We're used to seeing stick-thin models in the pages of magazines and on billboards but what if fashion advertisements actually used women with diverse bodies of all shapes and sizes?
That's what Jes Baker of The Militant Baker and photographer Liora K. set out to do when they created a series a fake fashion ads whose goal was to challenge the one-size-fits-all body types that are traditionally seen in the media.
The ads, which shill a perfume called "Lustworthy", feature a man and woman who aren't the usual body types seen in fashion and beauty ads (a.k.a. not a size 0-2) who embrace tightly à la Jamie Dornan and Eva Mendes.
Says The Militant Baker:
"Never in our culture do we see sexy photo shoots that pair nontraditional bodies with traditionally attractive models. It's socially acceptable for same to be paired with same, but never are the different types of bodies positively mixed in the world of advertisement. In projects like "Attractive and Fat", the juxtaposition of uncommonly paired bodies caused viewers to feel uncomfortable, and so it must be addressed again. This negative reaction is largely attributed to companies that capitalize on the thought that atypical bodies are not attractive, desirable or lust worthy. This is inaccurate, and the only way to shift the way we view ourselves is to repeatedly counter exclusionary imagery with positive inclusive imagery."
This year, we've seen many people challenge the concept of beauty: College student Anna Hill created mock advertisements showing the damaging effects of Photoshop and a 2011 video which resurfaced in 2013 showed just how easy it was to make a beautiful woman look unrecognizable by slimming her down.
Even fashion editors are realizing the bad effects of showcasing super-thin models. Former Australia Vogue editor Kirstie Clements detailed to the Guardian how models starved themselves to get work and former model Georgina Wilkin tried to shame the fashion industry by telling her horrific story of how she tried to remain thin.
However fashion PR maven Kelly Cutrone said it was the consumer's fault for thin models: "Society has a hyper emphasis on thin," she said, "and that trend comes from the consumers -- it does not come from the fashion industry.
Do you think the fashion industry should show more diverse bodies? Sound off in the comments below.
Check out more photos at The Militant Baker and check out Jes Baker's new project The Body Love Conference.
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