EDITOR’S LETTER
In my 20s I was obsessed with what I deemed “clean” foods. At 18 I went travelling, and my friend and I decided to eat only fruit and dried dates during the day and a tuna salad at night. Because we did it together, it felt normal. It didn’t feel like disordered eating because we were never hungry. We knew the Rules and we stuck to them. In Italy I ate gelato and pasta only a couple of times due to our clean eating plan. There were no restrictions on alcohol and I also smoked (don’t worry, that phase is over), so I don’t think Gwyneth Paltrow would have approved of my version of clean eating. I had so many rules around what I could and couldn’t eat that I became bulimic. Eating disorders affect around 4 per cent of Australians – about one million people a year. That doesn’t account for all the women (and men) who shoot insults at themselves in front of the bathroom mirror.
I didn’t suddenly fall in love with my body, I just learnt not to be so cruel to it. Today, at 42, I have no food rules. I eat what I want, but I was fascinated by our deep dive into the rise of orthorexia, which is the unhealthy fixation with healthy eating. I look back at that girl and wonder what on earth I was thinking. Reading the stories in our report reminded me how we all grapple with body-image, and how the burdens we bear are often lighter when shared.
Many of the women you’ll read about in this issue aren’t afraid to use their voice, which takes courage because, as women, we’re taught to be polite. To be nice. Many of us are fearful of not being liked. We’re peoplepleasers. I’m guilty of all this, but I do have a feisty side. When I see wrong or feel strongly, I voice my opinion loudly. That’s when I will fight for what I believe in.
Our cover star this month is a woman who knows what women want, and she’s not afraid to fight for it. We need to fight. Because if we don’t fight for ourselves and those around us, who will? Actor and Dior ambassador Natalie Portman knows all about this: as beauty director Sally Hunwick writes, Portman was among 300 A-listers who signed a letter to The New York Times calling for an end to sexual misconduct in the workplace. She points out that this fight is “far from over”. Portman has been on our screens for many years – Black Swan, Jackie, Star Wars – and while she’s had a prolific career as an actor, she’s also passionate about women’s empowerment. So passionate, in fact, that in the US she has co-founded a National Women’s Soccer League team named Angel City. She will, of course, continue to enchant us on the screen. Later this year, her new TV drama Lady in the Lake will stream on Apple TV+. Read Portman’s story on page 56.
We’ve also interviewed Spice Girl Mel B, on page 66. I adore this woman. Her vulnerability and strength are awe-inspiring. She talks candidly about surviving domestic abuse, and how the trauma she experienced at the hands of her former partner led her to undergo electro-cranial magnetic therapy. “For 10 years my girl power got crushed and lost, but I’ve got it back,” she says. She is a survivor and a fighter, and an icon of girl power.
On page 74, you can also read about a new documentary called Trailblazers, supported by Mecca M-Power, which is keeping the focus on women’s sport. The film spotlights women who have fought tirelessly for gender equality and paved the way for the next-gen of female footballers. It will air on Stan later this year.
If all that inspiration isn’t enough, then don’t miss our report into the “Great Sex Recession” on page 52. Yes, there’s a celibacy revolution. We’re living in an age of sexual freedom, and Gen Z are rewriting the narrative and they’re choosing celibacy. Sex is so complicated, isn’t it? And there’s a lot of power tied into sex. It can make us feel connected, but it can also make us feel so alone. Sex or no sex – own your power and your decisions.
On top of all these great reads, this issue also has pages and pages of endlessly inspiring fashion and beauty (including our new go-to facial guide, which
I’ll be working my way through).
There are so many women in this issue who are fighters. I hope you are equally inspired by these women who are fighting passionately for what they believe in.