“Body shaming is real.”
So declares the women behind the Georgia-based lingerie company LiviRae, who were allegedly asked to remove photos of curvy and differently-abled models from their Kennesaw storefront.
LiviRae CEO Molly Hopkins told Today that the shop’s property manager told her the photos featured in the company’s latest body-positive campaign, Real Bras, Real Women, Real Stories, were “in poor taste.”
The photos showed a group of women — including curvy women and one in a wheelchair — modeling the lingerie. Hopkins told Today the property manager claimed the photos needed prior approval.
She told WXIA that the request to take down the ads was “kind of a kick in the face, a slap in the face. It’s very hurtful.”
“It took a lot, and I’m sure it took a lot for every single girl up there to overcome their fears and feel confident,” she said.
LiviRae officials shared the story on Instagram, uploading a photo of the storefront ads.
13 Celebrities Who Won't Wreck Your Kid or Teen's Body Image“Body shaming is real. We experienced it first-hand today when our landlord asked us to remove our window display,” they wrote. “Our campaign features women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.“
Nickee Lee, a brand ambassador for the shop, questioned why the photos were a problem to the landlord.
“Okay, so it’s inappropriate. Why? Is it because I’m disabled? Is it because I’m curvy, or is it because I’m black?” she asked. “Which one is it? Tread lightly, because all of those reasons are inappropriate.”
Joe Dykstra, a CEO of Westwood Financial, which leases the store, told Today that the property manager must have made a mistake. He said he fully supports LiviRae’s ad.
LiviRae officials have since launched the #NoShameLiviRae campaign, asking women of all sizes and abilities to upload a video of themselves saying the hashtag to promote body positivity.
