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Ali Harnell has spent 35 years shaping the live entertainment industry and advocating for women’s progress. Over Zoom in her office at Live Nation, the music industry veteran presents as a stylish executive with a casual, rocker-chic vibe that tracks with her career in Nashville—hair in undone waves, a classic denim jacket, and chunky gold rings against the backdrop of industry awards and a vintage Indigo Girls concert flyer.
 
Today, as Global President and Chief Strategy Officer of the Live Nation Women division at Live Nation Entertainment, Harnell’s career in the music industry has been defined by live performances and tours for some of the biggest acts in live entertainment. For The Formation blog, she shares her story with TFR in The Extra Mile interview series, celebrating the unstoppable women who are shaping the future of their industries.
 
Women ​Paving the Way in Entertainment
 
At Live Nation, Harnell produces live tours and leads the company’s division dedicated to driving progress for women, which she founded when she joined in 2019. As a tour promoter at the $28B global entertainment company in over 40 countries, Harnell’s team handles the nuts and bolts of tours from sales to production, sourcing venues, managing ticketing, bringing the talent’s production into the venue, and paying vendors. As head of Live Nation Women, Harnell works to drive the culture at Live Nation as a great company for women to work.
 
The division focuses on three pillars: advancing women internally at the company through resources, programs, and benefits; advocating for women across the industry; and amplifying the voices of women using Live Nation’s global platform and reach.
 
Under Harnell’s leadership, women’s advocacy initiatives have included Live Nation Women Circles, a peer-to-peer mentorship program, Live Nation Women Summits, and programs like “Listen with Live Nation Women,” which has covered topics from business and wealth-building for women to support for caregiving.
 
For her division’s amplification pillar, Harnell ensures that the industry’s big names have the platform to share their voices and bring their work to live audiences. In the last six years with Live Nation, Harnell has launched the tours of household names like Oprah, Katie Couric, Grammy-Award-winning artist and activist Brandi Carlile and podcast megastar Alex Cooper of “Call Her Daddy”—women who have reshaped their fields through originality.
 
"I got to do Katie Couric's book tour, which was great because, for me growing up, Katie was just such a beacon and north star of what women could do,” Harnell says of promoting the beloved journalist’s 11-city book tour for her memoir “Going There” in 2021.
 
In the American capital of country music, Harnell has stood by artists like Maren Morris, who briefly <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/19/23880804/maren-morris-country-music" target="_blank">distanced herself from country music in 2023</a> over political differences. “I love working with [Morris], who is very vocal and always fighting for what's right and never afraid and never backs down,” Harnell says.
 
Harnell produced Cooper’s sold-out <a rel="noopener" href="https://deadline.com/2024/09/alex-cooper-unwell-tour-adds-new-dates-1236074214/" target="_blank">“Unwell Tours”</a> prior to the influencer’s $125 million deal with SiriusXM for the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, which garners 13.5 million monthly listeners. “Alex came to play,” Harnell says of Cooper. “She knows how to market. She knows how to engage with her community so authentically.”
 
But the ultimate unmatchable woman for Harnell is the inimitable Oprah, whose hugely successful tour “Oprah’s 2020 Vision, Your Life in Focus” to a sold-out audience of 15,000 women was Harnell’s first large-scale arena tour at Live Nation.
 
For Harnell, this year’s Grammy Awards were a testament to the power of women in music—a moment that left Harnell feeling inspired and hopeful.
 
"You saw so many incredible artists who are one of a kind and who are expressing themselves in completely new and exciting ways,” she says.
 
“Unmatchable art is just that—unique, singular, innovative, fresh,” she explains, pointing to this year’s Grammy stage. Harnell calls leading artists like breakouts Doechii and Chappell Roan and icons Beyoncé and Lady Gaga “powerhouses” who not only speak to culture but become it.
 
Representation isn’t just about visibility for the entertainment executive; it’s about changing the landscape of entertainment itself. As Women’s History Month highlights the contributions of trailblazers past and present, Harnell is proud to champion artists who not only break boundaries in their craft but also take a stand for what matters. “You can’t be what you can’t see,” she says, emphasizing the importance of these moments for the next generation of artists and fans alike. She says Live Nation is committed to women artists and their fans. “That's what we do. That is the culture of art and music and connection.”
 
