Fuller Bust lingerie brand Curvy Kate, have launched what could be the world’s most inclusive campaign to date, using a diverse range of women to model the latest collection, Scantilly. The campaign named #theNewSexy, introduces 8 powerful female role models, including an Alopecia sufferer, a transgender woman, an amputee and recovered anorexic.
The campaign named #theNewSexy, introduces 8 powerful female role models, including an Alopecia sufferer, a transgender woman, an amputee and recovered anorexic. Scantilly by Curvy Kate’s third collection will be available starting this month at http://www.curvykate.com, http://www.Debenhams.com and http://www.Figleaves.com.
Challenging social ‘norms’, #TheNewSexy calls for women of all shapes, backgrounds and sizes to be represented in the media and looks to redefine how society views the word ‘sexy’. The company, who since launch have never employed a professional model, choosing to celebrate their customers instead, looked to social media to find the eclectic mix of role models to wear the new boudoir collection.
In recent years the modeling and fashion industries has been under scrutiny due to the lack of diversity promoted in advertisements. A report by ‘The Fashion Spot’ stated that out of 422 models involved in the largest Spring Summer 2016 campaigns only 21.8% were of color, 1.4% were above a size 12 and zero transgender models was used. Scantilly hope that their continued use of customer role models will hail a new era for diversity in the fashion industry.
Head of PR and Marketing, Hannah Isichei states, “It’s important for us as a brand to speak to as many women as possible through our campaigns. We know our customers don’t all look the same so why should our models? Why should boudoir lingerie just be reserved for a handful of society? We want women to look at our products and see them on a body they can relate to. Scantilly lingerie is for every woman and every body, so it’s important that our models reflect this attitude.”
The Models For The Campaign Are:
This campaign sees a variety of women from different walks of life such as former Anorexic and body positive activist, MEGAN CRABBE. The 23 year old, who suffered with Anorexia Nervosa since the age of 14, has recently made a name for herself due to her successful blog ‘BodyPosiPanda’ and body-positive social presence. Megan, who at her thinnest weighed just 62 lbs now encourages her followers to be happy with their bodies by posting bikini and ‘belly roll’ pictures of herself, proving recovery is possible.
Megan states: “I spent a long time believing that feeling confident or sexy was reserved for people with the ‘perfect’ body, and that the rest of us didn’t deserve it. Modelling for Scantilly after beating years of body insecurities was personally empowering and so much fun. This campaign shows anyone with body image issues that we are ALL worthy of confidence, all sizes, all skin colours, all abilities. It’s exactly the kind of diverse representation we need to help us all see our unique beauty a bit more clearly.“
STEPHANIA VAN CLUYSEN: Stephania or ‘Effie’, 21, was born a male, but now lives her life as a female after undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2015. Effie described growing up in Belgium as ‘difficult’ saying she felt like a female from her very first memory. Her mother who fully supported her decision even visited the doctor when ‘Jordie’, as Effie was formally known, was only 3 years old saying, “My son is a girl”. Effie who received years of abuse and ridicule from the public and school peers, wants to show that she is a beautiful women who deserves to be celebrated.
Stephania states, “I’m Transgender and because of this, I worried whether people would accept me or not, but really the most important person to accept me was myself – And I’m so glad that I did. The thing is, not everyone should look the same and if they did there wouldn’t be a ‘sexy’. We need a mix of people! Everybody has the right to feel ok with themselves and if the media show a wide range of women – different races, heights, sizes, ages and abilities then the girls looking at the models in the magazines and wishing to be them, will feel way more at ease with who they are. If they see someone who looks like them, they may be less likely to want to change.“
TAYLOR CRISP: Taylor, an amputee from Leicester has recently flown the flag for disabled people everywhere by modeling in the campaign, while proudly displaying her prosthetic leg. Crisp, 21, was born with FFU (Femur Fibula Ulna) syndrome meaning she had severe defeats with the development of her right leg, including having no knee cap, no ankle joint, and no proper hip socket. Many years of constant surgery and struggles meant that by the age of 11, Taylor’s leg was so damaged she had her leg amputated and was required to live life with a prosthetic limb. 10 years on and Taylor has recently been told that she will no longer to be able to walk without the aid of crutches but she’s not going to let it stop her. Continue reading
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