Diversity NOW!
IN ASSOCIATION WITH i-D MAGAZINE
SPONSORED BY SUCCEED FOUNDATION. Supported by Arts Thread, Graduate Fashion Week and Own Label.
June 2012: Announcing a National Student Design Competition:
Womenswear, Menswear, Fashion Film, Fashion Photography, Zines, Fashion JournalismNow is the time for creatives to boldly vision a fashion future which steps beyond stereotypes, redefines boundaries and celebrates a wider range of beauty and body ideals in age, size and race than are currently reflected in our media. A fashion future that truly celebrates individuality, in all its myriad forms, not the homogenised consistently branded version of it.
“We believe diversity can enhance creativity not impede it. Like the multitude of silhouettes our industry creates, beauty is also individual. It's not restricted by age, shape, skin tone or size.” Debra Bourne, Caryn Franklin and Erin O’Connor Co Founders All Walks Beyond the Catwalk.
ARE YOU UP FOR IT? THE CALL IS - Diversity NOW!
“All Walks is relevant today because it brings back the importance of personal identity.” Terry Jones, i-D Magazine
“It’s very important that we question the parameters that define beauty. I’m thrilled to support the All Walks initiative.” Nick Knight, photographer . SHOWstudio.com
“All Walks is an important initiative. There should be an awareness of who is wearing your fashion... Beyond the Catwalk." Mark Fast
SUPPORTERS OF DIVERSITY NOW!
i-D magazine: i-D Magazine has recently celebrated 30 years at the forefront of cutting edge fashion and ideas and has always promoted diversity and individuality. A magazine for thought leaders and creative pioneers, i-D Online will feature winning work of students who offer progressive ideas on diverse body and beauty ideals.
www.i-donline.com
Succeed Foundation: With a fresh approach to eating disorders, wellbeing and body image awareness, The Succeed Foundation is a young charity determined that many in need of help now will see benefits in the future. When starting out you have to sow seeds to Succeed.
www.succeedfoundation.org
Arts Thread: Arts Thread is the world’s leading creative graduate network, bridging the gap between education & the design industry. In little over 2 years Arts Thread has built relationships with over 80 International Art Colleges in 16 countries and helped over 400 design graduates gain employment with some of the leading brands worldwide.
www.artsthread.com
Graduate Fashion Week: Celebrating over 21 years of promoting student talent to industry and press, GFW supports All Walks in putting emotionally considerate design and messaging on the agenda.
www.gfw.org.uk
OWN LABEL was set up following a collaboration between students from the University of the Arts and London Business School to promote creative design at affordable prices by working directly with emerging fashion designers.
www.own-label.com
Centre of Diversity: Run by Director Mal Burkinshaw of Edinburgh College of Art and located at the Scottish Academy of Fashion at Edinburgh College of Art. The C.O.D aims to create a long term ‘Network Centre of Excellence,’ for research relating to emotionally considerate design for a range of body shapes. The centre will be a hub fordynamic and challenging creative research that will span the breadth of modern fashion pedagogy.
All Walks Centre of Diversity
Announcement of this competition will take place on June 12th at 9.15am as part of the Futures Forum presented by All Walks in the Victoria Rooms, Earls Court 2 as part of Graduate Fashion Week.
17.04.2012 Inaugural Body Confidence Awards Nominees Announced
Embargo: 00:00, 17 April 2012
Contact: Corrine Leon 020 7219 8088
In a looks-obsessed society where 47% of girls think the pressure to look attractive is the most negative part of being female[i] and 38% of men would sacrifice at least a year of their life in exchange for a perfect body.[iii]
It is time to recognise the power of media, individuals and corporations to promote better body confidence for all.
The APPG on Body Image is delighted to announce the UK’s first Body Confidence Awards presented in association with bareMinerals.
