Women's bodies have been the running discussion in the media for as long as we can remember. Beauty has been picked apart by men and women in fashion, films, and the beauty industry to a point where women of all shapes and sizes feel insufficient. A new rise of body positivity has recently come to light and plus size models are now getting more exposure on the mainstream media. Ashley Graham is a plus size supermodel who has graced the cover of international magazines. Now the world is going gage for a new blonde plus sized beauty named Iskra Arabella Lawrence.
Born on September 11th 1990. Iskra Arabella Lawrence is a British native and rising star in the modeling world. Iskra was born in Wolverhampton England and grew up in Kiddermnister, Worcestershire where she was involved in competitive swimming and theater.
Iskra has been modeling since she was 18 years old and is now signed by the agencies JAG and Model1 where she represents the plus size modeling community, although she would not like be considered a plus size model because it limits her work, she would like all modeling to be seen equally.
Lawrence models for and is a global ambassador for Aerie, a brand of lingerie clothing from American Eagle Outfitters. She has become notable for her work with this brand and her plans size image being the face of a lingerie line where it was much more common to have very thin 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 isntagram, 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 photoshop and promotes the practice of self love and kindness to her own body.
In a world of so much body shaming and picking apart of women's bodies like there is a right and wrong, Iskra hopes to be a little light of hope. Not only does she put those body shaming commenters to rest by calling them out, she promotes the love of others and acceptance of all shapes and sizes.
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 the L'Oreal's first fashion show. She then ended the month with an appearance at 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 Jean" 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.
Iskra and other plus sized models are attempting to break the stigma of representation of larger women in the media. Not only do they aim to show a reflection on how more typical women look in society, they want to break the mold of classifying models by their shape and size.
One of Iskr'as biggest concern's 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 seize 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, she takes care of herself and her health and wants to help to heal the wound society has given to women on their own body image.
