A plus size model who posed for Cosmo nude is backing an Irish jewellery body campaign
Irish women – including a plus size model who previously posed nude for Cosmo – have snapped selfies to campaign for more positive body images of women in advertisements.
The women, who include plus sizes, those who are combating ill health, including one woman who is losing her sight and hearing, are part of the #EverybodyinAds campaign, run by a Meath jeweller, Fiona De Buitlear.
Fiona, 45, from Stamullen, Co Meath, has created quite a movement with top feminist body image activists like Leyah Shanks, a Scottish model, who posed in a revealing photograph showing off Trinkets costume jewellery in a see through bra.
Shaven headed Shanks is one of the foremost body campaigners in the world and she posed naked for Cosmo last year.
Fiona, who runs Trinketsjewellery.com, has been giving away free costume jewellery to “ordinary” Irish women, who are willing to pose wearing a piece and show themselves to the world.
“Women wrote to me saying how brilliant it was that I wanted to feature normal women, they were sick of seeing skinny, airbrushed women advertising clothing and goods,” Fiona said.
“Mothers said they wanted their daughters to see normal women so they know to be happy with their own bodies. It’s okay to be bigger, to have acne, to have scars. As long as you are healthy.
“A lady with a long term illness said she wanted to make women feel they should feel good no matter what, even when they are sick.
“One woman who has Usher Syndrome, which means she is gradually losing her sight and hearing, also got in touch to pose.
“We are all different and advertisers should be showing that. The size zero, seven foot woman, doesn’t represent real Irish women.”
The jewellery is between €15 and €40 and when choosing a piece for a woman to pose with, Fiona looks at their hair and skin tone to decide on the perfect look.
One woman posed with her young daughter in a bid to help the child understand that women are all different shapes and sizes and the campaign has seen the @trinketsjewelry twitter account rocket to more than 15,000 followers.
And Fiona is no stranger to feeling pressurised as a young woman. “Back when I was 17, I felt I needed to be skinnier. I stopped eating for a while.
“I felt pressure to look a certain way and the kids now are younger when they feel this pressure.”
But still so much has to change – with advertisers and magazines needing to represent all women, Fiona says.
“I want for our new generation of girls not to feel this pressure to have to look a certain way and I hope my campaign is going some way to helping that.”