The Beauty & Body Issue
Celebrating Women of all Shades, Shapes and Sizes
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EDITOR’S
LETTER Before Complexd launched, age specifications were set out, as you do when you’re outlining magazine target audiences. I was against the age-bracketed reader statistics because I have always wanted this magazine to be inclusive of all women. When one of my female relatives joked that she would like to see her 45-year-old self on one of the covers of Complexd, I thought why not! In the same way that there are segregated magazines for Asian and Black women, there are magazines specifically for middle-aged + women which probably only speak to them as wives, housewives and mothers. Although they may be all of these things, those aren’t the only things that define them. When we interviewed our models Melissa Doucouré and Yasmina Rossi our Cover Woman, we discovered fierce and forceful personalities with a wealth of interesting stories and experiences to share. On a daily basis, we get emails from upcoming models that are pushing forward to have a successful career. Modelling is not just about how you look, it also requires a strong mentality which helped Yasmina and Melissa throughout their careers. Complexd interests women 30 years older than what we initially targeted and this is a valuable following that can
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share with all our readers the incredible journeys they have been on. This issue looks at perceptions of beauty and the body. We talk to women who have set up beauty brands with a difference and photographers that are inspired by the female body. We hear from women who are coming to terms with their insecurities and we feature the women encouraging all women to be positive about their bodies. Our travel and lifestyle segment is a tribute to my great-grandmother in Grenada who just turned 102. We invite you to look into the eyes of these women and come to terms with their inner beauty, which is not often celebrated in a society that is so often preoccupied with youth and staying youthful. We all have to age one day and in this issue we want to encourage you to grow old gracefully. Kered Clement Editor-in-Chief
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CONTEN The Beauty and Body Issue
6 Complexd Beauty The Beauty Connoisseurs
16 Complexd Profiles Men and Their Nudes
28 Complexd Features The Beautiful Family
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46 Complexd Features My insecurity Fighting Against Insecurities
50 Complexd Features COVER STORY - Yasmina Rossi
68 Complexd Fashion is first thing in the morning when she just don’t give a damn
NTS 78 Complexd Fashion Mother Nature Thelma and Louise
Editor-in-Chief Kered Clement Sub Editor Darcel de Vlugt Creative Director Rachel Irwin House Photographer Frederique Rapier www.frederiquerapier.com
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Cover Yasmina Rossi by William Heuberger www.williamheuberger.com
Complexd Man Murat Ozdemir
106 Complexd Travel + Lifestyle Beautiful Lines
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COMPLEXDBEAUTY
B CON
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THE BEAUTY NNOISSEURS
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MIA BELLEZZA Rita Patel, originally from Bolton in the UK, is now settled in Atlanta, US running her beauty brand MiA BelleZZa which provides mineral cosmetics for women and natural skincare for men. I was born… into a conservative Hindu family at the time of the music renaissance of the 70s and 80s. Icons like Madonna, who were reshaping fashion and beauty and redefining the feminine mystic, helped mould my perception of beauty. My passion for make-up emerged from watching TV shows like Top of the Pops where performers wore outrageously bold clothing and brightly coloured make-up.
Beauty is… a powerful word, which can represent many qualities in a person. The name of the line is inspired by my love for Italy. In Italian, ‘mia bellezza’ means ‘my beauty’, something every woman should be called. As women get older, they start to realise that they need to start taking better care of that beauty. With skin cancer at an all-time high, we took extra measures to include products in our line that are formulated with SPF elements. Most of our products contain vitamins A, C & E. Mineral cosmetics also contain anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxides and iron oxides, which is great for women with skin problems like acne or rosacea.
‘I wanted to create a line that was suitable for women with sensitive skin issues who still loved to wear vibrant shades of make-up’
MiA BelleZZa Mineral Cosmetics… was launched in January 2010 due to my skin’s sensitivity to cosmetics on the market. I loved wearing colourful eye shadow but most of the products caused irritation and dryness around my eyes so I had to use a prescribed irritation cream. Because of my experience I wanted to create a line that was suitable for women with sensitive skin issues who still loved to wear vibrant shades of make-up. To create a healthy alternative without sacrificing colour I went about it by asking the professionals who used bold colours for artistic purposes. The make-up artists I interviewed complained about the tedious applications of loose mineral colour powders and simply said the shades of colours in most mineral cosmetics were dull. I used these findings to develop MiA BelleZZa’s mineral products, which are either pressed or liquid with liquid mineral foundations which are high definition and hypoallergenic. Our products are also fragrance, dye, wax, oil, paraben, and talc free but we love colour and couldn’t see why creating vibrant shades to cater to all skin tones had to be sacrificed.