Mounted by the APPG and with the support of the Campaign for Body Confidence founded in 2009, the ceremony will be held on 19 April 2012 at 7:30 PM at the House of Commons. The Awards will recognise and celebrate the achievements and best practice of those who promote body confidence within various industries.
A judging panel made up of representatives from B-eat, the Centre for Appearance Research, All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, AnyBody, Stephanie Heart Enterprises, Mumsnet, and the Central YMCA along with Jo Swinson MP sifted through countless nominations to come up with the shortlists.
The nominees were chosen for a number of reasons including aspirational diversity in size, age and skin tone; responsible use of body imagery and the consideration of diverse body sizes, shapes and beauty; promotion of active and healthy lifestyles and less sexualised imagery.
Commenting on his nomination fashion designer Giles Deacon said:
“I am thrilled to be nominated for a Body Confidence award. Since launching my eponymous label in 2003 I have worked with a wide range of ages and body types and a particular highlight for me was working with Verushka who modelled in my in Spring Summer 2011 collection closing the runway show age 73. I like to work with this wide range of women as body confidence and character pervade.”
Commenting on his nomination fashion designer Mark Fast said:
“Over the years I have been privileged to work with some of the most beautiful and shapely women in the world and it is true to say that even the most beautiful (by any standards) have moments of doubt and insecurities. I want to celebrate women and make them feel good in my clothes”.
Commenting Susie Orbach from AnyBody said:
“It influences us all and affects the well-being of young women and men so it is important to acknowledge examples which promote body confidence and counteract the damage. Advertisers and marketers can be so imaginative. These are examples of the direction to aim in.”
Commenting Jo Swinson MP for East Dunbartonshire said:
“With these awards we want to publicly recognise positive steps taken by industry groups, businesses and campaigners. In highlighting their leading work and body confidence initiatives hopefully they will inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”
Commenting Caryn Franklin Fashion Commentator and Co-Founder of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk said:
"Fashion design can be a huge force for good when individuality and diversity are celebrated. At All Walks, we love fashion for all ages, sizes and skin tones."
The nominees are:
Advertising
‘The Woman’ by Breast Cancer Care; ‘Growing up’ by Dove; ‘100 Days of Summer’ by New Look; ‘Fotoshop by Adobé’ by Jesse Rosten
Beauty
Boots No7 ‘Ta Dah’ range; Illamasqua; Look Good... Feel Better; MAC
Broadcast/Print/Publishing
Beautiful Magazine; Caitlin Moran for How to be a Woman; Gok’s Teens: The Naked Truth; Guardian Weekend Magazine: Fashion for all ages
Campaigner
Body Gossip; Changing Faces; Katie Piper; Miss Representation
Central YMCA Health, Sport and Fitness Award
Curves; Dance UK’s Healthier Dancer Programme; Virgin Active’s Ooomph campaign
Education
Body Gossip’s ‘Gossip School’ education programme; Body Image in the Primary School by Nicky Hutchinson and Chris Calland; Girlguiding UK’s Peer education initiative
All Walks Beyond the Catwalk Fashion Award
Giles Deacon; Mark Fast; Vivienne Westwood
Mumsnet Award for promoting body confidence in children
Cerrie Burnell from CBeebies; Ellie Simmonds; Pink Stinks; Gok Wan
Retail
ASOS Curve; Debenhams; La Redoute; Vivien of Holloway
Celebrity Ambassador of the Year Award
Decided by public votes. To be announced at the ceremony
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Notes to editors Interviews with the following campaign members by request or through individual organisations. See links below:- The Campaign for Body Confidence co-founded by Lynne Featherstone MP, now Government Minister for Equalities, and Jo Swinson MP brings together a range of organisations including: B-Eat, All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, Mumsnet, Central YMCA , Anybody, Stephanie Heart Enterprise and the Centre for Appearance Research.
- Award-winning fashion initiative All Walks Beyond the Catwalk promotes a broader range of body and beauty ideals in collaboration with designers, professional models and education professionals. The All Walks nationwide lectures and Centre of Diversity in Edinburgh explore emotionally considerate design for all.
