Self-love queenModelandbodypositiveadvocateTessHollidaygracedthecoverofNylonmagazine’sJuly2019 issue and
featured in a swimsuit shoot in the mag – proof that bopo role models are here to stay.“
owtogeta beachbody?
Takeyourbodytothe
beach.”Thisstatement,
alongwiththerallying
crythat“everybodyisa
bikinibody”hasbeentrendingonsocialmedia
overthelastfewyears,initiallyinresponsetoa
UKadvertasking“Areyoubeachbodyready?”
Lastmonth,Nike,whointroduceda plus-size
clothinglinein2017,madethepointthatevery
bodyisa fitnessbodybyinstallinga size 16
mannequinintheirLondonstore.Althoughthe
movedrewmessagesofsupportonline,the
numberofshockinglynegativereactionsit also
attractedshowsthatsocietystillhasa longway
togoinitsacceptanceoflargerbodies.
Butthegrowing‘bodypositivity’movement,
or‘bopo’asit isknownonsocialmedia,isabout
morethanjustacceptingdifferentsizes– it’s
aboutcelebratingALLbodiesregardlessofsize,
colour,abilityorgenderidentification.It’salso
aboutrejoicinginallthosebitsthatdon’t
usuallyseethelightofday– thesaggy,stretchy,
scarred,hairybitswe’retoldneednipping,
tucking,fixingandwaxing.
“Normalisingaccessibility”isoneofthe
missionsofAllisforAll,anonlinestore,
modellingagencyandconsultancyservice
createdbyfashionloverandwheelchairuser
GraceStratton(featuredinourJune/July 2018
issue).TheKiwiwriterandlawstudenthaslong
advocatedfora moreinclusivesocietyforthose
withaccessneeds,andthisyearlaunchedAllis
forAllwithAngelaBevan,andthehelpofPR
firmSweeneyVestywhereAngelaworks.
Theshopfeaturesclothingwhichcanbeeasily
wornbypeoplewitha rangeofaccessneeds,and
makesshoppingeasierbyprovidingalternative
textforthoseusingscreenreaders,detailed
garmentdescriptionsandmultiplecategories
suchas‘zipatfront’and‘loosefit’.
“I’veexperiencedaccessneedsmyentirelife,”
saysGrace.“I’vealwaysneededhelpwiththings
likegettingdressed.Requiringhelpwithsuch
thingscansometimesmakeyoufeellikeyou
aren’t fully in command of yourself, especiallyasyougetolder,soI wantedtobuildsomething
whichgavepeopleasmuchagencyandpower
overtheirexpressionastheycouldhave.”
Angelahasworkedinthefashionindustry
andwithcharitableorganisationsforyears,and
haspreviouslyfoundedtwoothermodel
agencieschampioningdiversity,Hoipolloiand
TheOthers(bothnolongeroperating),the
latterofwhichhada policyofnottaking
models’measurements.
AllisforAll’smodelshavea rangeofaccess
needsandGracesaystheywillbecastinsomeof
thebiggestNewZealandFashionWeekshows
thisyear.“We’recreatinga differentnarrative,
onewhichpresentspeoplewithaccessneedsas
dynamic,sexy,capablepeoplewhoareable
whenaccessibilityisimplemented.”
AustralianmodelagentChelseaBonnerhas
beenbringingcurvybodiesintomainstream
mediaforyearsthroughhermodellingwork
andagency,Bella.Shehasrecentlyreleaseda
book,BodyImageWarrior(MurdochBooks),
detailingherfightforchangeinthefashion
industry.LaunchingBellain2002,torepresent
curvyandotheruniquemodels,ata timewhen
anythingbiggerthana size8 wasseenas
non-fashionable,wasa bigrisk.Butshehas
proventhatbrandswanttoworkwitha diverse
rangeofsizes,andshenowrepresentstop
modelssuchasJessicaVanderLeahy(whoisalso
thefounderofProjectWomanKIND,a platform
dedicatedtocelebratingwomen).
ChelseasayslaunchingBellawasdrivenby
herownneedtofinda placetobelongasa curvy
model,aswellaswitnessingthehealthissues
sufferedbyfriendsandfamilymemberstrying
tofitintosociety’sunrealisticexpectationsof
beauty.“Iknewthatif I feltleftoutoflifeand
notrepresentedanywherethatotherpeople
mustfeelthesame,”shesays.“Ifyoudon’tsee
yourselfreflectedanywhere,youfeelundera
constantweightofshameandundeservedness.
I hadtotrytochangethat.”
KiwisuccessstoryLonelyLingeriehasbeen
championingbodydiversityforyears,featuring
real women of different ages, races and sizes,Every body
counts
The burgeoning‘bodypositivity’communityis heretosharethemessage that
all bodies are beautiful, no matter the size, shape or shadeWORDSFiona Ralph.PHOTOGRAPHYGetty.