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It sounds simple but… always wash your face every morning and night. People don’t realise how delicate your facial skin is, especially with the harsh environmental issues we face today. Moisturizing your skin at night helps to fight wrinkles, dryness and fatigue in the skin. In the morning, you need to prep skin with a great SPF moisturizer which helps to prevent age spots. First signs of aging usually start showing in the eye area. I can’t stress enough to younger women to start using eye protector creams as early as possible. www.miabellezza.com
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RAW SKIN FOOD Igbo, Nigerian/British-born Clare Eluka is the founder of Raw Skin Food, a 100% allergen-free, natural, vegan skincare brand produced, manufactured and stocked in Islington, North London.
I grew up in... Ring Cross Estate, Caledonian Rd, between Beauty is... complete contentment with oneself. When Pentonville & Holloway Prisons. I saw a lot of ugliness and people approach me and ask me what foundation I’m dreamt about having a more beautiful life and being a positive wearing and I tell them I haven’t worn foundation for three contributor to the world. We were one of four black families years, they look at me with complete bewilderment because on an estate and when we would plait our hair with traditional most women are uncomfortable with showing their naked African threads for school, which I used to get teased about, face. Raw Skin Food is about liberating women with skincare I looked to my mum for my beauty inspiration. Her beauty that allows them to love their own biological foundation – regime consisted of applying Olive Oil from her head to her which is their skin. If you are going to use beauty products, toes and a magenta lipstick. I guess her simplistic ritual was my advice is to read the label! There are so many women who the early childhood use products based cornerstone for my on what their friend ‘Raw Skin Food is about liberating women c r u e l t y - f re e , 1 0 0 % or a beauty writer allergen-free brand of with skincare that allows them to love their own will suggest without products. considering whether the biological foundation – which is their skin’ product has ingredients Raw Skin Food... launched on the 1st June 2010 because of that agree with their skin type. It’s important to go for a my six-year battle with a combined severe allergy intolerance skincare consultation at a spa, where you can get one-toknown as ‘Candida Albican’ which means I am allergic to one advice without the hustle and bustle of a busy saleswheat, dairy, gluten & glucose (sugar). I have been a make-up driven department store. artist for over 8 years and I was using products on my body and on shoots which were aggravating and dehydrating my Being a female in business... has been challenging but it has hair, skin and nails. In 2008, I left the beauty industry and also given me a lot of brilliant opportunities. I think women in studied biochemistry independently where I began using business are starting to unify to further our creative enterprise science theory and my vegan lifestyle to begin formulating which in turn builds a better future for females around the our first range. Our brand now celebrates the elimination of world and helps us develop in business. My aim is to build the 8 common allergies: nuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, dairy, an allergies practice by 2013. I am currently developing my gluten, soya and wheat. This means our products contain career by studying for my Allergies Practitioner Diploma. a premium level of botanical skincare which feeds the skin By 2015, I would like to see a Raw Skin Food product in its 5-a-day in the purest way. Our superior blends and rigid every household on the planet with the whole world enjoying cruelty free production enables the highest level of vitamins, feeding their skin its 5-a-day. minerals, nutrition and essential fatty acids for the skin tissue to the point where they have been praised as safe enough www.rawskinfood.co.uk Image | Frederique Rapier to eat. Hair & Make Up | Marcio Abraao Model | Adanna
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PURE HALAL BEAUTY At just 20 years of age, Rose Brown is the founder of Pure Halal Beauty. The first store opened in 2010 because of a clear gap in the market for beauty outlets selling Halal cosmetics.
My parents... have always taught me and my sisters to embrace different cultures. My mother is mixed-raced, from a controversial combination of Irish and Afro-Caribbean background, and although my dad is British, he has always been influenced by other cultures, which is reflected in the music he has made. I was lucky enough to have a privileged upbringing and I have been able to travel to many different countries. This is reflected in my business as the Halal brands we carry originate not only from the UK but also Malaysia, Holland and California and are suitable for a diverse range of women. All of our products are... Halal certified, which means they have gone through strict and rigorous testing to ensure that the ingredients don’t contain any alcohol and are free of animal products, nor are they tested on animals. This means our products tend to be more ethical and don’t contain harsh ingredients that can be bad for your skin. It also means that they are suitable for Muslim women who wish to follow their beliefs without having to sacrifice enjoying beauty products like other women.
