Cara Delevingne has built a career (and a massive social media following) out of being unflaggingly authentic. Throughout her time in the spotlight, she’s used her celebrity status to draw attention to difficult topics — from mental health to sexual orientation to animal rights — with candor and insight. Now, with Gynecological Cancer Awareness month right around the corner, Cara is encouraging women to talk more openly about vaginal health.
[ These Celebrities Want You to Tend to Your Lady Garden (for a Good Cause) ]
The Suicide Squad actress is the new face of Lady Garden, a UK-based campaign run by a group of women, including her sister, Chloe, who founded the Gynecological Cancer Fund after experiencing a “bit of a scare with a pre-cancerous cell.” (The Delevingne power siblings could give the Olsens and Kardashians a serious run for their money.)
“She was very brave and spoke about it. It takes a lot of courage to talk about things like this. I think women need to be braver about it because otherwise people can be affected,” Cara explains in the campaign’s promo video.
Gynecologic cancers include cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancer. Based on an estimate for 2015, in the United States about 98,000 new cases are diagnosed on a yearly basis, while approximately 30,000 deaths result from gynecologic cancers. Regular screenings and self-examinations are key to diagnosing these cancers early on. Proper diet, exercise and lifestyle choices are, as always, a good thing when it comes to preventing disease. As is talking about these concerns with other women. Yeast infections happen. Smells happen. Let’s all channel our inner Ali Wongs and discuss.
In order to help “empower women everywhere to talk openly — without shyness or shame” about their, er, lady gardens, the Gynecological Cancer Fund enlisted Cara’s help and collaborated with British designer Simeon Farrar on a sweatshirt, now available on Topshop.com for $36. Thirty percent of the proceeds from each sale will go to support the GCF. Each cheeky hoodie features an arrow-shaped logo pointing to the wearer’s nether regions, in case onlookers miss the euphemism. (Sunflower not included.)
“I’m just so happy I can be a spokeswoman and really help women to feel free to talk about their bodies and talk about these kind of problems,” Cara professed. “Everyone is beautiful and everyone deserves to be confident in themselves. And I love my lady garden. I’m going to be wearing my Lady Garden sweatshirt naked — because that’s how we should all be. In my birthday suit doing the gardening. My nickname for my lady garden is Randy Jackson.”
Now there’s a cause (and an image) for you. For more information — and classic Cara — check out the full clip above.
[ via WWD ]
