WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
At the heart of F Word is a team of brilliant, passionate, and trailblazing women who shape the publication with their creativity, insight, and dedication. This International Women’s Day, Editor-in-Chief Maisie Jane Daniels turns the spotlight on the very voices that make F Word what it is—by asking the all-female team to reflect on their experiences of womanhood in the workplace and beyond.
Through these conversations, we celebrate the power of collaboration, the importance of representation, and the resilience of women navigating industries that still have progress to make. From the evolution of fashion and media to the ways we uplift and inspire one another, this feature is a tribute to the women who work tirelessly to amplify stories that matter. It’s also a reminder that while there is much to celebrate, the fight for equality, inclusivity, and recognition is ongoing.
This piece is a love letter to the women who shape F Word with their vision, their voices, and their unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries.
Maisie Daniels: What does being part of an all-female team mean to you?
Rachel Edwards: Being part of an all female team feels powerful! It's something I feel very lucky to be a part of.
MD: What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally and professionally?
RE: International Women's Day makes me feel such mixed emotions. Every International Women's Day I feel such huge appreciation for the women in my life, along with charities like Women's Aid and Solace Women's Aid who helped me and so many other women. I also feel frustrated knowing that we still have a long way to go in society.
MD: How do you uplift and inspire each other in your work?
RE: In every way! I am constantly inspired by the work of the team. I think there's a level of sensitivity and respect for each other, and it's really an environment of shared values, where you can ask each other for help with ease. There's also a lack of ego which is so refreshing in this industry.
MD: How has the media and fashion industry evolved for women since you started your careers?
RE: I love seeing progress - I recently became acquainted with female Māori news presenter Oriini Kaipara and I love to see women who have been marginalised take centre stage. However, a lot of tabloid newspapers and mainstream media in the UK are still obsessing over a woman's body after pregnancy, or whether or not a woman has had plastic surgery which is crazy to me. That's why alternative media is so so important! I think the fashion industry has improved and I see more diversity and inclusion now than ever before which is amazing.
MD: What kind of stories about women do you feel are most important to tell right now?
RE: At the moment, I want to tell stories that question the status quo. For example, so many women are on hormonal contraception and suffering extreme side effects, but are dismissed because it's so common that it's seen as normal. I think it's important to question why this is normal in society, and talk about alternatives like reverse vasectomies for men.
MD: Have you encountered stereotypes that challenged you, and how did you work through them?
RE: I am currently working through my own stereotypes. For a long time I thought it was a great quality that I rarely felt anger as an emotion, but at what cost? As woman we're taught to be nice and passive, so I'm trying to connect with parts of myself I might have repressed! Writer and activist the Slumflower has great resources for this.
MD: How can men be better allies to women at work and in society?
RE: Men are not calling each other out enough. It's not about just changing the conversation when women are in ear-shot, but also when they're not. If you're a man and you hear another man make a joke about women or if you know that your friend is mistreating a woman, speak out - confront him, change the conversation.
MD: What's your favourite "F" Word?
RE: The first that came to mind was flubber, followed by flabbergasted, so I would say a hybrid - flubbergasted.
MD: As our features editor, what do you believe makes a compelling story about women?
RE: It comes down to representation. For example, the mainstream media is attempting to villainies trans women so I want to see trans women being represented more than ever. I don't mean just talking about trans issues either, I mean generally taking up space in the media. For me it's less about the story and more about representation of women in all of their forms.
MD: What advice would you give to young girls growing up today?
RE: Stay curious and keep exploring your hobbies! As women we are bombarded with messages telling us to look and act a certain way for men, or to brand ourselves and be a 'girl boss' and it's all just a lot of pressure and not that fun! If you focus on pursuing creative urges for fun you'll not only de-centre men but you'll build confidence and get to know yourself and what you want.
MD: What’s one way you celebrate your womanhood?
RE: I'm in the process of making a documentary film on older Spanish women living in Alicante after being inspired by both their style and their confidence. Whenever I'm connecting with these women I'm celebrating my own womanhood. As someone who used to freak out about getting older, when I'm with these women I am constantly reminded that we have to celebrate ageing!
Maisie Daniels: How has the media and fashion industry evolved for women since you started your careers?
Bianca Nicole: We are slowly seeing changes in the media and fashion industries for women, but it’s no where near enough. While there has been progress in representation, inclusivity, and body positivity many of these efforts can still feel performative rather than deeply ingrained in the industry’s values. Women are getting more opportunities but they are still underrepresented in key decision making roles, and ageism remains a major issue. Progress is happening, but the pace is slow and there’s still a long way to go before the industry truly embraces equality and representation.
