Issue 24 Cover Story: Gala Darling
- Words by Peppermint
Gala Darling is a New York-based blogger and the queen of radical self love. After overcoming her own negative self-image and eating disorder, she’s been on a mission to foster self-love and self-belief in every woman to help them live their best life. Gala’s first book Love & Sequins will be out early this year. Read the full feature on her radical self love philosophy on page 68 of our ‘You Are Enough’ Issue 24 – on shelves now!
“Radical self love started in my bedroom, and became a worldwide movement. I spent years battling depression, an eating disorder and a preference for chaos and disaster – simply because I didn’t have any tools to help me deal with my own emotions. If you’ve been there, you know how it feels: like you’re being chewed up from the inside. It’s overwhelming, and you feel like it will never get better – that you’re doomed.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. When I was 23 years old, I was astounded when I was able to kick my eating disorder to the curb using a technique called tapping. The misery that had plagued me since I was a teenager followed soon after. Unencumbered by sadness, I felt like I was seeing the world through new eyes.
Through my years of self discovery, I’ve discovered – and created – a litany of tools and techniques, which make up the basis of my teachings of radical self love. Teaching women how to fall in love with themselves is my raison d’être, my passion, my mission. We’re consistently being shown such a narrow selection of women who we should supposedly ‘look up to’, and most of them are in the limelight purely based on the merits of their appearance. Tabloids scream at us about best and worst bikini bodies, dedicating thousands of pages to judging women, which in turn encourages us to judge others and ourselves just as harshly. Self-hatred is an epidemic; radical self love is the only cure.”
Dive into Peppermint Summer Issue 24 for more from Gala, plus thoughts on self-love, self-acceptance and being happy in your own skin from A Mighty Girl, Steve Biddulph, Melissa Ambrosini, Carly Findlay and Dr Kjerstin Gruys.
[tweet_box design=”default”]We’re consistently being shown such a narrow selection of women who we should supposedly ‘look up to’, and most of them are in the limelight purely based on the merits of their appearance.[/tweet_box]
Images by Chellise Michael.
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But don’t you dare shit on your old self while you do it.
Hold yourself with reverence and tenderness and respect, because you got you this far. You did your very best with the information and tools you had at the time. You scraped yourself together, you made it work, you survived what felt impossible to survive: again and again and again.
You are perpetually in the process of becoming, whether you can feel it or not, whether or not you add it to your 2026 to-do list.“
Some very wise words from @Damon.Gameau to take us into 2026 🙌🏼
⭐️ We made it!!! ⭐️
Happy New Year, friends. To those who smashed their goals and achieved their dreams, and to those who are crawling over the finish line hoping to never speak of this year again (and everyone else in between): we made it. However you got here is enough. Be proud.
It’s been a tough year for many of us in small business, so here’s to a better year in 2026. We’re forever grateful for all your support and are jumping for joy to still be here bringing you creativity, kindness and community.
We’re also excited to be leaping into the NY with our special release sewing pattern – the Waratah Wrap Dress!
How great are our fabulous models: @Melt.Stitches, @KatieMakesADress and @Tricky.Pockets - and also our incredible Sewing Manager @Laura_The_Maker! 🙌🏼
Ok 2026: let’s do this. 💪🏼
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Putting together our annual Stitch Up brings on all the feels! We feel humbled that you’ve chosen to sew Peppermint patterns, we feel inspired by the versions you’ve created and we feel proud of you.
Where to begin?! As always, there has been a plethora of Peppermint patterns flooding our feeds this year, and we wish we could showcase more than just a handful of magnificent makes from you, our clever community. We encourage you to flip through the me-made items in your wardrobe or scroll through your grid and remind yourself of the beauty you’ve created with your own two hands (and maybe a seam ripper and some choice words). Congratulations to all of us for our creative achievements this year!
We’ve put together some (but absolutely not all) of our favourites from 2025 over on our website. We hope it inspires your next make!
🪡 Link in bio 🪡
Pictured: @FrocksAndFrouFrou @MazzlesMakes @KatieMakesADress @_Marueli_ @IUsedToBeACurtain @Nanalevine.Couture @PiperInFullColour @MadeByMeJessieB @SarahMalkawi @Made.By.Little.Mama
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