By Emily Barker
A body positivity fashion show organised by De Montfort University (DMU) student Jessica Shire will be held at St Peter’s by the Waterfront in Ipswich, Suffolk, on Wednesday, April 24.
Miss Shire, 22, is a Cyber Security and Telecommunications student at DMU, and decided to start the event through her Girlguiding Action for Change Project.
Miss Shire said: “I have always looked different to other people, and I believe all people, regardless of what they look like, should be represented in the mainstream media.
Jessica Shire, the organiser of the fashion show event (Copyright: Jessica Shire)
“I get sent to DMU through my company and I recently got selected to attend the ‘Action for Change’ weekend with Girlguiding Anglia.
“As part of this, we have to create our own nine-month social action project in our local area.
“I decided that I would go about putting on a fashion show with real people from all types of backgrounds to show that everyone is beautiful in their own way.”
The aim of the event is to promote body confidence and to show that everyone is beautiful in their own way.
Jessica has also created a Facebook page and an Instagram page, where the event has been shared, as well as across the Girlguiding network and local radio stations.
These pages talk about the issue of body confidence and follows real people on their own body confidence journeys.
Miss Shire continued: “I believe as it is us, the consumer, who are buying the clothes, it is us who should be seen on a catwalk.
“It shouldn’t be limited to a certain body type who don’t look like most of the general population we see today.
“In an age of social media, with constant filters and editing tools like Photoshop, we can often feel like we need to change in order to fit into society’s narrow perception of beauty and this often has a negative impact on our self-esteem.
“I would like to challenge this perception and show that no matter who you are or what you look like, you should still be represented.
“I’ve never done something like this before, but know I have a lot of support from the people around me, as well as from friends and family.
“I’m excited to be able to create a change on a topic that I’m passionate about.”
Tickets are completely free and can be purchased on https://www.facebook.com/events/381816455980349/
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