Lingerie shoots are just another wholesale bikinis day on the job for our July cover star, Ashley Graham, but for most women, the thought of stripping down and getting your photo taken can feel like the scariest thing in the world. We invited Graham to become a director for the day and help four women experience shooting in undies for the first time.
Dressed in lingerie herself, Graham meets the four women and begins by asking them what they love about their bodies, if they have any insecurities, and how they’re feeling about the shoot. One of the women, Alyssa, reveals that she is an eating disorder survivor. “When I was the most anorexic was 10 years ago, but the way you see yourself never really goes away,” she explains, “I still hate a lot of parts of my body.” Another woman, Kaitlyn, has insecurities surrounding a skin condition that left her with scars on her body. “I don’t talk about it ever,” she explains, “but I already feel comfortable with you here.”
Graham gives the women some tips to help them get comfortable stripping down in front of the camera. She tells Karolena to avoid touching the parts of her body she’s most insecure about because it will draw attention to those feelings, but rather touch the parts of her body she loves to accentuate them. She keeps the shoot fun by cheering for the women, encouraging them to dance, and telling them how beautiful they look.
Once the shoot is over, Graham looks over the photos with each of the women and asks them how they like their shots. While reviewing Anastasia’s images, Graham asks, “Don’t you feel like if we saw women like you in media more it wouldn’t be such an insecurity?” Anastasia agreed, and added that she should stop caring so much about what other people care about, and if she feels good, that is all that matters.
By the end of the day (and a tissue box later), Graham got emotional. “People just think that body image and the body revolution is a trend and a fad. You guys, it’s not,” she says, fighting back tears. “If we keep having this conversation, if we keep talking about things that society has said are ugly or the things that we don’t see in media, that is what is gonna change [things]. That’s how we make a statement, that’s how we rule out all the things that are here right now and make a new normal.” Amen.
The video generated over 2.3 million views on our Facebook page, and another 1 million views on Graham’s Instagramproving just how many people connected with it’s message and understand the need to change how our society determines beauty. “I commend Ashley Graham for making the effort to empower me and these ladies, to let us know that we are important, contrary to society’s ‘standards of beauty,'” says one commenter. “And it is OK to be who we are.” Another commenter noted, “I hope all women know that each and everyone of them are beautiful, no matter how different we look.” Preach! If you haven’t already, watch the full video below and join the body-positivity discussion.
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