Julie Bishop discusses the power of fashion in a male-dominated government
After a long career in law and politics, Julie Bishop is no stranger to being a woman in a male-dominated workplace.
Throughout her time in parliament, Julie was told by "an older white male" within her party to dress more like a Minister for Aging should, to "drop the corporate look" in favour of "cardigans", and was mockingly dubbed the Minister for Fashion while Foreign Minister.
"I had forged a career in law at a time when there were very few women in senior ranks and so I was accustomed to being in a very male dominated profession, so I didn't ever see my career through a gender lens," Bishop tells 9Honey in London.
"It was the norm to me, but over time, I did find the different standard, somewhat frustrating, but I knew why that happened because all the conventions and protocols and attitudes in parliament were established at a time when there were no women in parliament and it takes a long time to change people's attitudes."
As Julie forged her own way through the walls of Parliament House and demanded respect from her male colleagues, she found a way to harness her love of fashion to make a political statement.
Following in the footsteps of Madeleine Albright, the first female US Secretary of State – a woman Bishop says she "admired enormously" – she tried her hand at "brooch diplomacy" for a while "but I found that the use of colour was even more powerful".
Bishop began to help drive the fashion industry contributing approximately $13 billion to the Australian economy at the time, with the invaluable help of Vogue Australia editor Edwina McCann.
"I have come to accept that there are different standards applied to female politicians as opposed to male politicians but I use that, I think, to the advantage of Australia," she tells 9Honey.
"I was representing Australia overseas. So I deliberately chose Australian fashions that were notable and appropriate to send a message that necessarily meant that there would be media focus on my clothes, so I could hardly complain about it.
"But there were times when my promotion of Australian fashion was the subject of criticism. I believe that came about because of ignorance."
"My critics ridiculed me by calling me the Minister for Fashion [but] little did they realise that I absolutely revelled in that and wore it as a badge of honour."
"I felt vindicated every time a young designer said to me, 'Julie, when you wear one of my outfits on the world stage, I've made it. Suddenly the orders come in. Suddenly, people want to know me.' That was my vindication."
Image credits: 9Honey