I believe in the old adage... that beauty is not just about how a person looks but rather what comes from within. I think nature is the purest form of beauty so women don’t have to buy products to be beautiful, but it’s nice to have quality products that can make you look and feel great. Our products help both men and women to enhance the feel of their skin, body and hair be it dry, oily and damaged skin and hair. Being a woman with my own business... is a motivating and positive experience, and being in the beauty business where I can help other women express themselves and try new things is even better. My aim right now is to launch our own range of Pure Halal Beauty skin care and cosmetics over the coming months whilst continuing to provide customers with a fantastic range of the best Halal beauty products from around the world. www.purehalalbeauty.co.uk
‘Halal cosmetics are suitable for Muslim women who wish to follow their beliefs without having to sacrifice enjoying beauty products like other women’ Image | Jayesh Pankhania Hair & Make Up | Jay Arik Model | Nadia Bouchiba @ FM
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SEMI-PERMANENT MAKE-UP 29-year-old Hazel Dixon is a semi-permanent/medical technician. She obtained her Diploma of Excellence in Cosmetic/Medical Tattooing and has been practicing for 8 years at MediSpa - Urban Retreat in Harrods, London, which was voted the best spa in Europe this year.
‘Semi-permanent make-up enables me to help people that have lost their confidence due to hair loss through alopecia or chemotherapy’ I’m proud to say... that I come from a very diverse background. My mother is Jamaican, Scottish and Spanish and my father is Chinese which enables me to build a rapport with my clients from various cultures and countries. Aside from my longstanding clients in London, I have clients that fly in from Hong Kong, South Africa, New York, Russia and Dubai. I discovered semi-permanent make-up (SPMU) 12 years ago when I was giving my client a skin analysis and realised her eyebrows and eyeliner were tattooed on. I was absolutely fascinated and it lead to me finding out that it was a procedure that surgeons provided for their patients after breast reconstruction, formerly known as micro-pigmentation. Back then it wasn’t as popular as it is today but I feel like I have found my niche and I have been hooked ever since. Semi-permanent make-up... falls into the tattooing category but it’s nothing like a body tattoo which involves the use of ink. We use pigments that penetrate the dermal layer of the skin by approximately 2 millimetres. For example, I create my clients’ eyebrows with a hair-by-hair stroke technique that gives a very natural finish. SPMU enables me to help people that have lost their confidence due to hair loss through alopecia or chemo-therapy and it feels great to be a part of their transformation when their happiness affirms why I do what I do. Women of today... lead very busy lives. Whether they are businesswomen who have to make an 8:30am meeting
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or full-time mothers on an early morning school run, they still want to look their best. SPMU is make-up that is not only long-lasting throughout the day but lasts throughout the year which is why I feel it can be relevant for women of the 21st century. I apply SPMU in a very natural way, so it acts as an enhancer instead of a guard. It is no different to conventional make-up that women apply every day and sometimes distastefully when it is applied too thick. This is why when I do my procedures my technique is subtle and natural so it adds a little extra definition in comparison to a full face of make-up. It is not only for medical reasons and if it is purely cosmetic, it is non-invasive to the blood stream and all clients are offered a thorough consultation prior to the treatment. SPMU is suitable for women of all complexions and whether your 18 or 88 years old SPMU is available to anybody who needs that extra confidence boast. I’m very excited... that MediSpa at Urban Retreat, Harrods will be introducing the medical reconstruction tattooing later this year. This treatment can help improve the appearance of burns, cuts and scar tissue and it also has the ability to create a natural areola with a 3D nipple effect after breast reconstruction. It is truly amazing to see the positive effect this method has on women which is why I’m sincerely passionate about my job. www.urbanretreat.co.uk
Image | Frederique Rapier Hair & Make Up | Nishi V Model | Clementine Anicet
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MEN AND THEIR NUDES COMPLEXDPROFIles
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Image | Gregory Prescott
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BEN
WISELY What do you love about photographing the female body? A woman’s body is especially intriguing; it’s different from my own but fundamentally the same. To make images that explore a female form is an incredibly uplifting experience. I have always been attracted to the power that I see in some women and showing the world their curves in a very visual and sometimes public way is empowering. I’m not interested in nudity, the nude is a tradition, especially in the arts that exists almost solely for women to be objectified and observed. Although I am producing something to be observed, I hope my practice avoids the tropes of the nude. What do you want the images to portray to the viewer? The driving force that led to these images was a need to make visible the oftenoverlooked body shapes that I find interesting and to reveal this interest without dramatisation or sensationalism. It’s not easy showing something derided in our culture but there is a subculture that adores the opposite. In the case of larger women there is the Big Beautiful Woman notion. I’m not interested in making images that re-enforce this division. I just hope my images portray these women as natural and present without the need to use a category. How did people respond to the images? ‘Pencil’ was shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Prize and was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. Whilst eavesdropping at the gallery, I heard the following: ‘Is she ill? Well, she must be confident, I’ve never seen a woman like that before’. My all time favourite was: ‘I look like that, where’s my picture!’ For the most part people were happy to see something that is often familiar on a personal level. www.plumpwench.com
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COMPLEXDMAN
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LORENZO SALA What do you love about photographing the female body? I started out as an assistant for a fashion photographer in Milan, whilst doing model portfolios for model agencies. When I realised that I preferred photographing ‘normal’ women, I discovered that a woman’s natural figure makes unique bodyscapes and her curves make excellent shadows. Tell us about these images you have created? They are a part of my studies of texture, skin and shape. I love the wave of freckles that run across one of the models’ shoulders and back and the contrast of the other’s perfect hands pressed against her wrinkled chest. The images are organic because I chose to photograph women who do not feel ashamed to pose nude. The focus is on the emotion, flexibility and composition of the body. Once all these things are balanced the aim is to distract the viewer from the fact that they are looking at a naked woman. www.lorenzosala.com
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D FEATURES
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The Beautiful Family We live in a society where human beings are obsessed with beautiful people. Beauty is idolised and the fashion industry determines what type of the face sets the beauty bar. Complexd Magazine speaks to a family of fine features who have grown up in the fashion industry and ask them...is it really as good as it looks?
