Florence Given has a lot to say about prettiness. “It is used by women, whether consciously or subconsciously, as a tool to receive validation and open more opportunities for us,” she says. “We’re told that if we shave our legs, put on more make-up, curl our hair and do all this stuff, we’ll receive the illusion of basic human respect. But the respect we’re met with as women when we perform these standards is usually objectification, and that also increases our chances of sexual assault and sexual harassment on the street. It’s a double-edged sword.”

Rejecting the pressure to perform femininity and heteronormative desirability is a key theme of Given’s new book, Women Don’t Owe You Pretty (£12.99, Cassell). A compilation of the feminist artist and Instagram influencer’s writing and illustrations, the book covers subjects including relationships, queerness, competition between women, beauty rituals and rape culture – all the while promoting a specific kind of buoyant, sex-positive Gen Z feminism that encourages women to put themselves first.

The main thing Given wants women to take away from the book, says Given, is “the action of saying yes to yourself and no to other people”. She believes that women “are encouraged to centre everyone else in their lives apart from themselves,” and hopes to be a messenger who “charges in to tell you that you deserve better”.

This message may not seem hugely radical to many women in their late 20s and 30s who already have a solid understanding of feminism. But older, more self-assured millennial women are not the target audience of Women Don’t Owe You Pretty (though that’s not to say Given’s fans are limited to teens: her Instagram followers include Jameela Jamil, Florence Welch, Jodie Comer, Ariana Grande, Rachel Cargle and Reni Eddo-Lodge).

“It’s basically it’s the book I wish I could have whacked over my 14-year-old self’s head,” Given says. She wants to encourage her readers to “question authority”, and to view accepted narratives about womanhood and femininity through a critical lens. “A lot of the stereotypes we grow to believe about ourselves are exactly that: stereotypes.”

So she’s not into gender stereotypes – but what is she into? Ahead of the release of Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, Stylist spoke to Given about some of her favourite things. 

Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given (£12.99, Cassell) is out now

The above interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. 

Images: Chloe Shappard; courtesy of brands