Strong women who inspire me: Marie Curie

I wrote a post about Frida Kahlo a while ago. In it, I explain that I like to pay homage to strong and relevant women in history by naming my designs after them . I see it as an act of sisterhood and a way to connect with women.

Back then, I was just about to launch my Frida model , which has graced so many Mimètik brides ever since. I recently launched a new bridal collection , so another model joined the Mimètik line. When I was in the design phase, I started thinking about what to name the dress. It was something simple and more understated than my other models, yet incredibly elegant . Then I began to think about fields where women are undervalued, and while this is sadly still common today in most disciplines, I think female scientists are the most overlooked . And then it became clear: my new wedding dress would be called Marie, in honor of Marie Curie , a pioneering and unique scientist of her time.

Marie Curie was born Maria Skłodowska on this day in 1867 in Poland, during the Russian occupation. She had to go to France to study, as women in her country were not allowed to reach certain levels of education . This never made her forget her roots; she always knew where she came from, and her culture was always very present in her family. She was a woman driven by a thirst for knowledge and a desire to discover what others believed impossible. Motivated from the very beginning by her desire to learn , she didn't let any injustice hinder her brilliant career as a scientist . It is precisely her tenacity that I admire most about her. She didn't let anyone decide for her simply because she was a woman. She took control of her destiny , both personal and professional, throughout her life.

Marie Curie was a true pioneer in her field . She fought to forge a future for herself and to be able to study as a woman. In fact, she managed to gain admission to the Sorbonne University and graduated first in her class in Physics and second in Mathematics. Some time later, she received the Nobel Prize in Physics along with her husband and another great scientist, thus becoming the first woman in history to achieve this . But Marie's milestones didn't end there, as she was also appointed the first female Professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris . Marie's curiosity wasn't satisfied, and she continued researching until she discovered that radiotherapy could be a treatment for cancer. So, just five years after winning her Nobel Prize in Physics, Marie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry , this time on her own. This is how Marie became not only the first woman to win two of these prestigious prizes, but also the first person in history to achieve this feat . Currently, more than 100 years later, only 3 other people have achieved this recognition.

Marie Curie was a truly inspiring person , focused on her work and her fight for self-recognition, free from the unfair interference of outdated ideologies. In her conversations and explanations, she left behind some truly motivating phrases. Nothing would please me more than to encourage girls today to become future researchers like Marie if that is their dream.

“There is nothing to fear in life, only to understand.”

“Life isn’t worth worrying about so much.”

"It would be better to be less curious about people and more curious about ideas."

"Science is done by people, anywhere, even in an attic, when they have the investigative genius, and not by laboratories, however rich and well-equipped they may be."

And finally, one of his reflections that has touched me deeply :

“Life isn’t easy for any of us. But… what does it matter! We must persevere and, above all, have confidence in ourselves. We must feel capable of achieving something, and that we must attain it, no matter the cost.”

I hope you found the story of this curious and innovative woman as interesting and inspiring as I did.

A hug,