- AnyBody is a non-profit organisation encouraging a change in cultural attitudes towards bodies, food and eating so that women and children of the next generation can learn to be happy in and look after their bodies.
- B-eat is a leading UK charity for people with eating disorders and their families.
- The Centre for Appearance Research is an academic research centre at the University of West England which focuses on appearance-related concerns.
- Central YMCA is a health charity using advocacy and education to change attitudes toward health, including body image.
- Mumsnet is now the UK’s busiest social network for parents, generating over 38 million page views per month and nearly 5 million visits per month.
- Stephanie Heart of SH Enterprises inspires and challenges young women through interactive seminars
- All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image
- In their most recent campaign “Force of Beauty”, bareMinerals decided to eschew models that represented the elusive notion of beauty, and instead held a blind casting call for women ages 20 to 60. They did not see the women who applied until they were selected for the campaign. Instead, they asked more than 270 women to complete a questionnaire about who they were and what they were like. The company was looking for women who embodied qualities like inspiration, humility and humour. The goal was to capture women who had compelling and interesting stories to tell. With the exception of basic colour correction, the company took pains not to retouch or airbrush photographs of the women, leaving in everything that they came with on their face. They are firm believers that they have a responsibility as a beauty company to start changing the images that women see.
- Photo credit: Kirsten McLennan wears Alice Temperley for All Walks Beyond the Catwalk shot by Rankin Caption: All Walks Beyond the Catwalk promote broader body and beauty ideals in their campaigns.
MISS REPRESENTATION: You Can’t Be What You Can’t See
Embargo: Immediate, 30rd January 2012
Against the backdrop of the Leveson Enquiry where media behaviour has been put under the spotlight, it could be time to look at treatment of women across all media channels. Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s new documentary Miss Representation does just that.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image, Central YMCA and All Walks Beyond the Catwalk are proud to present the UK premiere of Miss Representation at the House of Commons on 1 February 2012 at 6:00 PM, attended by top media industry professionals.
This award-winning film, exploring how media misrepresentations of women have led to their under-representation in positions of power and influence, will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Jo Swinson MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image.
Speaking to this issue in the UK. Panellists include: Lynne Featherstone MP, Minister for Equalities; Colleen Harris, Communications and Diversity Adviser; Susie Orbach, writer and psychotherapist; Malorie Blackman, author.
Commenting on the event Debra Bourne, Co founder, All Walks Beyond the Catwalk said:
"With the lack of female role models reflected in our general media, women often look to fashion for a narrative on femininity. The work of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk to promote a broader range of beauty and body ideals in age, size and skin tone therefore, is essential"
Commenting Jo Swinson said:
"This documentary turns the spotlight on female voices and experiences that often go unheard. The female activists, actors and politicians in the film are highlighting a simple fact: media misrepresentation of women results in a leadership gap. By screening this film we aim to kickstart the debate about the misrepresentation and underrepresentation of women here in the UK"
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Notes to Editors
1. Audio and visual clips are available on request.
2. To book interviews with organisers (APPG on Body Image, Central YMCA and All Walks Beyond the Catwalk) please contact: [email protected]; 020 7219 8088
3. For any enquiries related to the Minister or Government policy please contact the Home Office Press Office at 020 7035 3535
RELEASE: All Walks’ message to the Fashion Industry is clear; “Real Beauty is good for business”
Release 16.09.11
New research, to be released later this month by Judge Business School, Cambridge University, reinforces the assertion from the award winning fashion initiative All Walks, Beyond the Catwalk, that when fashion imagery features a range of women in size and age, it's good for business.
“It’s official! Diversity can positively contribute to business,“ say All Walks, co founders Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor who launched their campaign All Walks Beyond the Catwalk in 2009, to introduce high-end designers and image makers to models of all shapes, ages and skin tones, to promote achievable and realistic beauty ideals from the heart of the fashion industry.
