IWD: In Conversation with Mireia Llusia-Lindh
IWD: In Conversation with Mireia Llusia-Lindh
As female empowerment is one of DeMellier’s core values, we sat down with our founder, Mireia Llusia-Lindh, to celebrate International Women’s Day and share her perspective on the path to gender parity.
WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE INDUSTRY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO BUILD DEMELLIER DIFFERENTLY?
I felt there were many shortcuts taken, from how and where products were made to how companies were managed, and I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to create a company with strong values at its heart.
One of the things I found deeply upsetting when I joined this industry was that, even in brands that were predominantly for women, the leadership at the top was, and still is, very male dominated. It made me question how many of the crucial decisions shaping products for women were being made without women’s voices in the room. To me, it’s no surprise that many of these brands are not performing today.
I wanted to build something that reflected a different perspective – where female voices are heard and valued equally at the highest levels of decision-making.
HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THOSE GENDER CHALLENGES FIRSTHAND?
As a former management consultant, I was often the only woman in the room when presenting to clients. But despite being outnumbered, I never felt my credibility or opportunities were questioned.
That changed when I moved into fashion and began building a business. It was very surprising to see how my competitors were running their firms and also how much harder it was to raise capital as a female founder. Only 2% of venture capital and early private equity funding goes to female-founded businesses. This is because men hold the majority of investment board seats and, as a consequence, their investment choices are often biased.
This experience made it very clear that female representation at the top is crucial. When women are underrepresented at the top, inequality is not just cultural – it becomes structural, shaping who is given the opportunity to succeed.
I felt there were many shortcuts taken, from how and where products were made to how companies were managed, and I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to create a company with strong values at its heart.
One of the things I found deeply upsetting when I joined this industry was that, even in brands that were predominantly for women, the leadership at the top was, and still is, very male dominated. It made me question how many of the crucial decisions shaping products for women were being made without women’s voices in the room. To me, it’s no surprise that many of these brands are not performing today.
I wanted to build something that reflected a different perspective – where female voices are heard and valued equally at the highest levels of decision-making.
HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THOSE GENDER CHALLENGES FIRSTHAND?
As a former management consultant, I was often the only woman in the room when presenting to clients. But despite being outnumbered, I never felt my credibility or opportunities were questioned.
That changed when I moved into fashion and began building a business. It was very surprising to see how my competitors were running their firms and also how much harder it was to raise capital as a female founder. Only 2% of venture capital and early private equity funding goes to female-founded businesses. This is because men hold the majority of investment board seats and, as a consequence, their investment choices are often biased.
This experience made it very clear that female representation at the top is crucial. When women are underrepresented at the top, inequality is not just cultural – it becomes structural, shaping who is given the opportunity to succeed.
WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE INDUSTRY THAT MADE YOU WANT TO BUILD DEMELLIER DIFFERENTLY?
I felt there were many shortcuts taken, from how and where products were made to how companies were managed, and I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to create a company with strong values at its heart.
One of the things I found deeply upsetting when I joined this industry was that, even in brands that were predominantly for women, the leadership at the top was, and still is, very male dominated. It made me question how many of the crucial decisions shaping products for women were being made without women’s voices in the room. To me, it’s no surprise that many of these brands are not performing today.
I wanted to build something that reflected a different perspective – where female voices are heard and valued equally at the highest levels of decision-making.
HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THOSE GENDER CHALLENGES FIRSTHAND?
As a former management consultant, I was often the only woman in the room when presenting to clients. But despite being outnumbered, I never felt my credibility or opportunities were questioned.
That changed when I moved into fashion and began building a business. It was very surprising to see how my competitors were running their firms and also how much harder it was to raise capital as a female founder. Only 2% of venture capital and early private equity funding goes to female-founded businesses. This is because men hold the majority of investment board seats and, as a consequence, their investment choices are often biased.
This experience made it very clear that female representation at the top is crucial. When women are underrepresented at the top, inequality is not just cultural – it becomes structural, shaping who is given the opportunity to succeed.
I felt there were many shortcuts taken, from how and where products were made to how companies were managed, and I wanted to do things differently. I wanted to create a company with strong values at its heart.
One of the things I found deeply upsetting when I joined this industry was that, even in brands that were predominantly for women, the leadership at the top was, and still is, very male dominated. It made me question how many of the crucial decisions shaping products for women were being made without women’s voices in the room. To me, it’s no surprise that many of these brands are not performing today.
I wanted to build something that reflected a different perspective – where female voices are heard and valued equally at the highest levels of decision-making.
HOW DID YOU EXPERIENCE THOSE GENDER CHALLENGES FIRSTHAND?
As a former management consultant, I was often the only woman in the room when presenting to clients. But despite being outnumbered, I never felt my credibility or opportunities were questioned.
That changed when I moved into fashion and began building a business. It was very surprising to see how my competitors were running their firms and also how much harder it was to raise capital as a female founder. Only 2% of venture capital and early private equity funding goes to female-founded businesses. This is because men hold the majority of investment board seats and, as a consequence, their investment choices are often biased.
