Model Danielle shares her thoughts after our campaign shoot
Posted on January 31, 2024
"It’s just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to the little girl who was one day climbing trees without any awareness of her body other than how adept it was at cartwheels and handstands; and then inexplicably overnight changed to a young girl standing in front of the mirror scrutinising, criticising, pinching, squeezing, and hating on the image that looked back at her. This little girl was not born with feelings of inadequacy or body shame, and yet, one day the feelings were felt. Those feelings were the start of a lifetime of self-criticism.
It's just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to the teenager in the 80s who grew up in an era of diet culture, where being skinny and pretty was prime currency. The overriding message from society then was “thinner is better” and to her there appeared to be a direct correlation to the number on her scales every morning and her worthiness to the world at large. This was the beginning of an endless cycle of denying, bingeing, punishing and shame that would largely impact so many of the choices she would make for herself. From always wearing a t-shirt over her bikini, to skipping meals, to binge eating and drinking, to unhealthy relationships with boys as she desperately searched for ways to feel loved and worthy. But no matter what she did the shame persisted and her self-respect suffered.
It's just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to the vulnerable young woman in her 20s whose body type was as far removed from the 90’s Supermodels who were setting globally accepted beauty standards, as the Heroin Chic waifs that closely followed them. It really did not matter how much she starved her body, or punished it with endless, exhausting hours of exercise, with her naturally stocky and muscular frame she was never going to meet those impossible standards and the cycle of self-contempt was perpetuated.
It's just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to the weary, new mother who birthed two beautiful, little girls within 17 months of each other. The mother who gave her babies everything she had without question. The mother whose body was stretched beyond recognition, deprived of so many hours of sleep, breast fed for over two years, happily surrendered to countless cuddles, carried, and rocked her daughters on her aching hips with aching arms for too many hours to count, and so much more. No time for self-care, no energy to exercise, no will to prioritise herself, she had reached the point that she didn’t even recognise her body anymore, and the self-disgust was overwhelming.
It's just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to the 40-year-old woman who rebuilt her body from the ground up. The woman who was determined, for the first time in a long time, to prioritise her own health and happiness. She exercised, nourished, sculpted, and created the ‘best’ body she ever owned. She was the lightest, smallest, and leanest she had ever been. But while this woman was immensely proud of this new body because it was strong, fit, and healthy, she still knew deep down that her naturally muscular, mesomorph body was simply not desirable by accepted beauty standards. And therefore, self-acceptance continued to be frustratingly and depressingly elusive.
It's just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to the woman in her sixth decade. A woman who rarely, if ever, sees a woman in her 50’s given main character billing in an advertising campaign. A woman who is used to seeing others her age relegated to the supporting Mother/Grandmother role in marketing. A woman who been conditioned over decades to accept the patriarchal stereotypes that deem a woman her age as no longer sexual nor sexy, of little value to anyone, not worthy of attention, and most certainly not viewed by others as aspirational. A woman who has seemingly served her total purpose in life; to firstly attract a man; give birth; raise children; and then quietly blend back into the scenery, without any fuss, to make way for a younger female to take centre stage and so begin the cycle again. A woman who is told by the world at large to ‘cover it up and put it away’. A woman who can’t help but internalise the messaging that she is ‘old and therefore ugly’, and her self-worth slowly erodes with each passing year.
It’s just a photo shoot you say…
But it’s not to me. It was so much more than that. It was an honour to be representing a woman who has never really seen herself in beautiful lingerie, produced by an international brand, in mainstream advertising. A woman who rarely, if ever, sees a face with obvious signs of a life fully lived, hair that’s greying, an average height body and a muscular, softer frame looking back at her from the screen.
It was not just a photo shoot to me. It was an opportunity to disrobe in a safe, inclusive, space that encouraged me to see my body for what it is, strong and healthy and perfectly imperfect. To stand, for once, bravely, and openly without comparison and judgement from myself for myself. To begin the process of dismantling the shame and acknowledging the lack of value I had placed on my beautiful, strong, and resilient body for too many years. To shed the subconscious beliefs that I have held onto for over 50 years telling me that my body was never good enough.
You see, it was not just a photo shoot to me. It was a catalyst to changing my self-talk.
From self-loathing to self-acceptance.
From self-contempt to self-respect.
From self-criticism to self-confidence.
And most importantly,
From self-hatred to self-love.
No, it was most definitely not just a photo shoot to me…"