All Walks founders assert:
"We know that since women of all ages are influenced by what they see on the catwalk and in fashion magazines, our industry could be vital in the promotion of healthy ideals and consumer well being. This news gives creatives and retailers concrete evidence to act.”
"In my research, featuring 3,000 women in Canada, US and UK equally segmented between 14-65 years of age, over 90% of women between 40-65 years old increased purchase intentions for fashion products when the advertisement featured models reflecting their age and size,” confirms Ben Barry, PhD student, Judge Business School, Cambridge University. “Women over 40 years old possess more overall spending power than any other age group, and they spend more on women’s apparel than younger market segments. Moreover, research demonstrates that aging does not reduce fashion interest among individuals.”
This is something All Walks alerted educational bodies to last year, and brought about change within the University curriculum. “Training on a range of body shapes could foster successful business practice for UK graduates who travel all over the world,” say Franklin and Bourne.
“Newly appointed Director of the All Walks Centre of Diversity, Mal Burkinshaw, of Edinburgh College of Art, agrees. ‘We must prepare students to take an informed and progressive approach into industry. Bodies change shape as they age and students, whilst carrying out their training on tailors dummies and transferring the finished product to a professional catwalk model, must also explore and understand the realities of designing for ordinary women.”
Picture credit: Photography by Jacqueline Boulton. Model: Valerie Pain, aged 67 at Close Models.
Caption: Graduate Johanna Wulf from the Arts College, University of Bournemouth, was inspired to create her final year collection for older women after All Walks gave a seminar at her college.
Press interviews and contacts: [email protected] office 0207 289 6230
Debra Bourne 07973 358070 / [email protected]
Notes to editors:
The All Walks Centre of Diversity was launched in June 2011 by Govt Minister Lynne Featherstone at Graduate Fashion Week.
* This London Fashion Week - Designers and All Walks supporters Debbie Huntley and Alexandra Groover have both chosen to work with larger models to pursue a more diverse message to consumers.
Mark Fast was one of the early All Walks supporters to put curvy All Walks model Hayley Morley on his catwalk back in Sept 2009
Marks and Spencer, Debenhams and House of Fraser with Mary Portas have created niche activity for the 40 plus market this year.
Director of All Walks Centre of Diversity Mal Burkinshaw says...
“We are entering an era where emotion and experience are increasingly important in both personal and professional development… people are looking for diversity, meaning and integrity in what they do and what they buy. We will look at how psychological issues related to identity and well-being, can be fused into fashion to comfort the consumer. The idea of Emotional Engagement could revolutionize both the way we teach our design students and how businesses market their products globally.”
-ends-
ALL WALKS ASKS UNIVERSITIES TO GET “FASHION CONSCIOUS”
IMMEDIATE RELEASE 24 May 2011
Britain’s first educational centre devoted to the promotion of diverse body shape launches at Graduate Fashion Week.
“We want student fashion designers to be introduced to a realistic range of body shapes during their training process. Diversity can enhance craftmanship not impede it.”
- All Walks, Co Founders Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor.
Fresh from the success of SNAPPED at the National Portrait Gallery, All Walks’ Spring/Summer ’11, campaign involving nine major fashion designers from Vivienne Westwood, Giles Deacon to Stella McCartney, the award winning fashion diversity initiative, delivers on its’ pledge to inspire changes to Britain’s fashion curriculum.
Britain’s first ever, educational institution devoted to furthering the promotion and design requirements of diverse body shape to meet consumer demand, will be launched by All Walks Beyond the Catwalk with Edinburgh College of Art, at their 2nd annual All Walks Futures Forum at Graduate Fashion Week. The Forum takes place on June 7th 2011 and will be attended by Govt Minister for Equalities and Lib Dem Body Confidence Campaign founder Lynne Featherstone.
