Status Gaea will forever stand behind and celebrate the achievements of women across the globe, and in support of International Women’s Day , we’ve spoken to four incredible ladies on their own business endeavors and personal challenges that they have pushed through with perseverance.

Neada Deters, LESSE Founder

On career journey and dealing with challenges that the past year has brought

I have had a somewhat long and winding career trajectory, especially for my age. I was born and raised in Sydney, and my family will tell you that I have always— since day one —challenged why and how things are done. It can be a divisive quality and is often misinterpreted, but it just comes from a natural curiosity and desire to learn. After university, I moved to New York. I had never been to the US and only knew two people—but somehow I landed a job at VICE. From that job, I moved into fashion and, eventually, working as an editor. Working editorial, I covered fashion and, among other things, beauty.

Through this work, I became particularly interested in skincare. I had developed cystic acne and extremely sensitized skin since I moved to New York, and my family also has a history of skin cancer—so I truly can't remember a day in my life when I haven't applied sunscreen. For me, skin has always been a health issue. The issue I had personally faced with the industry, was how impossible it was to navigate. I could never find natural products that were effective, and with overwhelming choice I barely knew where to start. But I knew from my research and from interviews with some of the world's leading skin experts that just a few simple products was truly the best approach to skincare, and it was possible to achieve real results with botanical ingredients. I decided to start creating my own, and a few years later I launched LESSE.

Our primary focus is and always will be on creating essential and effective products. Through and beyond these products, we're changing the way people think about organic skincare. First, consider how the products you use are made—are they truly safe for you, for the planet; were they made ethically and sustainably? We make very few products and only develop 1 - 2 new ones per year. Beauty is an extremely wasteful industry with a big environmental footprint, and we're taking an anti-industry route in saying that you actually need less. The most sustainable thing any of us can do: buy and use less. I'm also half Filipina and some of the challenges I faced with my skin— such as hyperpigmentation —are not "mainstream" concerns reflected in the majority of skincare lines. In my teens and twenties, I never felt reflected or cared for by the industry and that's also crucial to me: that LESSE represents beauty in multitudes.

This past year has been a challenging shift, from the perspective of moving everything to digital. Trying to find new ways to connect with and grow our community. But it's also meant that we now have more of a global LESSE community. Rather than just investing in Los Angeles, where we're based, and New York, where I usually spend quite a lot of time; we have had the bandwidth to have real conversations with community members from anywhere and everywhere. It's also put things into perspective for all of us, and I believe it's now clearer than ever that companies can't just toe the line on social, political, and environmental issues. There is no neutral in this new world. Though the road to recovery and true systemic change is still a long one, there have been revealing moments over the past year that have not just woken us up as individuals—but as companies who often have a larger economic impact and can influence or make bigger strides towards this necessary change.

Tips for living a more sustainable life

Sustainability is something that should progress over time, every day. If we can all make more sustainable choices today than we did yesterday, and incrementally live more considered lives, we can make a significant personal impact. I really shop very little and, when I do, I shop vintage where possible. Most of our groceries are from the farmers market, and my car is always stocked with reusable bags, camping cutlery (if I order takeaway food), and I carry a reusable water bottle with me everywhere. As far as beauty, I think about the packaging material and I use reusable cotton pads, bamboo tools, etc. I also try to walk as much as I can. Los Angeles is such a car-oriented city but we pick walkable areas to live so we can minimize how much we drive. My next step is going to be growing some of my own food, starting this spring.

Ivana Perbi, Wardrobe Affaire Founder

On career journey and dealing with challenges that the past year has brought

I began my journey in the fashion industry at the age of 17 and worked mainly as a visual merchandiser for luxury fashion brands, due to the pandemic I lost my job but had the chance to retrain as a UX Designer. When it feels like everything is falling apart there is usually a door opening up, a new opportunity, a new path to pursue.

As someone who is born in the capital of Ghana, I am appalled by the global north’s massive textile waste that passes through Accra’s Kantamanto market each week. Being frustrated about the way we consume fashion in the Western world nowadays I’ve been seeking a more sustainable alternative. With Wardrobe Affaire, a soon-to-be luxury fashion renting platform- or as we call it “dating platform for your wardrobe” - we can all share our rarely worn pieces and make use of what has already been made to oppose the production of waste.

