Iskra Lawrence says she has rules for social media

Iskra Lawrence says she has rules for social media

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Curvy model Iskra Lawrence has made a name for herself around the world as a body-positive role model, thanks in large part to her inspirational social media posts which urge women of all shapes and sizes to love their bodies no matter what.

But while it might seem to most that the British-born model is pretty relaxed about her role as one of the industry's most respected curvy stars, she recently revealed to FEMAIL that she does sometimes struggle with the pressure of serving as a role model to so many people, particularly when it comes to social media.

Speaking at a recent fan event at Aerie's pop-up store in Soho, New York, Iskra - who has been based in New York for the last few years - admitted that she has created a set of social media rules to follow, that allow her to ensure all of the content she is posting remains positive and inspiring for all of her 3.3 million followers.



'I do have rules for social media, and I put thought into everything that I post,' the Aerie role model explained.

'If I'm out to dinner with my friends or focusing on other things then I won't post then and there because I want to make sure I have the time to think about what I'm writing and what I'm putting up.

'You can't be happy all the time, and I want to share real moments with my followers - not just put on a happy face for the sake of it. But I do also want to make sure that the messages that I'm sharing are positive in some way, and that they are real and natural.

'So I'll often wait and take some time out when I'm at home or in the back of a taxi going from one place to another, and then I'll focus my attention on what I'm posting.'

She added: 'Of course though there will be the odd occasions where I just post something in the moment - that happens too!



Whatever it is that she decides to post on social media, Iskra says she always ensures that it is natural and authentic - committing herself to the same Photoshop ban that Aerie publicly implemented a few years ago, and only posting images of herself that remain unretouched, whether it's a selfie in the gym, or an image from her latest swimwear campaign.

And now she's urging others to take on that same vow, posting a video on her Instagram account last week in which she makes a public plea to her followers to join the Aerie Real campaign by posting un-edited images of themselves in their favorite swimwear.

'I'm here in my swimwear right now because it's really important that we talk about how you feel,' Iskra says in the video, which sees her standing in front of a camera in a stylish blue bikini while grabbing her fat rolls for emphasis.

'In bikinis and swimwear, it can feel difficult sometimes. You might feel insecure, you might feel like there's something wrong with having fat rolls or cellulite or any of those things.

'But actually, your body is strong, your body has amazing abilities, and it's all yours, it's your home. So instead of feeling insecure, I want you to shine bright, and I want you to share that.



'Use the hashtag #AerieReal and post up those unretouched photos. You don't need to be retouched, you're already perfectly imperfect just as you are. So make sure you remember that.'

In a caption alongside the video, Iskra opened up in more detail about why she feels it is so important for women to accept their own bodies - rather than trying to compare themselves to others.

'Disclaimer - this is my body, I understand that I had to grab my body to show rolls and that other bodies have rolls stood up/just being, but unfortunately as a physical representation I'm unable to change my body to relate to all of you.

'So I just hope you understand I really do wish for everybody to love, respect and look after their bodies because they are the home for our souls and we are so much more magical and beautiful than just the outer packaging...'

Following up on the video campaign, Iskra posted a set of three images of herself enjoying a session it what appears to be a sauna, showing off her natural curves in a blue floral bikini while happily smiling at the camera.

'No retouching, no make-up,' she commented on the trio of pictures.