The All Walks founders believe that there’s a need to promote fashion as an inclusive and inspirational force in women’s lives by creating imagery that mirrors the diverse and individual beauty of women, and design that has been informed by knowledge of a realistic body shape not just a tailors dummy or a sample size model. Currently all fashion colleges train exclusively on dummies size 8/10.
The All Walks Centre of Diversity, headed by Course Leader of Fashion, Edinburgh College of Arts’, Mal Burkinshaw, will research and develop new approaches in fashion education to include more emotionally aware and considerate practice. Students will benefit from training on a specially commissioned set of UK sized 8 to 18, tailors dummies, donated by leading mannequin specialist, Proportion London. Skills might range from learning languaging to aid working on different body shapes, listening and understanding the needs of the consumer, as well as using diverse body shapes to inspire the form and design of garments.
”We support All Walks in agreeing that the fashion industry currently has a very narrow approach to diversity of image. It’s the responsibility of fashion educators to teach our future fashion practitioners from designers to image-makers to become more aware of the emotional impact of their design and messaging through creative and exciting educational methods.”
- says Burkinshaw, who has just implemented a project to introduce students to designing for ordinary bodies.
It makes a big difference working with a real human being, than training on an inanimate object. say Franklin, Bourne and O'Connor. Only when those in the fashion industry understand how powerful fashion imagery actually is, and how ordinary women feel about the limited physical ideals that are currently used as a learning template, will we see progress.
Bournemouth University and Southampton Solent University have also incorporated diversity of body-shape projects into the curriculum post the first Forum last June. More colleges are expected to follow.
“People constantly talk about the economics of emerging markets – Brazil, India and China. Surely it’s time to join the dots between commercial thinking and emotional understanding. We live in a diverse world. The fashion industry can send out a more conscious message, develop a more emotionally considerate practice in pursuit of a more lucrative business proposition. It all begins in education. We are indebted to June Barker, Managing Director of Graduate Fashion Week for recognising this.”
- conclude Co Founders, All Walks Beyond the Catwalk.
PHOTOCALL: 11.15AM JUNE 7TH 2011. VICTORIA ROOM, EARLS COURT 2, LONDON, SW5
Attended by Lynne Featherstone Govt. Minister for Equalites and co Founder Erin O’Connor and models, will take place after the announcement of the All Walks Centre.
All Walks Co Founders Caryn Franklin and Debra Bourne will both receive an Honorary Doctorate this June, in acknowledgment of their work in Industry and Education.
For further information contact: [email protected] (directly to founders Debra Bourne/Caryn Franklin) or [email protected]
NOTES TO EDITORS. INDUSTRY QUOTES
Govt. Minister Lynne Featherstone:
“Too many people feel pressurised to focus their energies on how they look. I want to shine a light on initiatives that celebrate a range of body images as diverse as the society we live in”.
"It's been fantastic to be part of the launch of Centre for Diversity and to see in action the important part All Walks Beyond the Catwalk is playing in helping the fashion industry work with a more realistic range of body shapes."
Professor Wendy Dagworthy, Head of School of Fashion and Textiles Royal College of Art. (commented on the initial launch of All Walks Forum) "Designers can lead the way in challenging cultural definitions of what is beautiful. Colleges or University can be the first opportunity for a student to process their ideas and challenge the status quo."
Leading Psychotherapist Susie Orbach. “All Walks is not only a crucial but an exciting project. The Fashion Industry is capable of wondrous artistry and edginess and it is great to see the team bringing their considerable experience of the fashion world to the visual representation of Body Diversity.”
Rankin, Photographer:
“I wholly admire and support the endeavours of the All Walks Beyond the Catwalk campaign. As a photographer, I am constantly confronted by perceived ideals of beauty. The models, actors, musicians, and ‘real’ people who I see down my lens are all influenced by an oppressive world of unattainable physical goals. I always work hard to break through the artifice and capture something unique, original and beautiful in each of my subjects. Interest and creativity is not about perfection but quite the opposite; beauty comes from our idiosyncrasies.”
