This striking photo series celebrates the beauty of body diversity
LONDON -- Bodies come in all shapes, sizes and colours. But sometimes it can feel like magazines and catwalks are only representative of certain body types: those deemed to be "high fashion".
A powerful photo project celebrating all body shapes and ethnicities hopes to challenge the fashion industry and the media to increase body diversity.
British model Charli Howard, who was dropped by her agency for being "out of shape" at UK size 6-8, and body-positive model Clementine Desseaux are behind The All Woman photo project, which features models of a variety of shapes, sizes and ethnicities.
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"Women are often segregated or stereotyped in fashion and the media; some are deemed the 'real' women of the industry, whereas others are deemed high-fashion and editorial," Desseaux told Mashable. "Your body shape shouldn’t define your femininity or ability as a woman."
The photo series features well-known plus-size models Denise Bidot, Iskra Lawrence and Barbie Ferreira.
"We believe size or colour doesn’t limit us as models or as women," Desseaux continued. "We believe all body shapes and ethnicities deserve to be represented in fashion and in the media, helping girls worldwide feel positive and confident about themselves."
Indeed, the need for more body diversity is something that's been backed up by scientific research. Researchers at Durham University found that using models who are more representative of the "actual population" could help girls and women develop a healthier attitude toward eating.
Desseaux says the project intends to highlight "the idea that all women are more similar than we’re made out to think". "We all have physical flaws and imperfections, and that does not make us more or less beautiful," says Desseaux. "Rather than retouching or shying away from them, we should embrace them. "Our physical attributes do not define us as women; our strength and character does. All of this make us all women."
Topics Diversity Social Good
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
