March 8th was a big day for Boston. Not only was it International Women's Day, but President Obama was at the Museum of Science, Lady Gaga famed-out TD Banknorth, and Diane von Furstenberg spoke at the Harris Center's 14th Annual Public Forum on Eating Disorders. While I wish I could have been at all three places at once, I'm glad I attended the latter.
The Harris Center is an eating disorder treatment and research facility at Massachusetts' General Hospital in Boston, and hosts this forum every year. The past two years have focused on the fashion industry, and creating healthier standards to improve the health of models and the general public. The president for the Council of Fashion Designers of America and two Miss America's were in the audience, and Diane von Furstenberg was the key note speaker.
Diane looks wonderful and a lot of what she had to say had to do with confidence and empowering women around the world. She is living the true American dream, coming to this country with nothing, two small children and creating a fashion empire. She said she was lucky enough to not have a personal connection to eating disorders, and while she is not sure that fashion is the cause of eating disorders, they could set the standard for healthier body image, and she recently released new CFDA guidelines to help maintain a healthier environment for models.
But, in a Guiltless fashion, she said that key to happiness and success is loving yourself and taking care of your body. These quotes in particular stuck with me:
"In order to be beautiful you must be healthy.""The most important thing in life is the relationship you have with yourself.""Beauty is perfect in it's imperfections""What you hate about yourself is what makes you gorgeous""Confidence is what matters. And the relationship you have with yourself matters""You can be the person of your dreams."Thank you Diane Von Furstenberg for the inspiration and continuing to be a body positive role model in the fashion industry!What quotes have stuck with you recently?
I love this one:
ReplyDelete"Beauty is perfect in it's imperfections"
Thanks for sharing this! For those of us who couldn't make it, it's nice to have such a great summary!
"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
ReplyDeleteIf you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
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If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
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The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
-this version is credited to Mother Teresa