British fashion brand Missguided has been pushing the celebration of diversity for quite some time now. Their previous campaigns such as #KeepBeingYou and #MakeYourMark feature people of all shapes, sizes, races, and sexual orientation. Their latest love-yourself move is encouraging people to feel more comfortable in their skin—no matter how ‘flawed’. (Related: This Woman Was Bullied for Her Vitiligo So She Transformed Her Skin Into Art)
Dubbed #InYourOwnSkin, their new campaign images include women whose skin you might normally see covered up or underrepresented in mainstream advertising. But rather than viewing their scars, birthmarks, freckles, albinism, and other skin conditions as ‘imperfect’, Missguided is embracing them in hopes of removing the stigma that surrounds skin that’s simply different.
“As a continuation of our #KeepOnBeingYou movement, we collaborated with six empowering women who have inspired us to capture their uniqueness in our #InYourOwnSkin campaign,” Missguided shared on their website. “These babes continue to challenge the world’s perception of beauty and exude the confidence to be comfortable #InYourOwnSkin.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the ladies spearheading this incredible movement:
Isabella Fernandes
Isabella, 19, suffered from severe burns all over her body when her shirt was caught in a house fire two years ago. By pursuing her dream of becoming a model, she hopes that more women will be encouraged to embrace their burns and not let their scars hold them back. “I think having shoots that are specifically based on scars or difference or body positivity are really great and a really good start,” she said in an interview with the brand for its #InYourOwnSkin campaign. “But ultimately the goal is to have a mixture of women in the same space, so women with a disability or disfigurement are also considered normal.”
Mariana Mendes
This 24-year-old Brazilian was born with a birthmark on her face. Over the years, she has learned to love the way she looks and has used social media to encourage others to do the same.
Polly Ellens
The full-time model was born with beautiful freckles dotting her face and is all about women supporting other women. “Being constantly jealous, hateful, and envious can be soul-destroying,” she said in an interview with the Missguided. “It’s also the cause for some women’s issues when women are put against other women. We need to turn that into women supporting women.” (Related: These Women Show Why the #LoveMyShape Movement Is So Freakin’ Empowering)
Beth Brice
Of all the models in Missguided’s campaign, Beth was the woman cast straight off the street. She has psoriasis (a chronic inflammatory skin condition where your body produces excess skin cells) and has learned to love and accept her skin. “Beauty to me is about what’s inside—personality, happiness, love, and acceptance,” she told the brand. “If you can accept and love yourself then that’s a pretty beautiful thing to me.” (ICYMI, celebs like Kim Kardashian have also been speaking out about their psoriasis.)
Maya Spencer-Berkeley
This body-positive advocate got into modeling to help raise awareness for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare genetic condition that causes the skin to blister easily. “I think beauty is happiness,” she told Missguided. “When you accept yourself you glow and to me that is beauty.”
Joanne Dion
As a plus-size model with albinism, Joanne has used her confidence and body-positive approach to push for more diversity and acceptance in the fashion world. “My role in life is not to be ‘accepted by society,’” she told Missguided. “I live fearlessly and I am unapologetically me.”
We’re loving Missguided’s continued effort to break the mold. Here’s to hoping more and more brands follow suit, so that diversity (of skin, body, height—everything!) is represented all the time.
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