Lonely lingerie

01 : 09 : 2016 Lonely : Lena Dunham : The Athena Woman

New York – Positive body image is at the forefront of Lena Dunham’s new ad campaign for lingerie brand Lonely.

  • The photographs move away from the hypersexualised imagery usually associated with lingerie campaigns
  • The Lonely Girl campaign shows un-retouched images of women, mostly taken in their homes
The Lonely Girls campaign, New York The Lonely Girls campaign, New York
The Lonely Girls campaign, New York The Lonely Girls campaign, New York
The Lonely Girls campaign, New York The Lonely Girls campaign, New York
The Lonely Girls campaign, New York The Lonely Girls campaign, New York

The pair of photographs capture Dunham and her Girls co-star Jemima Kirke in natural poses rather than conforming to the male gaze. The women, who are shown sitting in the bathroom and helping each other to get ready for a night out, wear minimal make-up and appear to be lit by natural light rather than lighting made to flatter.

Shot in a Brooklyn apartment by photographers Zara Mirkin and Harry Were, the campaign is not only Photoshop-free but also includes Millennial women of all body types who do not model professionally.

‘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,’ a spokesperson for the brand told Dazed.

The Big Picture

In 2015 LS:N Global noted the rise of Bare-it-all Branding, a microtrend that shows how brands are encouraging women to enjoy their bodies away from the fetishisation of the male gaze.

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