Dalziel & Pow's EmpowerHer group takes inspiration from charity Smart Works to help build confidence for women in need of empowerment.
Self-confidence is a superpower, it’s infectious and energy-giving to others. It’s also a topic we’ve been discussing and acting on in our studio.
The work that the charity Smart Works - launched in 2013 to help empower unemployed women with the clothes, coaching and confidence they need to succeed at their job interview and transform their lives - really resonated with us and we simply needed to get involved.
So, we recently hosted a Smart Works donation point, collecting interview-ready women’s clothing and accessories between the notable dates of Valentine’s Day (Galentine’s Day) and International Women’s Day. Together, we collected 134 confidence-giving items.
What we wear and how we behave is an extension of our personal ‘brand’ and beliefs. According to this gender equality white paper, 1 in 2 women in meetings worry about how they’re seen, which can be due to personal, societal, and organisational barriers. Now amplify that pressure within an interview context, and there’s an additional hurdle for women to overcome.
What gives us confidence in interviews, meetings, and every day?
Inspired by Smart Works, we ran an in-house session with our D&P women’s group EmpowerHer to discuss personal style that gives confidence, making the best first impression, positive self-talk, and advice to hold your own in the room.
Yes, you can dress for the job you want, but the real glow-up is inside-out. We’re proud to support Smart Works and their mission to “help women break the cycle of hardship that results from being unemployed. We help women transition into employment by providing high-quality interview clothes and interview training, unlocking their confidence and self-belief.”
Pass it on, on purpose
Amber Hass, Creative Strategist, generously gifted over fifty scarves in honour of her family’s entrepreneurial matriarch, Helen - a luxury fashion buyer and inventor of a pioneering skincare system. “My grandma believed in the power of fashion and style to instill inside-out confidence. She would love that this donation pays forward confidence for women in business.”
Jess Moore, D&P Studio Manager and co-organiser of our clothing drive, shares that her events background taught her the power of clothes to communicate confidence and build rapport. We host clients, colleagues and partners in our studio: “people from every walk of life come through our studio doors or connect over the phone, we meet everyone on a level, everyone is made to feel welcome. How I dress and present myself helps me be ready for anything and keep my cool”.
Thank you to all at D&P and our neighbouring studios who donated. We’re thinking of all the women lifting their heads high and stepping into their next chapter in style. We believe in you!
You can find out more about Smart Works below.
https://www.smartworks.org.uk
