The lingerie industry isn’t exactly a paragon of diversity. Everyone from plus-size icon Tess Holliday to androgynous model Rain Dove speaks out about the lack of inclusion from leading intimates brand Victoria’s Secret. But fortunately, not every innerwear company promotes limited standards of beauty. Aerie is one of the few loungewear brands committed to authentic and empowering portrayals of women in advertising, sharing unretouched photos in ads as part of its #AerieReal campaign since 2014. This year, the star of its unedited photos is none other than size 12 model Barbie Ferreira.
The social media maven, who calls herself the “Queen of In-Between,” is featured in Aerie’s swimwear campaign images and video. Ferreira loved the idea of unretouched images. “Not being retouched in the images is something that’s really important to me,” the Wilhelmina model said in a behind-the-scenes clip. “Knowing that that’s what I look like without anyone’s perception of what my body needs to look like. The world needs more women who are so strong.”
This marks the first time Aerie has featured a full-figured model, and we hope more fashion and lingerie brands follow suit. Check out a video from Barbie’s shoot below.
[via People Style Watch]
