Venus of Lane Bryant
Sports Illustrated broke with tradition by introducing women that don’t fit their typical bikini model stereotype. Dove recently introduced the #choosebeautiful campaign, and now Lane Bryant has unleashed their #imnoangel campaign on NYC. Between these positive campaigns and the rising awareness to the disgusting act of body shaming, it’s beginning to feel like a change is in the air. We are probably not going back to worshiping Venus of Willendorf – but it’s nice to see a shift in thinking emerge as we move away from idolizing Barbie bodies.
With #iamnoangel, Lane Bryant is cleverly going after the Victoria Secret Angels and at the same time celebrating that sexiness can come in all shapes and sizes. Everyone is entitled to be attracted to whomever they desire and I am proud to see that there is a growing tolerance for diversity among the general populace. One detail that is certainly evident in highlighting the difference between angles is that the Lane Bryant models look way more comfortable in their own skin and that there is a substance behind their smiles.
Ralph Waldo Emmerson once said that 'The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions’ and I think that is what we are beginning to see at a societal level with the wellness and mindfulness movement picking up steam.
While I am no sociologist or anthropologist, the idea of the adoption curve comes to mind when thinking of where we are as a culture and our level of comfort. When you think of conservative people both locally, nationally, and internationally it can seem like there is a mountain to climb. In some places the terrain is steeper than others, however as the great Bob Dylan says, "times they are a' changin"..
