Labels make us feel worse about ourselves, and I would love for all models, no matter what their size, to be treated equally and called the same thing.
— Iskra Lawrence
Because I was a swimmer, I felt like sports did help me to realize that my body was more than what it just looked like... and if didn't eat, then I couldn't swim fast.
When you get to that point where you don't have to worry and you don't have to think about it... I'm pretty sure that's the best diet you can be on.
Like virtually all of the women I know, I spent my teenage years battling with my body and feeling I wasn't good enough. A lot of that negativity is because I was pursuing a career in modeling and was told countless times that my body was too big. My hips and thighs were too wide.
For me, health starts from the mind, and it really does start from the inside out.
My dad always has the best advice!
We don't need to be categorized - we are all individual and beautifully unique.
I know, when I was younger, I would look in the mirror every single day and hate what I saw.
I refuse to let something as insignificant as a size or number on a scale determine how I feel about myself. I am grateful for my body, my health, and the life that I have, and no arbitrary number should have any impact on that.
For me, I feel empowered when I use my body to exercise, play sports, and explore the world. My body allows me to sing, dance, talk, feel - and eat a damn good piece of cheesecake.
You are good enough as you, so delete that Facetune app and step away from that really weird filter that makes you look smoother than Craig David.
Everybody can rock a bikini, swimsuit, unicorn onesie... whatever floats your boat. If you wear it with confidence, you will look hot.
It's easy to forget how powerful our bodies actually are.
Social media should be a true sense of who you are.
I got told I wasn't good enough and that I could never make it. And then Aerie told me I was beautiful because I was me.
Phones are interesting objects. Sometimes you wish they just didn't exist.
I'm very aware I have very young people following me - 11- and 12-year-olds. I want to do things that are aspirational, so I'm not going to pick a picture that's unattractive - even in the sense of lighting and angles - but I make sure that it's realistic. It is me, and it is my body. I wouldn't put anything out there that isn't real.
Social media has been both damaging and beneficial in terms of how we view our bodies.
Aerie builds you up, and it makes you feel positive. Why don't more companies do that?
The first time I learned about Aerie, I was blown away by how beautiful and confident the models appeared in their ads - and more so that they were un-retouched.
My story is one of ups and downs. It's made up of tastes of success and a lot more rejection.
Girls shouldn't be worried about their cellulite or their rolls. Or anything that makes us real.
If you are trying to achieve the 'perfect body' or aspiring to be like someone else, you are only going to feel like you failed.
I spent so many years being repeatedly rejected and told I wasn't good enough. It took a huge toll on my self-esteem until I realized I am more than my body and that, actually, our beauty comes from diversity.
The most important relationship we have in our lives is the relationship we have with ourselves, and we're not taught about it.
If you want to wear something and you feel confident, you are going to rock it. That's what I love about fashion: it's your choice and your chance to express yourself.
When I was a teenager, a mean comment would have hurt me deeply, I've made it my mission to be a role model for young girls and boys and help show them that other people's words or opinions have nothing to do with how beautiful they actually are.
Never think your life isn't good enough. You only have one, so enjoy every minute.
Hateful words stand no chance against self-worth and a little of humor.
When we think about our bodies, we often think about the way they look as opposed to what they accomplish for us every day.
I had had my own trials and tribulations with body image. I had gone through a lot starting from my teenage years.
You should be waking up and being excited about what you're going to do today, and your friends and your family, and what you're going to achieve in life.
I never want to shame anyone. I love going to the gym, and I feel proud and fit. That, for me, is aspirational. There are things you can do in a very healthy, natural way. This is how I work with my body to make it the best I can be. That's the shape that I have, just toned and tight. That's my preference.
Throughout my whole teenage years, I had zero confidence and had to build it from the bottom up.
I was a 'straight-size' model from 13 to 16, but I was eventually dropped by the agency because my hips were too big.
There's a direct correlation between media and how we feel about our bodies.
The more time I invested in myself and finding out what made me unique and special, the more jobs and campaigns I booked.
I treat health and fitness as looking after myself.
I did not label myself 'plus size.' The fashion industry did.
My confidence comes from the realisation that, actually, the best you can be is you, learning to accept who I was, what I wanted, and that I was more than my body.
If your girlfriend is saying, 'Ugh, look at my stretch marks, look at my rolls,' don't say, 'Yeah, I hate my thighs, too.' Say, 'No, you look really cute today - and I feel good, too!'
There is a way to disagree with someone, but it doesn't have to be threatening.
On a night out, I can feel unstoppable with an eyeliner wing and a bold lip. But I also love that I can still feel beautiful and confident without any of that.
Words and images deeply impact the way we view our bodies, and the consequences can be very damaging.
I live by 'Everything in moderation.'
I have heard every negative thing under the sun about my body.
I always encourage other people to share a story and voices. That is so important.
You don't need to be retouched - because the real you is beautiful.
I need to just be Iskra, and I've got to believe in me, or else no one will.
I'm very much a positive person - I put good energy out there - so I don't feel like anyone would want to do anything nasty to me.
