opportunity arises for you to be that for someone else, take it.


Happy International Women's Day!