Sometimes it feels as though all those glamorous catwalk models out there only exist to make us feel bad about our own body image. Over the last few years, the beauty industry at large has been forced to ask itself some pretty big questions. Are models that designers employ diverse enough? Are they promoting an unrealistic standard of beauty, which can have an effect on people suffering from eating disorders, or body dysmorphia? Are curvier men and women being ignored and neglected by the industry? These are just some of the issues that people have raised.
However, there are models out there who are trying to challenge our preconceptions of what modelling truly constitutes, and who are breaking the mould in many different ways. A prime example is plus-size model Ashley Graham, who has been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour and Elle, and is a proponent of the body positivity and the Health at Every Size movements. She's never been afraid to show her unedited pics on social media.
But this week Ashley decided to take things a step further, by sharing a snap of a pimple on her Instagram stories. Suffice to say, pimple-popping fans will find this interesting. In the short video, Graham appears with no make-up on, and says "she got popped," before zooming in closer to her pimple and adding: "and now she's oozing."
Talking about her body positivity activism in an interview with Vogue, Graham stated: "I definitely think that my body has changed many peoples’ lives. I’ve used my body as a tool to talk about taboo subjects, such as cellulite or being insecure about lower belly fat—and also [how to] talk life into your body and have an affirmation kind of conversation with yourself. And I know the lives that have been changed: young girls and even women my age who have written me and said, 'I never loved the skin that I was in until I heard your journey."
In another interview with Refinery29, she stated: "I think that when you use the word 'plus-size' you're putting all these women into a category: 'You don't eat well.' 'You don't work out.' 'You could care less about your body.' 'You're insecure.' 'You have no confidence.' And that is none of this (pointing at her body)", furthering "The fashion industry may persist to label me as 'plus-size,' but I like to think of it as 'my size."
It's really great to see a model out there who is happy to show us the reality behind the cameras and remind us that no matter who you are, everyone gets spots sometimes.