A Mindset for Manifestation
 
Before her current role at Live Nation, Harnell paused between contracts to spend two weeks answering the question, “What would I do if I could do anything?" The answer was focusing on what she did best—live entertainment—but specifically in service of more opportunities for women.
 
Harnell took a gold journal she’d received as a 50th birthday present and advice from her songwriter friend Brandy Clark to sit and write early in the morning. For those pivotal two weeks, each morning at 5 a.m., she drafted what became the pitch that led her to Live Nation. The company’s CEO, Michael Rapino, reviewed her pitch for a division dedicated to women in live entertainment, and Live Nation Women was born.
 
When it comes to investing in herself, Harnell enjoys rituals like her dream-job manifestation and little luxuries—like her gold journal or TFR’s Marie slingback in Champagne Metallic with sneaker-like support for high performance and a fresh, functional take on executive style. When Harnell was honored by Save the Music in 2024 in front of her industry peers, family and friends, she treated herself to a new suit to wear for the occasion.
 
"There is something about feeling your best,” Harnell says of the confidence investment pieces can give you “when you walk into a room or a space.”
 
Having spent decades at the forefront of the entertainment industry, Harnell has learned that mindset is everything. To get through a typical day, she emphasizes centering positive thoughts and affirmations, and setting intentions.
 
“To perform at my best I have to meditate. I swear it’s my super power. It’s been a long road to getting to where my practice is today, but it has changed my life.”
 
Her advice is to create your own balance for the season of life you’re in, citing the Rainer Maria Rilke quote: “No feeling is final.” At 57, Harnell’s children are grown and it’s a “different level of parenting and connection.” What works for Harnell today in her 50s is something she’s well aware isn’t the advice she’d give to her younger self or a mom raising kids today.
 
"I look back and I have no idea how I survived it and remained successful,” she says of the years closing deals and then racing home “to make dinner and make sure homework is done.” For working parents, she says figuring out your support network is “paramount.” Harnell draws a metaphor of a rollercoaster: Look at what scares you and then look at all the people who are already on the ride figuring out how to do it.
 
And while Harnell says there is no magic wand, you can start by giving yourself grace.
 
"Do your best and know that you're doing your best,” she says. “And if you need help, ask for it and find community, and you're gonna get through it and you're gonna get it done because we're getting it done.”
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Member Spotlight: Ali Harnell

Women supporting women is at the heart of TFR Shoes. As a Park City based company, the Women at Sundance event on January 25, 2025 was the perfect place to introduce the TFR collection and to have a hand in uplifting women in the film industry.
The road to co-sponsoring Women at Sundance began with an introduction from Pat Mitchell, a trustee of the Sundance Institute and a fellow member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF). We asked if she was aware of any opportunities to support women at the festival, and through her we learned of this event and its origins. Women at Sundance started in 2011 in the home of finance executive and women’s leadership advocate Jacki Zehner. Zehner, Mitchell, and other founding supporters started with an informal invitation for women to come together and create a stronger presence in the industry. In the 14 years that followed, the event has grown into a movement where industry powerhouses lead important conversations about women in film. Past speakers and guests include icons like Geena Davis, Gloria Steinem, Jennifer Seibel Newsome, and, this year, Amy Redford and Glenn Close (whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to!).
Thanks to Pat’s introduction, TFR connected with Jackie Zehner and the She Money team, who hosted this year’s event at KILN in Park City. 150 women from the film and technology industries attended, creating an inspiring atmosphere of sisterhood and support. TFR Shoes participated in the event’s pop-up shop with She Money, giving guests the opportunity to browse the collection firsthand and try on shoes. The most unforgettable part of the day, however, was Tori standing on stage to share the TFR Shoes story and officially announce the brand’s launch.
Outside of Women at Sundance, TFR Shoes also took part in Park City Fashion Week, held at The Marquis on Main Street. This event showcased local Utah designers and Park City boutiques while attracting hundreds of fashion enthusiasts. Another great chance to introduce TFR Shoes to the local community! Our booth gave guests the opportunity to explore the collection up close, appreciate the craftsmanship, and have their questions answered.
Joining Sundance was a great honor, but also just the beginning for TFR Shoes. As the company continues to grow, we are committed to deepening its roots and forming meaningful partnerships with fellow women-led businesses. Next in Park City is a trunk show at Grace Clothiers on Main Street, from March 13th-15th. Here, audiences who couldn’t make it to Sundance will have a chance to view the collection in person and learn more about TFR’s mission. We look forward to seeing you there!
The enthusiasm at Sundance reaffirmed what we have always believed: that today’s women demand more from their footwear. They won’t sacrifice comfort or function for beauty, they need all three. TFR Shoes was created for women who lead bold, active lives and refuse to be slowed down by their shoes. As TFR Shoes continues to grow and connect, we’re excited to be giving more women access to shoes that support them – in all ways.