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Mother Mélissa Doucouré I was born in 1956 in Bamako, Republic of Mali, in West Africa and raised between Egypt and Lebanon until we relocated to Madagascar and then Mauritius. My cultural experiences are so wide because my father was a diplomat but when I realised my family had an arranged marriage planned for me, I escaped home at the age of 20. My life has been a whirlwind of experiences which is why I am writing a book about adaptation and survival without blood, guns and swords. At the age I am now, I have learnt that it is important to believe in your personal ability and true instincts. Throughout my career I have never lied to myself, never sold out my soul and I have lived according to my own free will. This is how you survive in an industry based on beauty. I was signed to agencies in Paris, Milan and London. Nobody discovered me; I was just a determined penniless student and I heard somewhere that girls with the right look made money parading in designer clothes. I had no clue about the fashion world I was about to enter so my preoccupation was paying my rent, keeping out of the cold and proving to my family that I was capable
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of taking care of myself. I signed my first contract as a house model at House of Dior and a year later I was introduced through an agent to the fashion houses of Lanvin, Givenchy, Emanuel Ungaro and Balmain. In the 80s and 90s you had showgirls and photo girls; very few did both, so I was known as an haute couture model, and I was quite loyal to the House of Dior. I was also known as an exotic model and that had its positives and negatives. There were a few of us in the industry at the time doing every show; the most famous models were Iman, Beverly Johnson and Gloria Borgess. There were highs and lows in fashion when the desired looked changed with the trend. When it was the era of the Swedish blondes, couture houses were only taking two black or mixed girls in a show of 14 girls. I have a light complexion and that did not help because they did not categorise me as a ‘true’ black model. By the mid-nineties things changed, the fashion world became more daring due to the evolution of the world and the market. Ethnic people were buying and beautiful black models were back in fashion! >
‘I was just a determined penniless student and I heard somewhere that girls with the right look made money parading in designer clothes’
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The fashion world was the land of discovery for me because as a young girl I was guarded from the outside world. I sometimes felt like Alice in Wonderland because as a model I was allowed to show my strong, fresh personality. Back then, models were treated like actresses that gave life to those luxury rags. Each girl had her own style and the runway was her stage. Modelling is not an easy industry but I was fortunate enough to be surrounded
by a few kind-hearted people. When I had my children, being a model and a single mum was a big challenge. I used to wish I could grow wings every time I had to go from school to shows or from fittings to dance classes. I had to balance my time between playing and parties with a few hours in between for sleep. It was a crazy time in my life but I was immensely happy being a mum because Anissa and Akram were very well behaved kids. I didn’t push my children into modelling, in fact had I known that Anissa and Akram would follow my path, I probably wouldn’t have spent enormous amounts of money on private schools in France. When I agreed to their first photo shoot for Benetton I wanted to demystify the easy money life so they understood that it would be hard work very early on. I also made it very clear that there is nothing wrong with using the good looks that God gave them to earn some extra money for their future. They knew exactly what they were getting into from my experiences and exactly why they were getting involved. People would stop me in the street to share their admiration for my kids but in child modelling there wasn’t as much fascination with mixed kids back then as there is now. Very few mixed children were used in advertisements. But I never looked at my kids as mixed; they were just my beautiful present from heaven. I was a proud mum and I
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took them everywhere with me: to my shows, balls, movie premieres, skiing and to the opera. I wanted to correct the way my parents overprotected me from the outside world and teach them how to learn to live. The fashion world may be crazy and fickle but I was there by their side at all times to guide them through the road of life. When it comes to the topic of being surrounded by image-obsessed people it was nothing obscure because being presentable and elegant was a part of the way we were. There is a big difference between being self-confessed and elegant. To be elegant is not the same as being a fashion victim, it’s about knowing how to look in the right place at the right time. I grew up in an African/Arab culture where the women spent a good amount of time in their day taking care of their bodies and their looks. In my family we care about our looks and there is nothing wrong with that.
