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Friday 8^th March is International Women’s Day, so what better time to reflect on our journeys as women and celebrate the women we admire. 

At Blue Illusion our mission is to make you feel incredible and embrace the Joie de Vivre, while building a community of like-minded women who support and help others. Every woman’s journey is full of highs and lows, and we are all called upon to be the whole package - strong, nurturing, tough, kind, thoughtful and smart. It can be exhausting, so it’s important to take a step back and acknowledge ourselves for the multiple roles we play.

It’s also uplifting to look at the lives of other women and be inspired by their stories. We have selected five muses that epitomise the Blue Illusion spirit as our ambassadors for International Women’s Day.

Olivia Newton John

To know Olivia Newton-John is to fall in love with her.

It may have been in the 1960s when she appeared on Johnny O’Keefe’s television show ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ or during the 1970s when she had a record number of chart-topping singles. Perhaps it was when you first saw the movie ‘Grease’ or heard her 1981 hit song ‘Physical’ and saw its risqué video clip…

However, her finest achievement has undoubtedly been establishing the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, and this year Olivia received an Australia Day Honour – an Order of Australia – for her support in medical research, as well as her achievements as a songwriter and performer.

Blue Illusion is proud to be partnering with Olivia again this year via the sale of a co-designed Reversable Puffer Coat and our National Styling Workshop on Thursday 11^th April 2019. Proceeds from both will be donated to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre, our goal being to raise $300,000 by 2020 to support Olivia’s mission to win over cancer.

Caroline de Maigret

Blue Illusion has worked with many wonderful French women and in Winter 2016 we featured Caroline de Maigret as our campaign model and muse. Caroline co-authored the book “How To Be a Parisian”, she is also an international model, music producer, mother to her son, Anton and married to musician Yarol Poupaud.

Caroline epitomises the French style to which we aspire - that effortless chic that is so timeless, casual and sensuous. She’s charming and witty, has fun with fashion and was such a pleasure to work with on location at our photoshoot in Paris.

Caroline is also a renowned fashion stylist and her one piece of advice we just love? “You can never be perfect, so stop running after perfection as you will never find it. Live with what you have and try to be the best version of you.”

Nathalie Lete

A true Parisian, Nathalie Lete is a French artist whose work spans illustration, ceramics & textiles. Her limited-edition commissions and collaborations are characterised by her whimsical, colourful and often avant-garde aesthetic. Inspired by her love of nature and vintage toys, Nathalie’s unique style is coveted across the globe.

Nathalie’s upbringing by a Chinese father and German mother allows her to blend folk art from both origins, producing highly original combinations. Her work predominantly focuses on nature - particularly flowers and animals.  When she was a child, her grandmother lived close to a forest and it was there that she developed her imagination and love of nature.

Of her evolving work, Nathalie has said “I worked on many other themes before my nature work. I drew more people at the beginning of my career, and then these ‘people’ turned into toys! Now, I’m infatuated with animals. I think it’s a necessity for me to be closer to nature the older I become.”

Blue Illusion is proud to be one of only a handful of brands to work with Nathalie using her exclusive designs to create limited edition pieces.

You can shop the range here.

Juliette Binoche

Juliette Binoche has appeared in over 60 feature films but many of her English speaking audience were introduced to her in the 1988 film The Unbearable Lightness of Being. She is an actress who refuses to be pigeon-holed, taking on challenging roles ranging from romantic comedies such as Chocolat to dramas such as Three Colours: Blue. It was her performance in The English Patient that landed her an Academy Award in 1997 for Best Supporting Actress.

She embodies French style through her effortlessly chic street style moments and glamorous red carpet appearances, combined with her natural je ne sais quoi.

Juliette was our 2014 & 2015 Brand Ambassador.

Iris Apfel

Iris Apfel is a fashion icon known for her oversized glasses and unique style which blends prints, colours and eclectic accessories. She became world renowned in 2004 when the New York Costume Institute held an exhibition in her honour titled, ‘Rara Avis: The Irreverent Iris Apfel’.

This year, at age 97, the New Yorker signed her first modelling contract with IMG Management. Blue Illusion is proud to have been one of the world’s first fashion brands to work with Iris commercially, having featured her as the model for our Autumn 2016 campaign.

Iris is living proof that age is merely a number, proving women can shine and claim the spotlight at any stage of life. Apfel playfully describes herself as the oldest living teenager and says, “When the fun goes out of dressing, you might as well be dead”.