Collection debuts at Women at Sundance and Park City Fashion Week

TFR Shoes officially launches at Sundance Film Festival

For a woman whose career has spanned nearly six decades across politics, media and consulting as an executive, author and speaker on women in business, Gail Evans has walked in many shoes. To celebrate the launch of TFR’s first collection of high-performance luxury shoes—and the unstoppable women who wear them—we sat down with the leadership expert to discuss career longevity, navigating transitions, and how to keep putting one foot forward, even when the road ahead is unknown.
Skimming Evans’ resume, it’s clear she’s left her mark over a long career. The trailblazer has contributed to defining cornerstones of American policy and the news cycle we know today. Evans first got her start on Capitol Hill, where she worked as a special advisor to LBJ on equal opportunity and the Civil Rights Act, setting up the president’s committee that eventually became the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1965. She was among the first employees when CNN launched in 1980 in Atlanta, where she’s still based. For decades, she’s been a sought-after consultant in politics and women’s leadership. 
Put simply, if anyone could be described as unstoppable, it’s Evans: She has had a pioneering career with such impact, she once tried to retire as an 80th birthday present to herself—and it didn’t stick. 
“That lasted for six weeks,” she says with a laugh. Because of the demand for her leadership and expertise (and her insatiable drive), she quickly boomeranged back into consulting when the first intriguing project came across her desk. 
Even in her 80s, Evans is proving she’s far from finished. She’s still consulting on women-centered projects for clients like Delta Air Lines (on an initiative to get more women into top management positions), the <a href="https://thehgbfoundation.org/">Helen Gurley Brown Foundation</a>, and in politics where she began. 
Embracing Evolutions
Fast forward from her time in the White House, and Evans was writing books and lecturing about women in business. 
“I feel as though my life is circular,” she says. “I took a 30-year detour to have a career to discover all the things that I believed when I was 21 were true. And now I come back to it 50 years later and actually have the empirical evidence that it was true.”
It might feel nice to be right, but Evans would’ve rather been wrong about where women would be today, even if her book <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/play-like-a-man-win-like-a-woman-gail-evans/1004707261">“Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman”</a> is still in print and selling copies 25 years later. 
“I really believed, when I wrote it, that books like that would be irrelevant 25 years later,” she says with a frankness that’s characteristic of her books, lectures (and this interview). “That actually isn't exciting to me because that means 25 years later we're still dealing with issues we dealt with 25 years ago that I wish for my daughters and granddaughters and great-granddaughters would just be gone.”
Reflecting on her journey in male-dominated spaces, Evans has seen some progress but not enough.
“Every place I went, it just seemed like there were 14 men and me in the room,” she says of where she started. “I think that's changed today. It's probably five men and me. But it's still a battle.”