‘People would stop me in the street to share their admiration for my kids but in child modelling there wasn’t as much fascination with mixed kids back then as there is now’
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Our Family Album
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Daughter Anissa Von Busse My brother and I have been modelling since we were children and now that we are in our early twenties, we are represented by agencies in Sydney, Paris, London and New York. We have had quite a worldly upbringing because of my mum’s career. We were born in Australia and grew up between Sydney, Paris, Africa and Germany. We attended all my mother’s shows and were scouted by her hairstylist who saw our potential at an early age. Our first campaign was for Benetton and it was fun having my brother by my side. As we grew older and started modelling fulltime, my brother moved to Australia and I developed my career
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in Paris. I have done campaigns for Levi, Evian, Nintendo and L’Oreal. Modelling is like any other profession; there is a glamorous side and a not so glamorous side. Kids made a big deal about my mum at school but I had quite a normal childhood. Although we got to experience a different world surrounded by beauty and glamour we did not have ‘baby star syndrome’ because my mother taught us that it was about working hard, earning money and saving for our future. Things did get a lot harder when I started to take modelling more
seriously because people were so quick to label me as the daughter of so and so. Even though I am known for being the offspring of Mélissa Doucouré, it has its positives because my mother is able to teach me a lot about the industry and she has strong contacts that have provided me with endless possibilities. Modelling is not all about good looks; during my mum’s time it was about personality and we saw that at her shows. When I was starting out I heard often that ‘a pretty face is not enough’, so it’s a shame when people are in constant competition with
themselves and others. It is a different time to my mother’s because the Internet is the biggest tool that spreads our generation’s preoccupation with image. Because everything is so visual, people are too concerned about the way they look. I think you just have to believe in yourself and what you’re doing and shine through. Right now I’m putting all my energy and time into my modelling career, I maintain a strong mind and I am making use of my good features.
‘The Internet is the biggest tool that spreads our generation’s preoccupation with image’
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COMPLEXDMAN
MY INSECURITY
Every woman is different; we have different shapes, different mentalities...
... And a multitude of different insecurities. I’m twenty-five years of age and I have varicose veins, which I smother with tanning cream every time I am about to leave the house on a night out. This is my inadequacy; it is a part of my body which I still have not come to terms with. I published an advertisement asking women to come forward and expose their body inadequacies verbally and visually. What I found were women with simple insecurities that are common amongst most women but still detrimental to the individual.
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Text and Images by Simret Cheema Innis
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‘Men taught me how to embrace my body’
Pasannamati I approach the door of Pasannamati and it is already open. She appears in a spritely fashion and as I look up at her welcoming smile I wonder why this well-travelled woman, whose tranquil home with a personality that bestows confidence, could even the slightest insecurity. ‘You wouldn’t believe it if you look at me now but when I was a teenager I was so flat that kids would go and talk to the wall and make jokes about my likeness to it. It wasn’t just boys, it was also girls and I used to find that really hurtful.’ Remembering her taunts about her flat chest hit a nerve with me due to my own bust inadequacy. ‘I was a late developer and I used to wish I had big breasts like my mum and aunt; then when I turned 19 it was like going from one extreme to the next. I became very curvaceous and
that’s when the unwanted attention started.’ Pasannamati takes long pauses, almost re-living her good and bad experiences. ‘My mum would often walk around without a top and feel comfortable with her body and breasts but it took me some time to gain the confidence that my mother had.’ It is true that sometimes we take physical traits from our mothers but mentalities are not always inherent and being comfortable in with your body is a personal journey. ‘I’m not ashamed to show them off now and I think it’s something that’s happened gradually through sexual relationships with men. Men taught me how to embrace my body by how they showed appreciation for it.’ Before I leave she adds: ‘There are always going to be people who find you beautiful whether you have large or small bust; it’s how you feel about yourself that counts.’
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‘I care a lot more about what my peers think more than what the media tells me’
Charlene It was a sunny day in the country so I decided to take full use of it by meeting Charlene near a farmhouse with a vast landscape of yellow rapeseed. With Cherokee Indian looks, Charlene’s eyes reveal a unique beauty and effervescence about her. Her dedication to her three-yearold daughter Miley Ray is undeniable, not to mention the likeness between the two. ‘I’m not comfortable with my stomach and I never have been,’ she confesses. ‘After having my daughter, I felt worse about it because of the stretch marks. I try to look at the positive side of things like seeing my daughter as a blessing, but it still doesn’t make me feel happy.’ Charlene then explains how her body insecurity started at a very young age: ‘My sister and all my cousins were slender; I was the taller and chubbier one. I always felt like a monster compared to everyone else and it didn’t help that my family on my father’s side would compare my weight to my sisters’.’ Charlene’s honesty made me think about how your closest relatives could contribute to deep insecurities without even realizing its harmful effects on their loved one’s mind.
