My beautiful friend Chiara today about being body positive. When she came to the studio for a mother/daughter portrait, we decided to shoot some single pictures too. While talking about being a woman, working with fashion, aging, and how our bodies change through time, I asked her to tell me about being body positive.
Chiara: What you see in these portraits is me; every inch, every wrinkle, every stretch mark, every grey hair, every spot, every scar.
Ever since I was a child, I realized I looked different from the rest, or better said, no one looked like me. I was born in Colombia, South America, and I was adopted. I grew up in the Netherlands with my white, blue-eyed mom and dad. I had lots of friends, and they were, in my eyes, all tall, slim, and blond. So wherever I was, at home or out with friends, I always stood out.
I decided from a young age (after a period of insecurity) to emphasize my differences, to play with my looks. I learned to work with my body shape, use lots of colors, accessorize, to mix and match and express myself. I decided to celebrate my body and treasure what I have instead of holding my head down and hide. Instead of forcing myself to adapt to what the world expected of me, I accepted my differences. Instead of weeping for what I did not look like or longing for my friend’s looks, I learned to embrace my Colombian looks.
Of course, I had to get used to people looking at me in the street; my fashion style is colorful, and I don’t look Dutch. Nowadays I still have to alter all my clothes because they never fit my body shape. I also had to get used to being photographed and noticed; people love how I look, which is my signature as a “style conservator.”
It took me some time, but it finally has brought me so much freedom and joy, which I can now pass on to my daughter Yael and the women I work with.
Chiara @indiaaninjekast is wearing a vintage kimono, bathing suit @zara, head scarf @l.ughetta_
Styling Dayenne Bekker
Makeup and hair Esther van Maanen