On the evolution of roles for women in her various industries, Evans is blunt, but she also tells a great story, the kind with juicy historical trivia that commands respect for being in the room where it happens. She has been in the game long enough that she was there as an early contributor—but not exactly getting the credit for it. When asked about her role in shaping the landmark policy of the Civil Rights Act, we get to talking about job titles of the time, and Evans spills the tea. 
“I can tell you, back in those days, by and large, a little in the Kennedy administration, and then the Johnson administration, [for] the majority of women, the title was ‘Secretaries’—except that we were researchers,” she recalls. “We were everything. We did everything that the boss needed for the background to make it happen.” 
Story time. Evans has a treasure trove of illuminating anecdotes that, when weaved together, offer a timeline of how far we’ve come, even if we do have further to go. 
“It was a very different kind of world. We had a lot of freedom and a lot of policy got written and researched by young women and probably young men who worked on Capitol Hill and worked in the agencies,” she says of the White House “secretaries” who were actually writing the policy that became equal opportunity law. 
It was on Capitol Hill that Evans found agency and ownership over her career, but the role Evans says she learned the most from was being one of CNN’s early employees. She joined CNN a month after the network was on air, at a time when few believed it would succeed. She quickly learned that there’s nothing you can't do if you're strategic, smart, and willing to work hard.
“Everybody laughed at us and said, ‘You're nobody, you can't do it.’ They called us the Chicken Noodle Network, and every day we came in and said, ‘Okay, we can figure this out.’ And we did.” 
Unlocking Your Inner Power—and Your Best Performance
For Evans, finding your inner power is the driving force behind tuning out the haters and turning a tough transition into a brilliant transformation. Evans’ twofold philosophy to unlock her power—staying present and avoiding the trap of multitasking—has guided her through decades of high-stakes work. 
“When you are multitasking, you are never fully focused,” she says. “If you want to access your real power, you can't be doing 12 things at once.”
Presence, on the other hand, leads to better decision-making and fewer mistakes. Evans says she gets all of her power from focusing on the present moment, a trick that works even when you’re not perfect. 
“Most people live in the past or in the future,” Evans says. “I show up ready to play, focused on what's happening now. And you have a lot more power, knowledge, [and] ability if you're in the present.” 
In addition to the countless pearls of wisdom Evans brings from her experience in live TV and entrepreneurship, Evans embodies the TFR philosophy that a frictionless life leads to peak performance. Whether it’s a crisis strategy, a grounding mindset or a <a href="https://tfrshoes.com/products/marie-20mm-foam">supportive slingback</a> to get you through your week, the tools in your playbook should empower you to thrive under pressure and perform your best. 
“Very successful people in very stressful businesses stay calm and frictionless when things are at their worst,” Evans says. 
When things inevitably go wrong, Evans says inner power is finding the courage to cut your losses, strategize your next steps, and move forward with clarity. For her, inner power isn’t about perfection. It comes from knowing you’re already good enough, equipped to overcome setbacks, adapt and grow without feeling the need to constantly "fix" yourself.
Evans’ parting advice for today’s young professional women: Never settle for less than you can truly achieve.