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‘I care a lot more about what my peers think more than what the media tells me’. As a singer and songwriter, she is in an industry where image is everything, so I am surprised at her words, but it is true that our peers are our worst critics. ‘It’s become the norm now to criticize and judge people, so if you have insecurities you should try to ignore other people’s opinions unless it is something that can cause you serious health problems.’ Before I leave Charlene’s house, her partner Matthew is curious to see the pictures we took. When we eventually get to the image of her stretch marks, Charlene turns away and expresses her disgust at her body. Matthew reassures her by saying that there is nothing wrong with her and she is beautiful as she is. I hope this allows Charlene to regain trust in the opinions of her loved ones because not all of them are bad.
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FIGHTING AGAINST BODY INSECURITIES
The most empowering women are the ones who fight for other women. Whether their focus is around installing body confidence or campaigning for positive portrayals of women, their drive and determination fueled by passion and personal experience is admirable. Motivational speakers Natasha Devon and Sharon Haywood tell Complexd why they do what they do.
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Images by Frederique Rapier
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Sharon Haywood www.AdiosBarbie.com I’m originally from Toronto, Canada but I’ve been living in Argentina for almost seven years. When I moved to Buenos Aires in my mid-30s, I felt more or less secure with my body and was proud of how much I had grown and healed from disordered eating. When I settled into the lifestyle in Buenos Aires I experienced how easy it is to slip back into being very critical of my body because of the representation of women around me. In Argentina, plastic surgery is almost as common as getting a haircut. Statistics from 2005 placed Argentina with the highest rate of breast augmentation and the second highest rate of eating disorders in the world. Women in Argentina share similar body image issues as women in the UK but, without a doubt, the pressures are much more intense. Thin culture is taken to such an extreme that clothing retailers will only stock smaller sizes. Many stores only carry ‘one-size-fitsall’ items, which are usually smaller than a UK 10. Furthermore, it is not
uncommon for women who are size 12+ to be insulted while walking down the street. This is simply because the advertisements throughout the city and popular celebrities are slim white women with large breasts, bleach-blonde hair, and bubble butts. What worries me the most is that the products available to girls almost always sell sex. A woman’s identity in the media is defined two-dimensionally, with their sexuality being the most obvious part expressed, which only serves girls to equate success with sexuality. For example, look at Beyoncé’s new video for her latest song ‘Girls [Run the World]’ – it’s being touted as a power anthem for girls and women but throughout the video we are fed continuous sexualized images of Beyoncé and her back-up dancers. Either consciously or consciously, female viewers are going to end up associating their personal power with their sexuality, instead of their
intelligence, talents or ambitions. This is why as co-editor at Adios Barbie I focus most of my energy in posting content from a body-positive angle that discusses media literacy and the media representation of people of all shapes, ages and races. Activism is another area that we are investing more energy into, such as our petition against the official release of Kanye West’s ‘Monster’ video that glamorized eroticized violence against women. We are in the process of setting up educational resources in the curriculum and workshops that facilitate teens and adults to be empowered by who they are instead of who they think they should be. We say Adios Barbie because Barbie is the symbol for the ‘ideal’ body that is continually perpetuated in today’s media. At Adios Barbie we are saying goodbye to much more than a doll – we are saying goodbye to unattainable ideals and taking a close, multicultural look at body image.
‘In Argentina, plastic surgery is almost as common as getting a haircut’
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‘Fashion and entertainment will always be about inspirational beauty. Everyone should be able to identify their body type, skin colour and bone structure in someone who is attractive in the public eye’
Natasha Devon www.BodyGossip.co.uk Body Gossip is a national organisation that encourages people to engage in dialogue about their bodies. I co-run Body Gossip with Ruth Rogers and I act as a motivational speaker on a variety of programmes that allow young people to explore their feelings about body image. The portrayal of female celebrities in the media is often blamed for body insecurities amongst women but having worked in the entertainment industry we both know the pressures entertainers are under to conform to an unrealistic aesthetic. Working with young people in particular has taught me that, whilst they see the value of positive body image campaigns, they still want to emulate a celebrity look and lifestyle and are often prepared to sacrifice their health in order to do so. Fashion and entertainment will always be about inspirational beauty so everyone should be able to identify their body type, their skin colour or their bone structure in someone who
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is considered to be attractive in the public eye. This has already started to happen, with more diversity being shown in the media but admittedly it’s still a long-term goal. In the short-term, Body Gossip uses actresses, models and musicians that the public respects and admires to share personal body related issues through stories, poems videos and our forthcoming book. Body Gossip breaks down the barrier between the public and celebrities and allows them to stand shoulder-toshoulder in the battle for natural and healthy beauty. Last year I visited a secondary school with predominantly Caucasian students, who mostly told me they wanted to be thinner. Then I visited a University and taught a class of young Afro-Caribbean women who told me they wanted bigger thighs! This proves that our ideas about beauty are influenced by a number of factors, including our heritage. I do feel
that in Britain today, Black women in particular have to work twice as hard to conform to the Caucasian ideal of beauty our society prescribes to them. This is exactly why it is so important to represent a full spectrum of beauty. No one body shape should be ‘en vogue’. There are a million different ways to be gorgeous and we need to start realising that.
