{"id":758,"date":"2020-06-23T18:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T08:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=174474"},"modified":"2020-10-31T19:43:12","modified_gmt":"2020-10-31T19:43:12","slug":"what-donatella-versace-jane-fonda-ava-duvernay-and-barbara-sturm-wish-they-had-known-at-20","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/what-donatella-versace-jane-fonda-ava-duvernay-and-barbara-sturm-wish-they-had-known-at-20\/","title":{"rendered":"What Donatella Versace, Jane Fonda, Ava DuVernay And Barbara Sturm Wish They Had Known At 20"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month, luxury retail powerhouse and champion of the feminine pursuit, Net-a-Porter<\/a>, celebrates its 20th anniversary. To mark the milestone, they have asked 20 inspiring women of all ages and backgrounds<\/a> \u2013 from designers to performers, storytellers to activists \u2013 to share what they wish they had known at 20.<\/p>\n

From 82-year-old actress and activist, Jane Fonda, who says she was like a “colander” at 20 – compliant and desperate to be liked, to the unrelenting gusto of filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who was studying at UCLA and was \u201cvery ambitious, very focused on being successful” even at this early age, women across all fields glean the wisdom they would tell their younger selves.<\/p>\n

read: SAY IT LOUD. NET-A-PORTER CELEBRATES THE SISTERHOOD WITH 20 EXCLUSIVE T-SHIRTS FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN\u2019S DAY<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Some are first-person self-affirmations, others are wholly reflective and retrospective, but despite their format, this introspection from some of the most inspiring and interesting women in the world is both powerful and compelling, and above all else, vital. A reminder that we all need to be gentler on ourselves.<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Alison Loehnis, President NET-A-PORTER & MR PORTER:<\/span>
\n\u201cYou are younger than you think. You will never feel like a grown-up. Never underestimate the power of a smile. You will never regret time spent with family and friends. Travel, travel, travel! Grades don\u2019t really matter that much, hard work does. Go with your gut \u2013 it rarely lets you down. What does not kill you makes you stronger \u2013 truly. Your longstanding love of fashion will one day come in handy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Donatella Versace:<\/span>
\n“I would tell myself that I am going to have an incredible life, full of love, but also with its share of pain…\u00a0That I am going to be a survivor, and for that reason I will feel a stronger connection to people, especially those who suffer or are being mistreated.”<\/p>\n

Margaret Atwood:<\/span>
\n“It’s 1960 in Canada, few writers make a living, and everyone knows women writers are bat-shit crazy and doomed to be single.\u00a0 My advice: times will change and so will attitudes. You can help change them.”<\/p>\n

Jane Fonda:<\/span>
\n\u201cI would tell myself that NO is a complete sentence. At 20 I was like a colander, I had no boundaries, I desperately wanted to be liked and so whatever anybody wanted I would be compliant.”<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Janet Mock:<\/span>
\n“Don\u2019t let anyone\u2019s lack of imagination, low expectations, or distorted projections sway you from your path.”<\/p>\n

Ava DuVernay:<\/span>
\n“I only learned in the past decade that whatever bad thing you are going through isn\u2019t happening to you, it\u2019s happening for you.”<\/p>\n

Gillian Anderson:\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u201cDon\u2019t worry about what anyone else thinks of you. Your opinion is the only one that matters.”<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Isabel Marant:<\/span>
\n\u201cI think your 20s is a period in which you search for yourself and an age where you can play a lot with your look. And that\u2019s something you should do, to find yourself and to gain self-confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emilia Wickstead:<\/span>
\n“It\u2019s easy to get swept up when you\u2019re following your heart, but appreciating the present is an important part of the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charlotte Tilbury:<\/span>
\n“I received a note from a Beauty Editor saying \u201cKnock it to them, Charlotte. I know you\u2019ll be a star.\u201d It encouraged me to keep following my dreams during tough times and really gave me motivation when I was cold calling for jobs and struggling.”<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Misty Copeland:<\/span>
\n\u201cMost of all, embrace all that is to come and know that your voice can be used to bring about change far beyond what you\u2019ll do on the stage during your career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zainab Salbi:<\/span>
\n“Oh, how I wish for my 20-year-old self to know that she is so beautiful. That her beauty comes from her loving heart and radiant soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Roisin Murphy:<\/span>
\n\u201cMy 20-year-old self was my most instinctive self. I signed my record deal when I was 20, so I would tell myself that following my gut, going with the flow, was the right thing \u2013 but take away the anxiety that I didn\u2019t deserve it, that I wouldn\u2019t be able to handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Barbara Sturm:<\/span>
\n\u201cDon\u2019t spend too much time worrying about things you can\u2019t change. Just move on and smile, because it doesn\u2019t matter in the scheme of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

MARIA BALSHAW:
\n<\/span>\u201cIt would have been nice if someone had also tipped me off that I would one day run the Tate that I so loved visiting when I was 20. But I wouldn\u2019t have believed them.\u201d
\n
\nBernardine Evaristo:<\/span>
\n\u201cI\u2019d tell her to consciously develop a positive mental attitude sooner rather than later, because it will get her through the difficult times, which might last many years. It will also help her grow her talent, achieve her goals and make her more compassionate towards her fellow humans, which is important for a writer who needs to understand and be non-judgemental towards their fictional creations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE:<\/span>
\n\u201cLooking now (at 41) at photos of myself at 20, I cannot believe how much time I wasted believing that I was not enough just as I was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simone Rocha<\/span>: \u201cI was in my first year of my masters at CSM. I would say to myself listen, concentrate, and contribute; [and] visit the library more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"net-a-porter<\/p>\n

Gucci Westman:<\/span>
\n\u201cNever be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone. If you don\u2019t try, you will never know what that new opportunity could have brought you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tata Harper:<\/span> “This is a time that you will never get back. Put yourself out there and don\u2019t let anyone or anything stop you. Most importantly, have fun!”<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAll images via Net-a-Porter<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":759,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[30,17,16],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Donatella Versace, Jane Fonda, Ava DuVernay And Barbara Sturm Wish They Had Known At 20 - Grazia USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/what-donatella-versace-jane-fonda-ava-duvernay-and-barbara-sturm-wish-they-had-known-at-20\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Donatella Versace, Jane Fonda, Ava DuVernay And Barbara Sturm Wish They Had Known At 20\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This month, luxury retail powerhouse and champion of the feminine pursuit, Net-a-Porter, celebrates its 20th anniversary. 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