How to Unlock Your Inner Power (and Best Performance) from a Capitol Hill Trailblazer

Member Spotlight: Gail Evans

It’s early September in Berlin and digital artist and TFR guest collaborator Gretchen Andrew has a busy month. She’s a woman who is going places, in her career quest to see if the Internet can make her a famous artist, and in the most literal sense: She takes our Zoom call on foot, speed-walking to catch a glimpse of “Facetune Portraits,” the exhibition she’s showing at Berlin Art Week, before the sun goes down. 
For the brand launch of TFR, Andrew designed “Dreams to Reality,” a series of NFTs celebrating the first collection of footwear. Andrew splits her time between London and Park City and travels often (“Facetune Portraits” tours in Paris, Miami, San Francisco, New York and Dubai in the next six months), so the collaboration was a true fit, pairing an artist manifested from an experiment on the Internet with the ambitious mission to invent a luxury dress shoe with the insole of a sneaker. 
“For the digital collectible we decided to go for an animation that reflects Tori’s journey in making the shoes and also the literal and metaphorical journeys we hope the women who wear them go on, ‘from dreams to reality,’” Andrew says of the NFTs in collaboration with TFR’s eponymous founder, Tori Forbes-Roberts. Each of the three pieces of digital collectible art come with an animated, mixed-media illustration of a TFR shoe rendering becoming real, and an affirmation for the wearer.   
For the photo shoot for the collaboration, the artist, whose self-described style includes elevated sporty looks for “literally running from one thing to the next,” wore the Katharine loafer from the collection and “loved the way it felt both powerful and comfortable.” 
On Owning Your Likeness—And Your Power
As a format, NFTs mirror the footwear line’s unmatchable designs. (Any person who has limped in heels can appreciate that, like an elusive dress shoe that feels like walking on clouds, NFTs are unique because they can’t be replicated.) Andrew’s NFT collection for the brand ties into her larger body of work through themes of manifestation, which Andrew explains as her way of hacking the Internet. In her art project and career challenge to become a successful artist online, Andrew set out to use search engines to build associations between her and a famous artist, attacking the “subconscious of the Internet.” 
“I was using these very girly and frivolous ideas of vision boards and affirmations and manifestation, but I was using them in a technically structured way where they were changing Google search results,” Andrew says, pointing to the power a democratized Internet gives the end user. The results were effective. “They were manipulating these big tech algorithms.”
In her touring exhibition, Andrew’s featured collection of portraits employ custom robotics to apply the same face-tune filters that social media users try on to beautify themselves—but using physical paint instead of digital filters. 
Andrew’s robot distorts the faces and bodies of her subjects to expose “where the power is in how we represent ourselves,” by visualizing in the physical world what AI does to our likenesses in the online world. Like an alarm to remind us of our humanity, the work seems to tap the viewer on the shoulder and say, particularly to women: We have power, and we are giving it away to technology. 
“These tools seem like they're very self-empowering because they let us decide how we want to be represented. But then they go into this algorithmic system where someone else has determined that if you look this way, you're more likely to get exposure on these platforms,” Andrew says. 
“The sense of choice disappears quite quickly.”
Andrew has used the robotics to face-tune her own portraits as well as influencers and singers whose careers rely on social media—all of whom understand the pressure to aesthetically appeal to the algorithm while promoting their creative work. 
“I also know if I post a pretty photo, my next three photos will get more traction,” Andrew says, explaining the catch-22, where creators are on social media to work but “are rewarded if we look pretty.” 
What makes the artist’s commentary interesting on a meta level is the irony of using the very manipulation tools and technology she’s commenting on to make the art. After all, visibly distorting subjects’ physical personhood, rather than their online avatars, demonstrates the harm more starkly. So does Andrew see AI’s influence on the algorithms as perilous, or as a tool in her artist palette? While she believes it’s generally bad to normalize using AI tools and filters to manipulate reality, part of how she views her role as an Internet artist is to educate on how the technology works by taking it to an “absurd” level.
Andrew says the wisest course to chart is not to run from (or attempt to outrun) technology but to “rearrange our expectations and personal relationships to it.” She believes the future of AI will be “a lot like the way that capitalism is in our world where it's pervasive; it impacts everything; it changes our priorities.” 
“No creator can fully exist outside of the capitalist system. And that I think is going to be true for AI and, and artists as well.” 
On Making Yourself Unmatchable in the Future of Work 
Andrew spends a lot of time thinking about what makes us human—vulnerability, emotional capacity, desires and unfulfilled dreams—and reframing the negative connotations associated with our fragility as assets in the mixed universe of the future.
If using AI at work is as inevitable as it seems, Andrew’s advice for creators and high-performing women in industries where the future of work is changing is to try to remember you’re not competing with the AI. 
“There are a billion versions of AI and a billion bots and none of them are you.” 
According to the artist, the key is in your humanity, and being yourself. 
“Make yourself irreplaceable,” Andrew says. “Who are you that is different than any other person in the world? If you can believe that who you are matters even to yourself, then you’re the only you that will ever exist.” 
Andrew’s self-transformation and global success are proof of believing in your inner power, answering the question in her virtual experiment on how the algorithm manipulates us—and what happens when we manipulate back. 
As a creator who believes an artist’s job is being celebrated for their unique self, Andrew says, like an irreplaceable NFT, each unique human is inherently unmatchable. 
More than a decade after a false start in Silicon Valley using her degree in information systems and theory (she loved tech but hated her job), Andrew has found a way to use technology to show the public how it’s misused. 
“That was like 15 years ago. Here we are and I’m running around Berlin because I've got this big exhibition opening. ‘It's worked’ is kind of the point.” 
System hacked.

