Lucky for us, there have been a few non-retouched advertisements and editorials in the past year to remind people, but especially women that your body can be glorified and beautiful enough to be on a billboard just as it is, without re-touching or faking abs or an arm, or smudging in a thigh gap. And let’s be real: even if you’re not a fan of Lena Dunham’s radical feminism, it’s nice to see women looking sexy and feeling comfortable in their own skin.
The photos have a sultry nature to them without that overt, trying too hard thing Victoria’s Secret can have, and is part of The Lonely Girls project, an initiative by New Zealand-based intimates brand Lonely. Both Dunham and Kirke wear different lace pieces, see-through sets and romantic pastels while posing in the bathroom and having girl time in Dunham’s bedroom. As Lonely puts it, “Lonely aspires to showcase women wearing underwear in a way that we usually don’t see in mainstream advertising and the media,” a statement from the company reads. “Instead of being objectified, the women who participate in these campaigns — in this case, Lena and Jemima — are empowered and exhibit real beauty that will hopefully help women everywhere feel a little more liberated.”
Empowered, liberated, beautiful–all these words make up what women want to feel when they look at their bodies, and when they try on lingerie in the stores. It’s campaigns like this that challenge stereotypes, and are a great f*** you to society that says sexy can only look one way.