This experience made it very clear that female representation at the top is crucial. When women are underrepresented at the top, inequality is not just cultural – it becomes structural, shaping who is given the opportunity to succeed.
“When women are underrepresented at the top, inequality is not just cultural – it becomes structural, shaping who is given the opportunity to succeed.”
Mireia Llusia-Lindh
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS STRUCTURAL GENDER IMBALANCE CAN BE ADDRESSED?
Change needs to happen at three main levels: policy, company, and personal.
We need governments to urgently implement policies that create a fair playing field for women, from gender neutral parental leave to ensuring pension fund investments are split equally between men and women-led businesses, for example. Here I encourage women to use their vote and speak to their local members of parliament to make sure their voices are heard in policymaking.
We also need companies to address their gender gaps, but often in these cases change is only triggered by consumers or regulation. So I urge every woman to find out more about the companies they buy from and think very carefully about where they spend their money, to make sure the ethics and management behind those brands are aligned with their own values.
At a personal level, every one of us needs to take action in our households. Even in developed countries like the UK, still today, women do 70% more unpaid work than men, and let’s be clear: with this set-up we will never achieve gender equality. There are simply not enough hours in the day. We need to make sure that men take care of 50% of all unpaid tasks (and by these I mean from cooking to organising children’s playdates and everything in between), so women have as much time to invest in themselves and their careers as men do. Without equality at home, we will never achieve equality in society, and change has to be driven by us.
AS A FEMALE FOUNDER WHAT DID YOU TRY TO DO DIFFERENTLY AT DEMELLIER?
I always wanted to make sure that DeMellier operated differently from the norm in the industry, as a true meritocracy, with no filter of gender, race or any other bias when hiring and promoting. This has resulted in a team where 80% of senior management are women, who have mostly been selected unanimously by both a man and a woman together. I also want to add that at DeMellier we extend meritocracy beyond gender, and this has resulted in an incredibly diverse and vibrant team with 24 different nationalities and a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds. This is not only fair and just, but also makes business sense, as it allows us to attract the best talent and better understand our customers.
I also wanted DeMellier to serve as a platform to help other women, from spotlighting female change-makers, to ensuring fair wages and promotions for the female artisans who bring our designs to life.
On a personal level, I also try to help as many young women as I can to make sure they don’t lose their voice and freedom as they grow up, while also trying to help those women who, through life, have lost their confidence to regain their strength and light.
WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MEAN TO YOU?
As I have said many times, I hope one day, in the not-so-distant future, the world will be equal between the genders and we won’t need to celebrate IWD. In the meantime, it is a very important day that serves both as a celebration and a reminder – recognising the women who continue to drive change, while acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done by both men and women. I am excited, though, to see everything we can achieve in the years to come.
Change needs to happen at three main levels: policy, company, and personal.
We need governments to urgently implement policies that create a fair playing field for women, from gender neutral parental leave to ensuring pension fund investments are split equally between men and women-led businesses, for example. Here I encourage women to use their vote and speak to their local members of parliament to make sure their voices are heard in policymaking.
We also need companies to address their gender gaps, but often in these cases change is only triggered by consumers or regulation. So I urge every woman to find out more about the companies they buy from and think very carefully about where they spend their money, to make sure the ethics and management behind those brands are aligned with their own values.
At a personal level, every one of us needs to take action in our households. Even in developed countries like the UK, still today, women do 70% more unpaid work than men, and let’s be clear: with this set-up we will never achieve gender equality. There are simply not enough hours in the day. We need to make sure that men take care of 50% of all unpaid tasks (and by these I mean from cooking to organising children’s playdates and everything in between), so women have as much time to invest in themselves and their careers as men do. Without equality at home, we will never achieve equality in society, and change has to be driven by us.
AS A FEMALE FOUNDER WHAT DID YOU TRY TO DO DIFFERENTLY AT DEMELLIER?
I always wanted to make sure that DeMellier operated differently from the norm in the industry, as a true meritocracy, with no filter of gender, race or any other bias when hiring and promoting. This has resulted in a team where 80% of senior management are women, who have mostly been selected unanimously by both a man and a woman together. I also want to add that at DeMellier we extend meritocracy beyond gender, and this has resulted in an incredibly diverse and vibrant team with 24 different nationalities and a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds. This is not only fair and just, but also makes business sense, as it allows us to attract the best talent and better understand our customers.
I also wanted DeMellier to serve as a platform to help other women, from spotlighting female change-makers, to ensuring fair wages and promotions for the female artisans who bring our designs to life.
On a personal level, I also try to help as many young women as I can to make sure they don’t lose their voice and freedom as they grow up, while also trying to help those women who, through life, have lost their confidence to regain their strength and light.
WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MEAN TO YOU?