FaceTune portrait artist Gretchen Andrew on how to make yourself irreplaceable in the era of AI

Member Spotlight: Gretchen Andrew

Innovative footwear is an evolving industry marrying aesthetic with ease, which is why we’re so excited to pair each purchase of TFR shoes with a totally unique digital collectible.
TFR Digital Certificate of Authenticity
You may be asking: What business does a performance luxury shoe brand have to do with digital collectibles? There are already several fashion brands with a collectibles presence in the metaverse, from Gucci to Nike. We’re not doing this to follow their lead, though. We’re doing it our way, to provide a value proposition that’s true to our brand.
TFR’s approach to digital collectibles aligns nicely with our small-batch production. In our case, the digital art serves as a certificate of authenticity, making every TFR product uniquely collectable. The batch number, production quantity, and art series is provided at time of purchase. The batch number is also printed on the sole of the shoe.
For example, our initial production run (batch TFR001) is 250 pairs per style which means only 250 units of the digital art will be created or “minted.” At time of purchase, the digital art is minted (embedded with blockchain code), then deposited to your member account on The Formation*. You “own” it from here on out and can view, download, and/or share to your social media. If NFTs are your thing, you can also easily connect your crypto wallet and convert the art to an NFT with a single click.
Women Supporting Women in Digital Art
TFR, at its core, is a platform for women to help other women. We support women in the art world by commissioning female artists to create our digital collectibles. Our first digital collectibles were created by <a href="https://theformation.tfrshoes.com/blogs/inspired/articles/gretchenandrew">Gretchen Andrew</a>, a Park City neighbor with global recognition. Her series is called “Dreams Into Reality” and is a representation of TFR’s dream of creating a luxury shoe line coming to fruition. It also reinforces the power of positive words: What we say to ourselves to encourage us to keep pursuing those dreams––no matter how big or small.
Whether you’re an avid collector of digital currencies or just a lover of great shoes, this is the next generation where innovation meets style.
 
<a href="https://tfrshoes.com/collections/2025collection">SHOP TFR</a>
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 *Digital Collectibles are a member benefit of The Formation, TFR’s community. <a href="https://tfrshoes.com/pages/sign-up">It’s free to join The Formation</a>, plus receive a limited edition digital collectible as a special welcome gift for new members.
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Each pair of TFR shoes is uniquely authenticated with a digital collectible.

Ever Received One-Of-A-Kind Artwork With Your Shoes? Start Here.

Marie Curie was the first woman in France to receive a PhD in Physics and the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize. She received the award for her work in Physics in 1903, an honor she shared with her husband and another colleague, Pierre Becquerel. She’s also the only person––male or female––to receive two Nobel Prizes in separate disciplines, with the second honor achieved in Chemistry, on her own, in 1911.
Her accomplishments are an inspiration for women who work in STEM, but the way she got there likely resonates with all of us. Marie was often described as “quiet, dignified, unassuming,” which sound to us like euphemisms for those likely to be underestimated. But what she really demonstrated was an uncommon intelligence, intensity, and will. She pushed herself hard to be the smartest and hardest worker in the room. She was someone who wanted to win on merit. Because good gets noticed, right? Not always.
Despite being the best and brightest, her contributions in the discovery of radioactivity that ultimately led to the first Nobel prize were still downplayed. Her skeptics among the French Academy of Sciences tried to exclude her from the award and give it to her two male research partners: her husband and Becquerel. Rightfully, her husband advocated for her and her role in their discoveries. Ultimately, the three shared the prize. A supportive partner, whether you work in the same field or not, continues to be a key attribute for many successful women today. 
Marie was also a working mom. She and her husband, Pierre, had two daughters together. Long before the days of daycare, society norms at the time would have her leave work to raise her children. Instead, her father-in-law stepped in to help raise the girls. She was heavily judged by those around her for not spending more time raising her children. Despite all of her professional achievements, the press tried to alter her story, emphasizing her role as mother, wife, and humanitarian, downplaying her role in science. Those were the roles that women were expected to play. More than 100 years later, these expectations are not entirely extinguished.
Thankfully, Marie overcame obstacles in her career and still found time to pave the way for others to follow her lead. She was a teacher, tutor, and mentor for girls in science, including her daughters. One of them followed in her mom’s footsteps, became a scientist, and also won a Nobel prize. Marie knew that our success as pioneers shouldn’t be defined by the destinations we reach, but by our ability to pave new paths for others on their way to bigger and better places.
 
