From the time the media has been mainstream, the female body has been the talking point. Likewise, Iskra Lawrence has gained positive hype on social media due to her body type. The beauty standards for women have been set very high.
Only the so-called “model-type” women were desirable for fashion, movies, and everything in between. There was limited space for women other than supposedly model-types to try their hands in the fashion industry.
It was only very recently; thanks to the rise of body positivism that plus-size models are getting the exposure they are entitled to. More models are embracing their plump figure out in public.
Ashley Graham was probably the first plus-size model to have been featured on global magazine covers. Similarly, Iskra Arabella Lawrence is making the internet go gaga over her plus-size beauty.
Iskra is a British blonde born on 11th September 1990, in Wolverhampton, England. However, she grew up in Kidderminster, Worcestershire where she took on competitive swimming and acted in theatre.
She began modeling when she was 18 years old. Currently, she is signed by JAG and Model1 where she stands proudly representing plus-size modeling at its finest. She has been advocating to remove the tag of plus-size as she feels it limits her, and she believes all modeling should have equal prominence.
Aerie, a lingerie subsidiary of American Eagle Outfitters has designated Lawrence as their global brand ambassador. Her work with this brand has gained tremendous support as it breaks the stereotype of lingerie being associated with only slim models.
On top of her work as a model, Iskra is also a brand ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) where she is a spokesperson and also created the NEDA Inspires Award, which gives back to and sheds light on the tragic disease of eating disorders.
With almost 4 million followers on Instagram, Iskra knows just how important it is to have a positive body image in the public eye. She does not allow any of her images to be processed or photoshopped and promotes the practice of self-love and kindness to her own body.
After 13 years of modeling, Iskra was recently asked to walk in her first fashion week for the brand Chromat. Such a huge opportunity for every model who gets the chance to walk that runway, Lawrence was over the moon excited to be a part of it all.
In October 2017, Lawrence also participated in the Paris fashion week by walking in L’Oreal’s first fashion show. She then ended the month with an appearance at the TedxUniversity in Nevada speaking about “Ending The Pursuit Of Perfection.”
On the rise as one of the most notable women to watch in the upcoming years for both her professional work and her personal strides with the body positivity movement, Iskra was chosen as BBC World’s 100 Women and also one of three women chosen by the Girl Scouts as a Great Girl Leader.
Also in 2017 Iskra appeared in the Stright Curve documentary talking about “body image and the industry leaders challenging societies unrealistic and dangerous standards of beauty.” Her work on the film is an important step in the body positivity and acceptance movement.
As a brand ambassador for American Eagle Outfitters, Iskra will be representing a new line of clothes coming out in the spring, she will be featured in a new line of jeans, “The New American Jeans” where all the images are untouched and unedited.
This feels like it is a long time coming, but women have been feeling for decades that women of size and color are underrepresented in advertising and the media. Over the years the representation became worse and worse with images of women becoming more photoshopped and the exceptions for thinness increasing.
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Iskra and other plus-sized models are attempting to break the stigma of the representation of larger women in the media. Not only do they aim to show a reflection on how more typical women look in society, but they also want to break the mold of classifying models by their shape and size.
One of Iskra’s biggest concerns is not so much how her modeling career will impact her life, but how her image in the world will impact the women around her. She doesn’t want to be a brave portrait of a large girl, at a size 14 she is smaller than most women in the U.S. but rather a bridge between the gap in the world of models.
Fans have fallen head over heels for the British blonde beauty. Not only does she have amazing curves that she owns and is proud of, but she also takes care of herself and her health and wants to help to heal the wounded society has given to women on their own body image.