Tips for living a more sustainable life

At home, I switched to soap bars to reduce single-use plastic and recommend vintage furniture. Whenever I’m on the hunt for new clothing I avoid buying synthetic fabrics as much as possible and generally choose pre-owned and vintage over new. When it comes to online shopping I at least take a night to think about whether I want it and decide after a couple of days. Often I forget about it and if not I know that I really want it.

Tahira Herold, CoFounder of Conscious Beauty Union

On career journey and dealing with challenges that the past year has brought

I have been a makeup artist for over 20 years, but my career journey has been varied and winding. I work in different mediums and the past year has been challenging because obviously, my job involves a lot of close contact. As part of CBU - We used a lot of last year to develop the ideas for CBU that we are slowly rolling out now.

As a co-founder of Conscious Beauty Union, our aim is to make an impact by inspiring Makeup artists and Beauty Professionals to develop a more sustainable work practice that works for them. There is no one-size-fits-all - we all work in different places and industries, and part of sustainability is personal sustainability, the ability to work and contribute while supporting oneself. The information we share is also relevant to the personal life of the beauty professionals and further impact of the knowledge they gain can be applied through different parts of their life and work.

As a freelancer, this is just one more bump in a bumpy road. The key is getting back up and keeping on, adapting, and finding ways to communicate and work in a way that adapts to the times. Sometimes those adaptations, like a move to online gatherings, have meant it more possible to reach a wider group of people who would not be able to attend in-person events. Times are still hard for everyone and there has not been a consistent return to work for many beauty pros, but our goal is also to create.

Tips for living a more sustainable life

My most important tip is to use up what you have, and buy what you need when you need it. For beauty items, it is important to think before buying. Opting to purchase from companies with deeper rooted values and ethics feeds into a larger ecosystem of companies trying to do good, not just cajole the consumer into buying a trend.

Aine Rose Campbell, CoFounder of The Model Activist Community

On career journey and dealing with challenges that the past year has brought Hi, my name is Áine and I am a model, organizer, and the co-founder of the Model Activist Community. The Model Activist Community, aka the Model Mafia, is a global community of 400 fashion models who work together to make the fashion industry and world more sustainable, just, and equitable.

Cameron Russell and I co-founded the community in Dec 2016. We wanted to kick-off a powerful, model-led movement that could transform the industry from the inside out, utilise our unique access to media, and alleviate the feelings of isolation that models often feel by creating a non-competitive, supportive space for us to meet.

Since then, we have walked in sustainable fashion shows at the UN, marched in multiple climate marches, spearheaded the #MeToo movement in the fashion industry, raised funds for Hurricane Harvey and the indigenous communities on the frontline of climate change, held clothing swaps, panels and much more.

The least visible, but the most important work we have done has been in building trust and relationships within our community. Because of this, we were able to create our Model Mafia Covid Relief Fund. This fund was a pot for our most vulnerable members to get financial help from and it was powered by our members who are in more fortunate situations. We were able to help those in really precarious situations and it has been so beautiful to see us actively creating the world that we want to see.

This year, I made a commitment to give to myself more. So, if I'm feeling sad or stressed, I do my best to notice it and find a way to feel more held. Since I'm in the UK in lockdown and the pandemic has been going on for so long, I haven't really seen my friends or family, so being more mindful of giving myself the support I don't get from regular interaction has been important. It might be taking a break for a quick meditation, going outside, dancing in my bedroom, or calling a friend.

Tips for living a more sustainable life

I haven't bought any clothes in a whole year and it feels good! Sure, I've been mostly at home, but knowing I'm not contributing to consumption in that way right now is awesome. I really try to buy plastic-free. There is a farmer's market that I go to every weekend and that saves me from buying anything in plastic. I also get to support local farms. Two other easy, but important things to do are switching to renewable energy and banking with an ethical bank so that your money doesn't go into funding fossil fuels.