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The trailblazing legacy of Marie Curie, the namesake of our Marie slingback

Be A Marie

Our version of a ballet flat gets its name from Hélène de Pourtalès, a pioneer for women in sports and an Olympic champion. As one of the first women to compete in the Olympic games, Hélène paved the way for today’s greats: Katie, Simone, Sha’Carri, Diana, Ilona and so many others.
It’s no secret that we endorse women’s empowerment and equality here at TFR, which means we were, obviously, glued to our televisions for much of July and August watching the Summer Olympics in Paris. For the first time in Olympic history, these 2024 games had an equal number of men and women competing. But it was the women who shone in these games, bringing home more than half of the medals for powerhouses like Team USA, China and Australia, and breaking many records along the way. 
It took a long time to get to gender parity. The first modern Olympics, held in Athens in 1896, had 241 athletes. And they were all males. That same year, it was announced that women would be allowed to compete in the next games to be held in Paris in 1900. There, women were allowed to compete in no more than five disciplines: golf, tennis, sailing, croquet, and equestrianism. Unsurprisingly, this was not welcomed news. But it opened the door for the first 20 women to compete in an Olympic games, including Hélène de Pourtalès.
Hélène’s sport was sailing, an interest ignited by her father when she was a child. She also had great female mentors in the sport, including Baroness Julie von Rothschild, whose passion and competitive spirit earned her the title of “fastest yachting lady” of her day. Hélène married Hermann de Pourtalès, a fellow yachtsman who shared her passion for sailing. They competed together in multiple regattas, eventually qualifying for the 1900 Olympics where they won two medals for Switzerland––a gold and silver––and Hélène became the first female Olympic Gold medalist on May 22, 1900, at the age of 32. 
Hélène's fame after the 1900 Games was short-lived, not least due to the prevailing negative sentiment among the press and rest of society about women in sport. She spent the rest of her life in anonymity. Hélène's passion, competitive spirit, and fearlessness in a place where she wasn’t fully welcome are an inspiration for the women of TFR.
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What the early Olympic games have to do with our Helene Ballet Flat

Sport Meets Sophistication: Introducing Helene

Our inaugural loafer, the Katharine, gets its name from trailblazer and Washington Post luminary, Katharine Graham. Though Miss Graham was born into The Washington Post––her financier father having purchased it in 1933––it was under Katharine’s leadership that the face of journalism was forever changed.
Katharine was led to her position at the helm of The Washington Post when her husband, president and former publisher of The Washington Post, Phillip Graham, committed suicide. But it was not a seamless transition. In the 1970s, women in journalism, let alone positions of authority, were uncommon. While we celebrate Katharine’s headstrong leadership today, it took her years to find her voice in a male-dominated industry. 
Though she was one of the first female CEOs of a Fortune 500 company, as well as one of the first female publishers, it was Graham’s decision to publish the Pentagon Papers, effectively exposing the Watergate scandal and eventually leading to the resignation of Richard Nixon, that helped solidify the magnitude of her cultural contribution. What binds Katharine to the women who inspire TFR, however, is her determination, grace, and conviction.
The Katharine loafer is imbued with elegance and versatility, a nod to the woman who forever altered journalism, paving the way for female CEOs, publishers, and writers. You could say we’ve got big shoes to fill.
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