Angelina Jolie Talks Femininity and Being the Muse of Mon Guerlain
In today's context, the word "femininity" is being redefined as more and more women explore and embrace it, as well as take ownership of it. But if anyone can represent and explain modern femininity, it's Angelina Jolie. The award-winning actress and humanitarian has used her influence to speak powerfully about women's rights and continues to call for change.
It's no surprise that she's the muse behind the Mon Guerlain Eau de Toilette, an olfactory ode to femininity. Also a filmmaker and mother-of-six, Jolie shares her thoughts on femininity and what it means to the modern-day woman.
"There is not one version of femininity; it can be a certain softness and grace, but it is also women marching or fighting for their rights or the rights of others."
- Angelina Jolie
What does femininity mean to you?
So many different things. There is not one version of femininity. It means different things at different times and in different places. It can be a certain softness and grace, but it is also women marching or fighting for their rights or the rights of others.
At what age did you feel the most at ease with your femininity?
When I first became a mother, and now. That sense of ease grows and changes with each passing year and each stage in life. For me, it is about learning to accept yourself and what life brings.
You are the spokesperson of a French perfume, we often hear about femininity “à la française”, how would you define it?
Classic, refined, understated elegance combined with strength of mind and character. Poise.
How would you explain this outdated idea that femininity fades after 40 whereas men get better with age?
It is simply not true. Wisdom, understanding, clarity of thought all the things that come with age are also beautiful and feminine qualities. I'd like to think we all get better with age – men and women.
Which female lead role have you played that best represents best femininity?
A Mighty Heart, because Marianne is a woman I admire and learn from. She has overcome so much with strength and grace.
How can a woman be truly at ease with her femininity when she is pulled in so many different directions: be beautiful, sexy yet don’t give in to the dictates of fashion and male dominant society?
There is nothing more attractive than someone being fully themselves, without inhibition, in whatever form that takes. We all recognise it when we see it – those women whose beauty is their spirit, and their inability to be anything other than true to themselves.
How can a perfume represent femininity?
By lending itself to your every mood, and escaping definition. That is what I love about Mon Guerlain.
Are femininity and feminism incompatible?
Equality is not about us all being the same, it is about the freedom to make our own choices and live our own lives fully, not at the expense of men, but alongside men. It is not about taking each other down but building each other up. I think it is not said enough how much we need the men in our lives to be strong and capable and the best they can be.
What would you like your girls to learn from your femininity?
To be themselves, fully. But honestly, they teach me, every single day. They are each so different, yet in their own way, each is such a strong character.
Mon Guerlain Eau de Toilette is available now in 30ml ($92), 50ml ($129) and 100ml ($195) at Guerlain counters at TANGS Plaza, Takashimaya D.S. and Metro Paragon.
