Victoria’s Secret has always selected incredibly thin models to act as “angels” on the company’s runway, but Lane Bryant is aiming to redefine beauty with their “#ImNoAngel” campaign. Launched on Monday to promote their Cacique lingerie line, Lane Bryant’s campaign is designed to prove to women of all sizes that they should feel confident in their bodies.
Over the past year, an increasing number of companies and governments have started fighting the damaging concepts of Western beauty that the media and fashion industry often try to promote. American Eagle Outfitters’ “Aerie Real” campaign for its lingerie brand Aerie promised not to airbrush or retouch their models to remind customers that “the real you is sexy,” a move that earned the company the approval of the National Eating Disorders Association. MiLK Model Management in the UK recently made headlines for signing size 22, five-foot-five model Tess Holiday, as they made her the first plus-size model to sign a major modeling contract. In March, France joined Italy, Israel, and Spain’s efforts to keep clothing companies from using unhealthily thin models in their advertising campaigns and on catwalks.
Lane Bryant, which specializes in clothing for women in sizes 14 to 28, launched the “#ImNoAngel” campaign to cater to the millennials and baby boomers who marketing surveys reveal appreciate authenticity in their clothing campaigns. The black-and-white photos in the campaign show industry models Ashley Graham, Marquita Pring, Candice Huffine, Victoria Lee, Justine Legault, and Elly Mayday confidently defying typical beauty standards while clothed in Cacique lingerie. The photos, taken by photographer Cass Bird, will be featured in advertisements for the brand’s spring campaign and will be seen in a series of Lane Bryant television commercials.
“Our ‘#ImNoAngel’ campaign is designed to empower ALL women to love every part of herself. Lane Bryant firmly believes that she is sexy and we want to encourage her to confidently show it, in her own way,” said Linda Heasley, Lane Bryant CEO and President, in a statement.
While the campaign’s name is an obvious reference to the title Victoria’s Secret gives their runway models, Lane Bryant claims “#ImNoAngel” isn’t meant to be an insult to the rival lingerie powerhouse.
