8th of March. Look deep where others would go straight.
8 March 2021
It is always difficult not to fall into rhetoric when we celebrate a day like 8 March, International Women’s Rights Day.
Especially in years when the “washing” takes on many colors, but in particular the pink linked to gender issues. On the other hand, you also have to go there to conquer an extra segment: good or bad, as long as you succeed. Then it will be up to each of us to keep steady the position and the space gained with so much work and determination, by us and by other women.
It is right to celebrate this day, more or less discreetly, to honor those who fought before us to give us a voice: social, political and economic achievements that a hundred years ago would have seemed impossible. And to remember that discrimination and violence unfortunately still affect many women around the world.
Like the women who marched in demonstrations, such as feminists and intellectuals who theorize change relentlessly, those who take the stage in Sanremo are also welcome to affirm their skills, show talent that often has no space to be shown – and it still seems too little. Elodie, guest of the second evening, showed that we should never forget where we come from and all that we have achieved thanks to our determination – and to those who believed in us – despite everything.
If we let ourselves be overwhelmed by those bets that seem lost from the start and by the obstacles that parry us in the face of society, inequalities and ignorance, it would not only be a defeat for us as singles, but for all other women who, like us, were born in a body. that they have not chosen. Margaret Bourke White, travel photographer, war photographer, and much more during her long career that ended only because of her illness, remind us that you don’t need to be a man to do things considered “by men”. Precisely because there aren’t, and shouldn’t be, men’s things or women’s things. Often the obstacles are just outdated perspectives and legacies.
I have always tried to keep in mind different models, even when I threw myself into the crazy business of making bags that bore the name of my beloved great-grandfather, respecting the tradition and quality of the Marche leather processing – I also do not forget my origins! – and combining them with an aesthetic that is both classic and modern, which could satisfy women like me, but also men. Why should a female company turn to women only? We too are called to inclusion, and our mission is not to create further barriers or wars between the sexes, especially because we have often known them. And so I am inspired by men and women, because what counts are talent, vision, curiosity and the ability to design.
It seems obvious to say it, but the values that March 8 brings with it should be celebrated every day, every time we look in the mirror, every time we give our best to reach a new goal, every time we take time for ourselves. , every time we plan for the future without being discouraged by the disparities that persist, but which we will also defeat for the women who will come after us. “Finding something new, something that no one could have imagined before, something that only you can find because, in addition to being a photographer, you are a somewhat special human being, able to look deeply where others would go straight,” said Margaret Bourke White. This is what I wish you today, which I wish everyone. Never go straight, especially now. Especially today.