MD: How can men be better allies to women at work and in society?
BN: By listening, speaking up, and making sure they’re treated fairly. That means calling out sexism, supporting equal opportunities, and making sure women get credit for their ideas. It means being a voice in the room when women aren’t there. Most importantly, being an ally means always learning, paying attention to what women go through, and using whatever influence you have to help level the playing field.
MD: What is one achievement you’re most proud of as a woman?
BN: Just simply getting up every day and showing up in a world that wasn’t built for us. Despite the challenges, the biases, and the barrier and the daily battles we face everyday.
MD: What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally and professionally?
BN: I feel hopeful on International Women’s Day but there is still so much to be done! It’s a day to reflect on the progress women have made while also recognising the challenges that still are there. Whether it’s gender equality, safety, or representation. It’s a day of appreciation for how amazing women are but also a reminder that change doesn’t happen over night and that it requires continuous effort. Professionally it's about pushing for real inclusivity and opportunities for women in every industry. While we celebrate achievements, we also need to hold our industries accountable for the gaps that still exist.
MD: What's your favourite "F" word?
BN: Faith, whether in yourself, others, or something greater keeps people going even when things get hard. I also have it tattooed on my wrist from when I was 18 so it’s always guided and motivated me.
Maisie Daniels: What does being part of an all-female team mean to you?
Emilie Louizides: It means that I have a safe place to present my ideas where they'll be celebrated and supported, that I'll offer that same support back to our team, and I can always trust that everything we create and platform is important, intelligent, and heartfelt.
MD: What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally and professionally?
EL: It means a couple of different things. On one hand - and this comes from a massive place of white, cis-het privilege - I don’t think about my gender a ton, at least not in a way that it relates to my contributions to society. While I use she/her pronouns, I think of myself more often as a person than as a woman. When I think about myself professionally, I’m just an artist, not a 'female this' or a 'female that'. In a way, it bothers me that a day like International Women’s Day has to exist. Marginalised communities including queer people, people of colour, people with disabilities, and women in general, particularly trans women of colour, are often left with crumbs, such as a single day or month of the year that acknowledges their existence and then pretty much goes straight back to capitalist, patriarchal systems that only truly benefit the rich, cis-het, white man.
But at the same time, I love that International Women’s Day exists. It provides me with an opportunity - personally and professionally - to think about and talk with the women I love, admire and respect the most, champion their stories and their work, and reflect about how resilient, resourceful, smart, and impressive women are.
MD: How do you uplift and inspire each other in your work?
EL: By sharing each other's work on Instagram, connecting women with other creatives, encouraging production houses to create all-women teams or at least more gender equality on set. I’m also always having conversations with my friends where we share ideas and encourage each other to experiment. The ripple effect that occurs when women actually, truly support one another is such a magical thing.
MD: How has the media and fashion industry evolved for women since you started your careers?
EL: I was really lucky to attend London College of Fashion which is where my career really began 10 years ago. All of my tutors were women of different ages, and different racial and cultural backgrounds. They influenced the media I consumed (particularly related to fashion and the industry overall) and what I can remember from then was that art and creativity were always at the forefront. When I look back, I realize that women of colour, trans women, older women, and women of all sizes weren't included in fashion as much as they are today. We definitely still have a long way to go, particularly with size equality in the fashion industry but I believe things are moving in the right direction.
MD:What's your favourite "F" word?
EL: Fruitful!
MD: As our contributing beauty editor, how does beauty as a medium intersect with empowerment and identity for women?
EL: My work as a makeup artist has shown me how makeup artistry can be a vehicle for intimacy. I get to know women so well when I'm doing their makeup and at the end of the day they often tell me more about how happy they are with how they felt than how they looked. Feeling good about yourself is the most beautiful thing, it always shines through. As a beauty editor, when creating or commissioning a beauty story, I look at the makeup first and then I focus on the face it's been painted on. Beautiful artistry on a model who looks comfortable and confident is always the best combination.
MD Who is the woman that has inspired you the most, and why?
EL: My mom. She's my ultimate role model, personally and professionally. She's intelligent, thoughtful, funny, curious, honest, and evolved. The perfect woman.
MD: If you could change one thing for women globally, what would it be?
EL: I'd be surprised if I encountered a woman - from anywhere in the world - who could honestly tell me that she didn't live in fear about at least one thing. Physical safety, the rights related to our own bodies, job security, and just being listened to and believed can all be hard to come by, especially for the most vulnerable women. I'd love for women globally to be able to live with the same sense of safety that men do.