Deborah Milner, Designer (and Panel Member for All Walks selection Panel):
"Having spent many years making clothes for private clients, there is no better way for a designer to hone their cutting skills while gaining a greater appreciation of the human body in all its many variations. Contrary to the common perception that the limitations placed on a designer by working with different bodyshapes/age groups are a handicap to creativity, it can actually be quite liberating seeing your designs work in a different way through skilled use of proportion, texture and colour."
Tanya Reynolds, Creative Director, proportion>london:
"We are delighted to get involved in this worthy initiative, which gives students the opportunity to work on a fully selection of bust forms sizes. It is important to us to that we contribute towards building a strong future fashion industry that is relevant to todays consumer needs. Well done All Walks for prompting such an action!"
All Walks acknowledges the power that the fashion industry has to communicate to women about their bodies and offers realistic and diverse fashion imagery.
All Walks expands on the imagery coming out of the heart of London Fashion Week to offer a more realistic range of women in high-end designer samples.
All Walks works in education to plant ideas at seed level with the next generation of designers.
All Walks is an unwaged campaign staffed by industry insiders
IMAGES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
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RELEASE: IS FASHION THE LENS THROUGH WHICH WE EVALUATE OUR IDENTITY?
All Walks Beyond the Catwalk Debate at National Portrait Gallery, 11/02/2011Press Release. For Immediate Release.
Amidst almost 4000 people, who packed the National Portrait Gallery to enjoy All Walks Beyond the Catwalk's spectacular event on Friday night, a crucial debate by five top industry figures was held - to discuss the power and impact of imagery in this digital age - ‘Is fashion the lens through which we evaluate our identity?’
All Walks co-founder and Debate Chairwoman, Caryn Franklin, said:
"The aim of All Walks was to create a platform for key players from different disciplines to talk to each other and be transparent about the conversation, so those present could witness the many complexities involved."
With the increasing proliferation of fashion imagery distributed through new media, young women today are likely to see more unachievable images of beauty in one day than older generations saw in an entire adolescence.
Renowned Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, Minister for Equalities - Lynne Featherstone, Editor of Elle - Lorraine Candy, Founder of the model sanctuary and All Walks co-founder - Erin O’Connor along with ethical communications consultant at Host Universal - Kiki Kendrick gathered in front of a packed audience at the invitation of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk to discuss the power that fashion and advertising has to communicate positive messages to women about their physical appearance and further support well being.
“This is a debate that needs to take place without blame and without misinformation,” said All Walks co-founder Debra Bourne. It’s a highly sensitive conversation to have, so we thank everybody for coming to the table to discuss this. This could be the beginning of a process towards better understanding of the issues and how they affect us all. A small step in the right direction.”
The progression of digital technology to alter the physical appearance of those appearing in advertisements and fashion imagery, prompted the audience of approx 150 to agree that they would like more transparency with an almost unanimous show of hands. There currently appears to be no monitoring of digital re-touching in photographic imagery.
“The aim of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, the initiative I co-founded with Caryn and Debra,” say’s Erin O’Connor, “is to work with fashion to create a message that makes all women feel great.”
She continues:
“I think it’s really important to say that I’m a fan of the industry. I’m also a promoter of the industry, and I’ve perpetuated the industry for a long, long time. It’s artistic, and for me in many ways it’s incredibly liberating. We can embrace art, but we need to be clear about what’s happening. It’s about finding a productive and practical solution and working together in a respectful, emotionally intelligent way.”
In this exploration of fashion, image and diversity, award winning campaign All Walks Beyond the Catwalk created a huge array of activities for guests - Exhibiting nine new Fashion Portraits by Rankin, of models aged 18-80 - plus DIY self-portraits, drawing masterclasses by London College of Fashion and a series of sound installations on related topics, from the Girl Guides to Vivienne Westwood. Plus other live entertainment.
