International Women’s Day 2026: celebrating beauty and strength in all its forms
As we continue to scale new peaks and reach ambitious targets, each year, on 8 March, we show our gratitude and appreciation for the strong and determined women we have by our side. Their ambition, expertise and continuous efforts are some of the most important pillars that keep us steady and accelerate our growth.
As a company, we have made it a tradition to bring into the spotlight, one by one, our amazing women, amplifying their voices and their stories. And, as within every journey in life, it’s important to celebrate how far you’ve come, yet it’s equally important to assess what improvements you can implement and how you can do better in all aspects.
So, this year, we wanted to do something different. It was essential for us to pause and acknowledge the enormous positive impact produced by all women everywhere, not only in our small circles. For this, we had to educate ourselves on how we can all build safe spaces for women to grow and progress, to create platforms for their stories to be heard and to cheer on their success as we would on our own, as the only way to go forward is to go together.
Luckily, we had the right person by our side.
Mihaela Noroc is a photographer and the bestselling author of The Atlas of Beauty, a photography collection showcasing women across the globe, from different cultures, religions, backgrounds and social status. Ever since its release, her book became an international phenomenon, with prestigious international publications praising her project. But, along with the praise and recognition, her work changed perceptions upon modern beauty standards and celebrated diversity.
Last week, Mihaela visited our office for a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to International Women’s Day. At our meeting, Mihaela took us through her many journeys and offered us a glimpse into the lives of women from all over the world.
And thus, we’ve learned how it all started.
Art was always a part of Mihaela’s life due to her upbringing and her parents, and photography came as an extension of that. She was always drawn to photographing women, starting with the ones most important to her, capturing their beauty.
In periods when her professional life took other turns, she felt that a big part of her was missing, feeling unhappy or uneasy. After a trip to Ethiopia, a country where she discovered beauty in such contrasting forms, she decided to start backpacking around the world to meet other women and create a collection of photographs that will change how we perceive beauty.
"The Atlas of Beauty came naturally", she told us, without a perfectly defined strategy, but coming into place as puzzle pieces that were always meant to be together. This did not mean that the process will come without challenges, maybe surprising ones. Apart from the logistic aspects, such as the dangers of travelling to countries with political conflicts taking place or even war, women were skeptical to be photographed. This was due, most of the time, to how they related to modern beauty standards and feeling inadequate or not good enough. Their voices were shy, and their attitude closed off.
But why did this overwhelming project work, given the scale, challenges, and skepticism? Two elements: "because we respond and open up to positive energy and because women, despite everything, are strong. I just borrow a little strength from them within each interaction", said Mihaela.
And, as she was chasing her missing puzzle pieces, Mihaela realised that she could do more. She could be the one to offer women a platform and a voice and expose their problems, celebrate their success and accomplishments alongside their beauty.
The Atlas of beauty was completed because of that and offered the world a lesson not only concerning beauty standards, but made us understand that the responsibility lies in each one of us to do more.
What we learned.
Mihaela's journey taught us something simple, yet profound: that when women are truly seen, something shifts. At the conclusion of the event, we left feeling both inspired and more responsible to uphold our commitment to continue to create a more equitable world for us all, to support women, to create spaces where they can be seen and heard, to understand that they have a seat at every table.
We keep this commitment with us beyond one single day of the year, on International Women’s Day. We keep celebrating the strong women within our company and around the world every day.
