Meet Brand YOU, the new collaborative initiative from Mushroom Group and the Victorian Government, by women, for women.
Being a young woman isn’t always as exciting as it’s made out to be. Finding your authentic self, starting your first intimate relationship, and laying a foundation for adulthood through new studies or career opportunities – these milestones all come with complexities that are often challenging to handle solo.
Young women and men are subject to different expectations and pressures during adolescence. As such, their health and wellbeing can differ drastically, with young women often getting the short end of the stick and moving through the world feeling like they’re valued more for their looks than anything else, struggling with self-image, and feeling drained by the inescapable grasp of social media.
The health and wellbeing of young women are driven by unequal gender norms and influenced by parents, teachers, health or social professionals and the media. This is why it is crucial to provide young women with diverse role models.
It often takes resilience and support for young women to feel confident. This is why Mushroom Group has teamed up with the Victorian Government’s Office for Women to create Brand YOU.
Brand YOU is an initiative that brings together the powerful voices of women in the Australian music industry to deliver a message of self-empowerment, support, respect, and connectivity.
This initiative combines the genius of female powerhouse musicians and behind-the-scenes counterpart experts to talk about the pressures that impact women every day. One of these women is rising talent, D’Arcy Spiller.
“Confidence to be yourself is key,” she says.
Spiller is no stranger to the limelight, having starred on multiple episodes of ABC’s The Sound as well as writing show’s theme music. And there’s no slowing down for Spiller, her emphatic lyricism branding her as Australia’s answer to Florence Welch or Maggie Rogers.
Spiller hopes her involvement helps young women and girls embrace their differences and ditch self-doubt. She has two mantras she lives by:
“I am human, I am not perfect” and “I am fierce and I decide what is good for me”.
Spiller says the act of saying these things to herself is uplifting and confidence-building.
It’s hard to imagine the likes of Isabella Manfredi aka izzi – known for her enthralling stage presence – suffering from low-self esteem; or Sophie Payten – better known by her stage name, Gordi, who has supported the likes of Troye Sivan, Bon Iver and Sam Smith – feeling insecure. But as well as being musical heroes, they too are human and face the same uncertainties as anyone else.
“Comparing myself to other people is my biggest enemy,” says Spiller. “I always have to remind myself I’m not built the same way and that I want to create myself and the way I live differently.”
Brand YOU is designed to bring insights from some of Australia’s most savvy, resilient, and influential women straight to young women facing challenging issues.
From the onset of puberty, young women are treated differently by society, often changing the way they feel about their bodies and abilities, causing them to retreat into themselves and shy away from the things they once loved. Young women are stifled by expectation as well as fear of judgement, humiliation or harassment.
And while biological factors and gender identity undoubtedly shape life experiences and outcomes of young women, it is the intersections between sex and gender and other factors that can lead to dual discrimination.
Brand YOU is an initiative made by women, for women, representing all women. It’s about overcoming challenges, self-empowerment, developing self-confidence, respecting yourself and others, sharing experiences and building a connected community.
It’s brought to you by women who live their lives in the spotlight: differentiating their authentic self from their larger-than-life media profile, practising discipline, dealing with critics and reviews, and navigating the music industry’s tumultuous landscape and pervasive culture of male dominance.
Alongside D’Arcy Spiller, the initiative is helmed by a strong lineup of incredible women.
Unshackled by labels or barriers is the dexterous and adventurous Alice Ivy, a multi-instrumentalist and producer with an eclectic signature sound of soul-inspired electronic pop. She’s known for curating safe spaces for collaboration and her euphoric and kaleidoscopic body of work.
Proving that women can do it all is Gordi, a folk-pop singer and producer, a trained medical doctor and a champion for the LGBTQIA+ community. She oozes emotional intelligence and has all the expertise to musically break your heart, evoke your deepest emotions, and physically put you all back together again.
And then there’s izzi, one of the most fierce and respected women in the Australian music industry. She is magnetic, dynamic, and has an unflinching knack for diverse songwriting.
Expect to see a lot more of these musical heroines in the months to come, as each are paired with an influential woman working behind-the-scenes in the Australian music industry to begin opening conversations on the issues relevant to young women today.
Stay tuned to Beat’s Facebook over the coming weeks to watch the Brand YOU video series come to life.
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