Weight | PUSSY – One Of Your 5 A Day

Debenhams new summer 2013 campaign features a diverse range of ‘real’ people, including plus sized models, a 69-year-old and an amputee.

“I loved seeing the way that clothes emboldened each woman and man and being on a shoot where no two models were the same,” said Caryn Franklin, who worked on the project with Debenhams.

“I never underestimate the power of great clothes to bolster self-esteem, or the impact of imagery that celebrates difference.”

“Our customers are not the same shape or size so our latest look book celebrates this diversity,” said Ed Watson, director of PR at Debenhams.

“Hopefully these shots will be a step, albeit a small one, towards more people feeling more comfortable about their bodies.”

Natalie Perkins is a talented young lady. We came across an illustration of hers a few years ago, and was happy to see that the rest of her work is just as wonderful. As is her motivation for producing the work that she does;

“My drawings are an avenue for meditation and self care. They are largely influenced by my embodiment as a fat woman with mental illness. My early work focused on highly detailed and repetitive line work, and commented on femininity in pop culture as much as my own feelings about my own very unpopular femininity. After suffering a significant period of mental illness in 2011 I spent a lot of time focusing on simply getting through my days and not creating much resolved work at all. As I come back into better health I’m approaching my creative practice quite differently, with more respect for my disabilities as well as the role of drawing in my personal life.

Now, I draw to recover and illustrate a femininity that moves away from aesthetic beauty, and I find my politics and art seem to mesh more naturally.”

Check out some of our favourite pieces of her work and then go over to her website to see more.