Levi's and girl power

It was an inspiring evening of girl power at Thursday night's preview dinner for Levi's upcoming documentary "Shape What's to Come." The film follows eight of the 50 passionate young women Levi's tapped from around the globe to journal their remarkable lives."The DNA of our brand is enabling millennial women to pursue their passion," Levi's senior director of global marketing Michael Perman said at the event, which was attended by singer Jewel and actress Justine Bateman. "Right now it's all about a new generation of women discovering who they're meant to be and taking nonlinear paths to get there. They are transcending society's definition of success."

Along with the film, the journals these women filled with their altruistic endeavors will be on display at the first TEDWomen, an ideas conference for women in business and philanthropy.Levi's and AOL are among the key sponsors for that event, to be held in Washington, D.C., on December 7 - 8. Excerpts of the journals can also be found on ShapeWhatsToCome.com, an online community that supports other Generation Y women and encourages them to realize their dreams through collaboration and mentoring.

One of the film's subjects, 23-year-old Katie Spotz, was the youngest person to row across the Atlantic Ocean solo and raised $100,000 to promote clean drinking water in developing countries."My family doesn't have any sailing experience and my parents weren't thrilled, but it was something I was called to do," Spotz said at the dinner, where she accepted a $5,000 donation from Levi's. "I saw men do it. It was time for a woman to do it and it could bring attention to promoting clean water."

Lindsay Pollack, an author and consultant on the subject of Generation Y, said: "What's unique about this generation is that they don't feel as though they have any barriers. Katie will sail across the ocean or start a company and they don't feel they have to do things traditionally. The media perception of this generation is that they're entitled or coddled or lazy. They're not. We are just intimidated that they don't have any timelines and they are achieving these extraordinary things."

Chiara Clemente, who directed the documentary, said: "'Shape What's To Come' follows eight women around the world and what they all have in common -- making a difference in it. This new generation of women coming up really gives the world hope that we are in for a great change." Also among the 100 guests at a converted home in West Hollywood was Mary Alderete, the vice president of global marketing for Levi's.

"Our brand of jeans has become really synonymous with men and we are making the commitment to reconnect with women," she said. "ShapeWhatsToCome.com is a two-pronged approach: We want to spotlight that Levi's fits not only the shape of a woman's body but the shape of women's future." Bravo's "Thintervention" star, Jackie Warner, added: "Mentoring has always been a huge part of my life. ShapeWhatsToCome.com is so important to show other women that we will be supportive of each other. The boys club is not the same anymore. In Hollywood, women have been having each others' backs."

In other news, read about Christy Turlington and other remarkable ladies at the Women: Inspiration & Enterprise Symposium.