Comments made by debate panelists on Friday 11th February:
On the existing environment:
Caryn Franklin
“We’re looking at a media with ability to reach deep into our psyche... Fashion imagery accompanies us everywhere. The fashion industry can boast some of the worlds most skilled, sought after, and influential image-makers in the world. Woman young and old in the land live with this constant mirror.”
Erin O’Connor, on personal appearance:
“I was acutely aware of my differences and I was quite uncomfortable with them. A lot of the self-criticism I imposed came from really recognizing that I was different and I wasn’t ordinarily comfortable with that. And then I got picked up by the fashion industry who kind of couldn’t wait to take my picture. So every flaw I felt I had instead all of a sudden being celebrated as individual. And all of my extremes, parts of myself that I thought were flaws were being highlighted in a very positive way. When I appeared in magazines I was representing a really empowered role if you will.”
Lorraine Candy, Editor of UK Elle, on fashion today:
“I think fashion has changed a lot over the years. I think it was much more accepting, it was much more diverse, much more about individuality and not just this very conformist approach. In the last 10 years perhaps we’ve seen it narrowed down to what is acceptable for women to aspire to it.”
Actress Kiki Kendrick, on media portrayal of women:
“The stronger, wiser, more independent women have become, the weaker, thinner; more clone-like they’re portrayed in the media.”
Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, n the impact that media imagery can have:
“It’s so saturated. Because it’s so monolithic you don’t have the opportunity to question it. We’re so habituated. The more often you see something the more you accept it as normal. You stop questioning it.”
Lynne Featherstone:
“I started the Body Confidence campaign with Jo Swinson of the Lib Dems and it looked at the power of all those areas – fashion, beauty, celebrity and media, bearing down on vulnerable girls and boys”
Kiki Kendrick, on the way the advertising industry works::
“Tell a woman she’s old, fat and ugly and she’ll spend a fortune making herself look young, thin and beautiful. Tell a woman she looks absolutely fine as she is and she won’t spend a penny. That’s what I saw in my 20 years of advertising”:
Erin O’Connor, on the way forward::
“It’s about finding a productive and practical solution and working together in a respectable, emotionally intelligent way.”:
Dr. Linda Papadopoulos:
“ I do think we should have some transparency, young girls don’t understand the retouching process. Let’s have some honesty about what happens to the picture.”:
Lynne Featherstone::
“Body Confidence is now part of the government mental health and well-being strategy and part of the public health strategy. It’s about working with those in the field like the wonderful All Walks Beyond the Catwalks and others to take this forward. As a Govt Minister, I’m in a unique position to support this campaign. It’s a really important issue. It really matters”:
Caryn Franklin::
“All media could consider a female friendly approach. This could mean different things to different people. Stopping the value judgements around appearance. Questioning the levels of manipulation.... engaging in our own individual power to create emotionally considerate messages for women, and of course, men.”:
Notes to editors :
All Walks Beyond the Catwalk launched in 2009 after a conversation with Susan Ringwood Chief Executive of the charity Beat. After four seasons, the three remaining co-founders Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor have become known for encouraging the promotion of a wider range of beauty than is normally seen in our media. The latest campaign launched nine Rankin portraits featuring professional models sizes 8-14 and ages 18-80 at the National Portrait Gallery on Friday night. All Walks deliberately takes an inclusive stance in always working with a range of models and that includes standard sized models too.:
All Walks is working within education to help students understand the need for emotionally considerate design and practice. Many colleges have invited All Walks to make presentations to their students and help influence the way forward.:
Debate held on Friday Feb 11th, Ondaatje Wing Theatre, National Portrait Gallery.:
For more info and more images. pls contact - Joe Whittaker at Modus PR :
10-12 Heddon Street,
London, UK
W1B 4BY :
t: +44 (0)20 7331 1431 direct
t: +44 (0)20 7331 1433 main
f: +44 (0)20 7331 1444
All Walks campaign portraits Rankin
Picture credit Annabel Staff.