-
Diversity on Catwalks: A Remedy for Toxic Beauty Standards
Over the years, diversity on the catwalk has become a growing theme to challenge beauty standards in the fashion industry. Models have always been a reflection of the ideal shape, size, height, and colour that societal norms have reinforced. Since a young age I have always been inspired by fashion and catwalks, I admired the looks of many models and dreamed that only one day I could be as beautiful. Needless to say, the models I desired to look like were thin, tall and mostly white. I am not tall nor as thin, surely this was harmful to the way I see myself at the age of 14? If I…
-
Looking a certain way club. Members only
Diversity is not a business add-on Beauty is in the eye of the beholder This quote refers to the fact that all things or people are beautiful but it depends who is viewing them and if the beholder is the fashion industry, then beauty looks a lot like an army of white, tall, skinny young models. For far too long, fashion has prided itself on its exclusivity, on its member club like mentality where if you don’t look a certain way from our age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, education, or national origin then you cannot be a member of this ‘club.’ Until only recently brands were in denial…
-
Body Neutrality: the Freeing Mindset?
Our toxic, image-based society teaches women to value themselves and others in terms of kilograms and pounds. Shouldn’t we work towards finding peace with our body, without the Instagram standards of beauty looming over our consciousness? Body neutrality is a middle ground between the pressures of body-hate and body positivity. A newer, progressive stride towards inclusivity, it moves the mental energy away from body consciousness and self-criticism to reach a personal harmony. But is it a workable ideal? Body Positivity & the cycle of self-Sabotage Body positivity seemed like the answer to the immense pressure of finding self-worth in appearance. It existed within a ‘Fat Acceptance’ movement that accelerated with…
-
Seeing yourself for the first time
The good, the bad and the self love “and I said to my body. softly. ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath. and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this” For as long as I can remember there has been a timeline of my life where I have hated my body and not seen myself properly. In primary school I felt too tall I would tower over the boys in my class then in high school this was not longer a problem, great right? No, you develop new issues for yourself. Now I felt like the bigger one in the group, I had…
