With the Bond girls, they've always been these sexy but quite

“With the Bond girls, they've always been these sexy but quite strong women, and that's a nice combination to design for.” Thus spoke Jenny Packham, the celebrated fashion designer whose creations have graced both royalty and cinema alike. Her words, though spoken of costume and character, reach into the deeper essence of womanhood itself. For in her statement lies a truth that transcends film or fashion: the enduring power of duality—the harmony between beauty and strength, between grace and resolve. She speaks not merely of dresses or design, but of the eternal art of embodying contradiction, of being both soft and unbreakable, alluring and unconquered.

The Bond girl, as she names her, is more than a cinematic figure. She is an emblem, a mythic creation born from decades of storytelling, evolving with each age yet always reflecting society’s shifting view of womanhood. In the early days, she was often seen through the eyes of desire—an adornment to the hero’s journey, radiant but silent. Yet as time unfolded, her image deepened. The women of the Bond saga grew in agency, wit, and courage; they became warriors, spies, scientists, and saviors in their own right. What Jenny Packham recognized in her work was not just their allure, but their inner power, the rare beauty that arises when elegance meets resilience.

To design for strength wrapped in sensuality is no simple task, for it demands sensitivity of both eye and soul. Packham, whose gowns have adorned figures such as Kate Middleton and Adele, understands that true beauty is not in embellishment alone, but in proportion, intent, and spirit. When she speaks of the Bond woman, she speaks of designing for a paradox—the woman who commands attention not by flaunting her form, but by owning her presence. Her garments must whisper of freedom and confidence; they must flow with the body, not restrain it, as if the fabric itself were an extension of will. This is the art of clothing empowerment, where every stitch becomes a declaration of identity.

The ancients, too, revered this union of softness and strength. In the myths of Greece, goddesses like Athena and Aphrodite embodied the very balance Packham describes—one the goddess of wisdom and war, the other of love and beauty, yet both commanding reverence and power. Athena’s armor gleamed as fiercely as Aphrodite’s radiance charmed. They were not opposites, but complements; two forces dwelling in harmony within the same divine essence. So too does the modern woman carry within her this timeless fusion—of intellect and allure, compassion and command. The Bond girl, in her most evolved form, is but the cinematic echo of that ancient ideal.

There is also a deeper current flowing through Packham’s words—a recognition that femininity itself is not weakness, but one of nature’s most potent designs. The gentle curves, the soft voice, the calm gaze—these are not signs of fragility but of mastery. Strength does not always shout; sometimes it glows. To create for women who embody this truth is to honor not only their form, but their essence. Packham’s admiration for this balance reminds us that beauty and power, often thought to be at odds, are in fact born of the same root: the courage to be wholly oneself.

Let us remember, too, that this “nice combination” of traits—strength and sensuality—is not confined to the screen or the runway. It lives in every woman who faces the world with both poise and determination: the mother who builds, the leader who nurtures, the artist who dreams. Each is, in her own way, a designer of her own life—a creator who merges endurance with elegance, ambition with grace. Packham’s words are therefore not only about clothing but about character, a reminder that the truest style is one that reveals the inner fire beneath the polished surface.

And so, the lesson to take from Jenny Packham’s reflection is clear: honor the union of power and beauty within yourself. Whether you wield fabric, words, ideas, or compassion, let your work express both your strength and your sensitivity. The world often tells us to choose—to be tough or tender, commanding or kind—but wisdom teaches that greatness lies in balance. Be like the women Packham designs for: radiant yet rooted, dazzling yet disciplined, a living harmony of form and force.

For in the end, to live as these women do—to move through the world both strong and beautiful, both commanding and compassionate—is to embody the highest form of artistry. It is to become one’s own creation: a masterpiece not made of silk and sequins, but of courage, purpose, and soul.