Watch Natasha Devon discuss her personal journey with her body in our Complexd Couch video editorial.
Click to watch video
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Cover story
YASMINA ROSSI MIND, BODY & SOUL
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55-year-old French native Yasmina Rossi is a photographer, model and ceramist residing in Malibu, California, who – unusual for a woman of her age – feels fully comfortable with showing off her body. Yasmina’s self portraiture, where she surrounds herself with nature in the deserts of California, allows her to develop her creativity and positivity towards life. Her exhibition – ‘Beyond Surfaces’ – which will be hosted in her homeland of Corsica next August, is a tribute to the welcoming and inhospitable temperament of water, which carries us into the world and surrounds us on this planet. Her up-coming exhibition ‘Primordial’ presents nude and nature photography and in another one of her projects ‘Primordial Arabic’, she integrates Arabic calligraphy and scriptures from the Qur’an. Both works explore how the earth is evolving through mixing races, religions and cultures to attempt to be a whole. I had my freedom from an early age because I lived away from my parents until I was 11. My grandparents instilled confidence in me by allowing me to fend for myself at a very young age. I was allowed to play along the beach and in the bushes like a wild animal discovering the surroundings and I have always felt blessed to be ‘abandoned’ because I believe my childhood in Corsica is where I got all my strength in adult life. I was raised by my grandparents, who were always very busy running their restaurant on the beach. I was amazed by their motivation to work hard and when my grandmother passed away at the age of 96, she died standing like a ballet dancer, a posture that she had not from dancing, but from carrying water on her head since she was a child. We lived a very simple life because we had no electricity or running water so we relied on natural light and the earth’s water. Living this type of lifestyle in Corsica drew me closer to nature, something which inspires my photographic art to this day.
When I moved to Paris at the age of 20 I spent most of my time indoors. I remember escaping in my mind to a tranquil place near the beach which helped me to live in the big city. I had to adapt to the city lifestyle and would reminisce on what life used to be like when I was shading under giant fig trees, raising fruits and vegetables and washing my clothes in the river. Growing up like this helped me appreciate the comforts we have access to in the city. In a sense I was always appreciative of it because I come from a family that made everything they needed with their hands. Even though I was a girl, I was building walls with stones and mud, which lead to my interest in ceramics. Experimenting with ceramics reminded me of the virgin handmade buildings in my home land. When you have no money the only way to get things is to make them yourself, and this has stimulated my ongoing creativity. >
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‘I also continue to model because women need to see that it is possible to age well naturally’ I started out as a fittings model when I was around 30 years old. At this age most models are starting to retire so I was amongst models that were the same age as my children. I became very protective of young girls who were taken advantage of in the industry. I have this proud Corsican blood in my veins and strength from the rough ground that raised me, so I had no time for ass kissing and keeping my mouth shut if something upset me. I lost a lot of jobs because of it but I have never been regretful because it is more honourable to stand up for what you believe in. I have continued to model because I love it and it brings me great pleasure. I also continue because women need to see that it is possible to age well naturally. People have expressed to me that they would love to see me as the face of campaigns for brands like Gucci and Prada, because I represent the women in this age group who have the stability and money to buy these brands, but unfortunately the women in my age bracket who are fashionable and carefree are so quickly associated with the word ‘cougar’. Mature women are discouraged from feeling young at heart and it is a shame because it can suppress you if you have a young energy, which is connected to your youthfulness. In my opinion this is what keeps us alive. >
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Being in touch with your youth does not mean dressing like 15 years old. It is about rekindling that spirit, curiosity and adventurous nature you had when you were much younger. It’s about remembering when you used to dream and desire and what it was like to do something without thinking about what others would think. I am almost 60 and people say to me I have the body of a teenager. There is no big secret to the way my body is because all I have
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ever done is eat organic food long before it became trendy. I eat mostly fresh fruit and vegetables and herb tea at bedtime. Since the menopause I have not drunk any alcohol because I cannot process it. Removing it from my diet helped me to maintain my weight and I don’t miss it at all. I try to stick to a policy of no cans and no bottles because I like my food alive when it goes into my body. When you eat well and take good care of yourself that is