As I have said many times, I hope one day, in the not-so-distant future, the world will be equal between the genders and we won’t need to celebrate IWD. In the meantime, it is a very important day that serves both as a celebration and a reminder – recognising the women who continue to drive change, while acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done by both men and women. I am excited, though, to see everything we can achieve in the years to come.
HOW DO YOU THINK THIS STRUCTURAL GENDER IMBALANCE CAN BE ADDRESSED?
Change needs to happen at three main levels: policy, company, and personal.
We need governments to urgently implement policies that create a fair playing field for women, from gender neutral parental leave to ensuring pension fund investments are split equally between men and women-led businesses, for example. Here I encourage women to use their vote and speak to their local members of parliament to make sure their voices are heard in policymaking.
We also need companies to address their gender gaps, but often in these cases change is only triggered by consumers or regulation. So I urge every woman to find out more about the companies they buy from and think very carefully about where they spend their money, to make sure the ethics and management behind those brands are aligned with their own values.
At a personal level, every one of us needs to take action in our households. Even in developed countries like the UK, still today, women do 70% more unpaid work than men, and let’s be clear: with this set-up we will never achieve gender equality. There are simply not enough hours in the day. We need to make sure that men take care of 50% of all unpaid tasks (and by these I mean from cooking to organising children’s playdates and everything in between), so women have as much time to invest in themselves and their careers as men do. Without equality at home, we will never achieve equality in society, and change has to be driven by us.
AS A FEMALE FOUNDER WHAT DID YOU TRY TO DO DIFFERENTLY AT DEMELLIER?
I always wanted to make sure that DeMellier operated differently from the norm in the industry, as a true meritocracy, with no filter of gender, race or any other bias when hiring and promoting. This has resulted in a team where 80% of senior management are women, who have mostly been selected unanimously by both a man and a woman together. I also want to add that at DeMellier we extend meritocracy beyond gender, and this has resulted in an incredibly diverse and vibrant team with 24 different nationalities and a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds. This is not only fair and just, but also makes business sense, as it allows us to attract the best talent and better understand our customers.
I also wanted DeMellier to serve as a platform to help other women, from spotlighting female change-makers, to ensuring fair wages and promotions for the female artisans who bring our designs to life.
On a personal level, I also try to help as many young women as I can to make sure they don’t lose their voice and freedom as they grow up, while also trying to help those women who, through life, have lost their confidence to regain their strength and light.
WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MEAN TO YOU?
As I have said many times, I hope one day, in the not-so-distant future, the world will be equal between the genders and we won’t need to celebrate IWD. In the meantime, it is a very important day that serves both as a celebration and a reminder – recognising the women who continue to drive change, while acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done by both men and women. I am excited, though, to see everything we can achieve in the years to come.
Change needs to happen at three main levels: policy, company, and personal.
We need governments to urgently implement policies that create a fair playing field for women, from gender neutral parental leave to ensuring pension fund investments are split equally between men and women-led businesses, for example. Here I encourage women to use their vote and speak to their local members of parliament to make sure their voices are heard in policymaking.
We also need companies to address their gender gaps, but often in these cases change is only triggered by consumers or regulation. So I urge every woman to find out more about the companies they buy from and think very carefully about where they spend their money, to make sure the ethics and management behind those brands are aligned with their own values.
At a personal level, every one of us needs to take action in our households. Even in developed countries like the UK, still today, women do 70% more unpaid work than men, and let’s be clear: with this set-up we will never achieve gender equality. There are simply not enough hours in the day. We need to make sure that men take care of 50% of all unpaid tasks (and by these I mean from cooking to organising children’s playdates and everything in between), so women have as much time to invest in themselves and their careers as men do. Without equality at home, we will never achieve equality in society, and change has to be driven by us.
AS A FEMALE FOUNDER WHAT DID YOU TRY TO DO DIFFERENTLY AT DEMELLIER?
I always wanted to make sure that DeMellier operated differently from the norm in the industry, as a true meritocracy, with no filter of gender, race or any other bias when hiring and promoting. This has resulted in a team where 80% of senior management are women, who have mostly been selected unanimously by both a man and a woman together. I also want to add that at DeMellier we extend meritocracy beyond gender, and this has resulted in an incredibly diverse and vibrant team with 24 different nationalities and a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds. This is not only fair and just, but also makes business sense, as it allows us to attract the best talent and better understand our customers.
I also wanted DeMellier to serve as a platform to help other women, from spotlighting female change-makers, to ensuring fair wages and promotions for the female artisans who bring our designs to life.
On a personal level, I also try to help as many young women as I can to make sure they don’t lose their voice and freedom as they grow up, while also trying to help those women who, through life, have lost their confidence to regain their strength and light.
WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MEAN TO YOU?
As I have said many times, I hope one day, in the not-so-distant future, the world will be equal between the genders and we won’t need to celebrate IWD. In the meantime, it is a very important day that serves both as a celebration and a reminder – recognising the women who continue to drive change, while acknowledging that there is still a lot of work to be done by both men and women. I am excited, though, to see everything we can achieve in the years to come.
