Calgary really is a hidden gem, a city filled with talent and social innovation. I am constantly in awe of the amazing people I have the pleasure to cross paths with, such as Sarah of Modern Photography. One of my girls (thanks Samantha!) tagged me in an Instagram post on Sarah's Hello Lovely Instagram page. I was pleasantly surprised to see the mission that Hello Lovely was on and the amount of body positivity it would bring to the city. I knew I had to be a part of it and shooting with Sarah was the first step! The images turned out amazingly and meeting the creative mind behind Hello Lovely was nothing short of inspiring.
Here is a little blurb from Sarah sharing a bit more about herself and her Hello Lovely project:
"I’m a professional photographer living in Calgary on a mission to photograph my own style and those of other women in the plus size community. Real women, real and attainable fashion, Canadian based. I have found that plus size retailers still use “aspirational” models in the 10-12 size range even though their customer base is primarily 20+. I want to show that fashion, self love and body positivity is for everyone. Love yourself and amazing things happen. My immediate goal is to photograph 100 plus size women by 2017."
The one thing that really warms my heart are the comments below the images on Hello Lovely's Instagram page and the feedback this project has been gathering. These comments are filled with women thanking Sarah for making them feel beautiful in their own skin and for making them feel more beautiful than they have felt in years. This is the important and priceless work that Hello Lovely is doing in the community. Providing a safe place for women of different shapes and sizes to celebrate their bodies and feel good despite societal and fashion rules that work to silent us. I am so happy to welcome Hello Lovely to Calgary and I am excited to see the body positivity it brings to city that is in serious need of it!