Lingerie brand praised for using ‘normal-sized’ curvy teenager as model in sexy new campaign
January 27, 2016 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
A lingerie brand is being praised for using a curvy teenager to model their latest line – and she’s been touted as a ‘normal-sized’ lingerie model .
Barbie Ferreira is a US size 12 – a 16 here in the UK – and is celebrating her size by appearing un-retouched in the campaign just launched by Aerie, a lingerie off-shoot of American Eagle.
The 19-year-old is the face of their new AerieReal ad campaign, and she’s appeared in this striking video explaining how she feels about her body image.
Barbie, who has been dubbed the “Queen of in-between” and boasts more than 200,000 Instagram followers, is in the ‘the real you is sexy’ campaign.
Read more:
Size 22 model Tess Holliday says she’s not unhealthy and loves posing in the nude
The Wilhelmina Models girl is also fairly forthright about shape and size on her Twitter feed.
Post as Bored Barbara, she said this week: “I have to remind myself that people are so cruel about bodies because they never see average bodies on their screens and it’s new to them.”
Have to remind myself that ppl r so cruel n wrong bout bodies bc they never see average bodies on their screens n it’s new to them
— barbie (@boredbarbara) January 24, 2016
She went on to discount their comments, posting: “I don’t really care much about what they say except just super inaccurate s*** like I’m promoting obesity. What?!? I’m not close to medically obese.”
Then she added: “Which isn’t necessarily bad either but my body is super average – it’s a size 12. I work out, I eat extremely healthy – I live my life.”
Which isn’t necessarily bad either but my body is super average it’s a size 12 I work out I eat extremely healthy I live my life lol
— barbie (@boredbarbara) January 24, 2016
She explains in the Aerie video: “I am unapologetically myself, no matter what anyone’s opinion is.
“Not being retouched in the images is something that’s very important to me – people knowing that, that’s what I look like without anyone’s perception of what my body needs to look like.”
The online response so far has been overwhelming positive.
@boredbarbara Thank you for not perpetuating the irresponsible and unattainable photo-shopped body types in most mags. You are beautiful!
— Velma Rocks (@velmarocks) January 25, 2016
User Velma Rocks tweeted Barbie: “Thank you for not perpetuating the irresponsible and unattainable photo-shopped body types in most mags. You are beautiful!”
Scott Bryant added: “Major kudos to Aeriefor its AerieReal campaign featuring @BoredBarbara. Very beautiful and empowering. #InspiringWomen”
Major kudos to @Aerie for its #AerieREAL campaign feat. @boredbarbara https://t.co/hd0smNIjsb. Very beautiful empowering. #InspiringWomen
— Scott Bryant (@scottbryant_) January 25, 2016
In an interview last November, Barbie said she was unhappy with the “inaccurate” terms “plus size”, and gave Instagram her stamp of approval for offering a “raw, uncensored platform” for women to model.
“I’m not plus size,” she says. “I have never bought an article of clothing that is plus size.”
According to Business Insider , Aerie’s sales increased 18 per cent in the second quarter of 2015, compared to just 3 per cent at Victoria’s Secret.
Aerie is available online at aeo.com or in all American Eagle Outfitters stores in the UK (including Westfield London, Westfield Stratford and Bluewater Kent).