All Women Project x ONE NINE EIGHT FIVE
Very early into the launch of ONE NINE EIGHT FIVE I had the pleasure of working with the All Woman Project by making a video of my story to share with their audience. I am quite a shy person so this was surprisingly a very uplifting albeit scary thing to do.
Starting any business isn’t easy, as with most people I had a lot of different hurdles to overcome, mine were both emotional and physical which is why this meant so much to me. The All Woman Project’s aim is to better the life of girls and women by displaying a true, beautiful, positive and un-retouched image of women in photo and video campaigns. They take space in environments where body image and self-esteem is the most challenging, in schools, by organising events and workshops. Providing girls with role-models and inspirations is how they help give them the strength and empowerment they need to become strong women, something I wish I had growing up. What incenses me is that girls are still growing up in a society full of rules that dictates what is beautiful and what is not. In an era run by social media, so many girls have an askew perception of themselves and of others. I would love to raise my children in a world where social media is used more as a tool to empower and motivate change within our society.
When it comes to my own physical identity, I have vitiligo, I’ve suffered with acne for over half of my life, and I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a teenager. The acne has almost gone but the vitiligo and arthritis will stay with me until I am old and grey, and that’s something that I face every day. Some days are easier than others but I have worked hard to accept what I’ve been given and to not let it stop me from being who I want to be. I’ve grown to love my imperfections because I know now that I can’t be defined by any single factor.
I am not the most physically able because of my arthritis but I still manage to do everything I want to do. There have been days where I can’t get out of bed, but I try to find a way to make that day count: drawing patterns in my notebook, sketching an old vintage chair found on Pinterest, even watching a program on gardening to inspire a colour palet. I am motivated and determined to make each day count, to live my life by my passion.
ONE NINE EIGHT FIVE is an extension of me. My values and morals in my personal life have become core values in my business. I believe everyone has a duty to sustain the world we live in, whether it’s helping the environment or making someone smile, the smallest gesture can make the biggest difference.
