By Tiye Bracy | Posted by March 31, 2021
We live in a world where presentation is everything and beauty is not just a six letter word, it can be translated perfectly. For women, this means spending on makeup, hair and nails. We see the pretty as the new way to integrate into what society says about the beautiful. We are constantly looking for affirmations in others. Is my hairstyle okay? How do I look in this outfit? These are the many questions we constantly ask ourselves.
Social Services Residential Assistant Abbey Christensen opened her panel discussion on how social media influencers are breaking away from what is considered the beauty standard. The Beauty without Boundary event took place online via Google Meet on February 28 at noon.
“The goal of this program is to highlight how people are shaking up the beauty industry and changing societal norms,” Christensen said. “See everyone represented, people with disabilities…”
Christensen talks about her models that she admires in the beauty industry.
Then I talked about Khloe Kardashian’s brand Good American which offers plus size models. Or Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand that showcases natural skin types and various melanins.
Christensen goes on to mention his Top 5 Against Social Media Influencers.
The first was Ashley Graham, known for her plus size modeling.
“The first model I would like to highlight is actually one of my favorites, Ashley Graham,” Christensen said. “She’s a plus-size model who actually has her own brand of lingerie and her own line of swimwear that she designed to be inclusive for everyone.”
Ashley Graham is normalizing working mothers and what it is like to be a mother in the midst of a pandemic.
Ashley Graham Official Instagram Account
The second social media influencer she mentioned was Iskra Lawrence, who is a straight British model. She is known for modeling for Aerie, the American Eagle lingerie brand. She started modeling as a teenager and typically wore a size zero to two. She has been open to the public about her constant struggle with an anorexia eating disorder. She is an activist for the acceptance of the body.
“As you can see from her pictures, she does a lot of modeling, but she also lets you look into her life,” Christensen said. “She talks about menstrual bloating, here she is breastfeeding her son.”
The third model she presents is Winnie Harlow, who is known as a vitiligo model. Skin discoloration forms beauty in its own way. She stresses the importance of blocking negative comments.
“For a while this was looked down upon and seen as revolting in the media and agencies,” Christensen said.
Winnie Harlow Official Instagram Account
In today’s society, vitiligo is more and more accepted. Model agencies are more versatile in their model selection.
“She’s a Canadian model, of Jamaican descent,” Christensen said.
The fourth model featured was Myla Dalbesio, she is known for her artist photography modeling. This is a happy model of average height 10.
“She saw herself as an intermediary body,” Christensen said. “Which means she’s not a plus size or in the super skinny spectrum.”
The last but not the least model presented was Andreja Pejic, also known as an actress of German descent. She is a rebel in the LBQT community, as a transgender model. She is candid about her experience in the transgender field.
“She was a man and in 2014 she became a woman, and because of that she was not accepted in many places in the beauty industry,” Christensen said.
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