what keeps you fit and healthy. It is not just about what you put in your body, I try not pollute my mind with stress, bad thoughts and guilt because being happy and enjoying the small pleasures in life allows you to be in sync with the motions of your body. I prescribe to a very different kind of medicine which is listening and communicating with the language of my mind, body and soul. >
‘Mature women are discouraged from feeling young at heart and it is a shame because it can suppress you if you have a young energy’
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‘I am almost 60 but people say to me I have the body of a teenager’ My self-portraiture, particularly my nudes, has contributed a lot to my body confidence. Analysing my own raw images faces me with my un-retouched body. I am not embarrassed by my naked body and I don’t feel ashamed of it because I grew up around women who felt comfortable being naked even at the ages of 70-80. In Corsican culture being topless or nude on the beach is very common but at the same time I have respect for other cultures and never expose myself unnecessarily. Knowing when to be discreet and when you have complete freedom is a part of being comfortable with your body and your sexuality. It took me 40 years to understand this and it was a lesson I learnt a couple of years ago when my lover asked me for nude pictures of myself. I used to hate my body when I was younger because I developed very early and wasn’t sure how to deal with my womanly figure and my bodies desires. I had never been asked to create something that glorified my naked body and from the day I did it was a revelation which cured me from my inner shyness. Since then I have freely created nude images inspired by love. I create nude images because I want them to release the viewer of their own boundaries and help them to embrace their skin.
Just like anything else, aging does not have to be about fitting a mould because we were all born unique. That is why I keep my hair grey and natural. Even though we live in an era of digital advancement, I still have clients that ask me to dye my hair. I got my first grey hair at the age of 12 and I have embraced it through all my years because it is what makes me different. I think that is one of the biggest problems in the commercial fashion industry because it does not stimulate self-creativity. It promotes a following that aims to fit a mould which kills off individuality. Every time I go to an event, I see women in the same trendy dresses and shoes who look great but lack originality. In my opinion, you don’t need designer labels to stand out. I remember being a red carpet hit wearing a vintage gold kaftan, white shirt, black silk scarf that I tied into a skirt and sandals which cost me $ 2 in India. When they asked me what labels I was wearing; I had no clue because I cut off all the itchy tags from my clothes. I had no makeup on and still made an impression. That moment taught me that being yourself and not overdoing your look helps your natural beauty to shine through. Self portraits by Yasmina Rossi - www.yasminarossi.com
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‘I prescribe to a very different kind of medicine which is listening and communicating with the language of my mind, body and soul’
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COMPLEXD FASHION I S F I R S T T H I N G I N T HE M O R N I N G W HEN S HE JUST DON’T GIVE A DAMN
Photography | Louie Aguila
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Make-up | Katrine Lieberkind Models | Alla Green, Raina Hein, Jaz Mosh, Lyndsay Marie, Lilly T, Sarah Ghazal, Porsche Thomas, Alex Jay, Katie Flanigan, Bekka Gunther
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MOTHER NATURE Photography | Lora Vertue www.loravertue.com
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Fashion | Nelly Tsyrlin, Judy Inc Models | Serafima@ Elmer Olsen & Vika
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THELMA &LOUISE Photography | Awnica Browne www.flixphotography.com
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Models | Kisura Hendrix & Michyl Collins Fashion | LaToya Skinner
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Make-up | Ingrid Mayaraq Hair | Jaymes Marez
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COMPLEXDMAN
‘I love to photograph people who claim that they aren’t photogenic so I can capture a beauty that they can’t realise for themselves’
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MURAT OZDEMIR Age | 34 Occupation | Photographer Place of birth | Istanbul, Turkey Current residence | Brooklyn, New York Photography is... my therapy. It helps me and my subjects let go of our inhibitions. When I photograph someone with no preconceptions or distractions I get a chance to listen to them talk freely and watch how they open up in front of the lens. That is why I enjoy photographing people. It’s intimate, direct and it allows you to build a strong personal connection with the subject, something which I don’t feel when taking environmental or still-life shots. I keep my images... real and simple. I don’t feel the need to make a person into something they are not with postproduction. I do basic edits like colour correction but I’d rather challenge myself as a photographer than spend time in front of the computer as an image maker. People say... they can imagine the reactions and personalities of my subjects. For me, this is the highest compliment because I believe everyone has a unique story to tell and I want to express that in my images. I photograph ‘real’ people as opposed to models because taking pictures of perfection is far too easy. Capturing a person’s flaws and inconsistencies creates a more visually captivating and challenging image. I love to photograph people who claim that they aren’t photogenic so I can capture a beauty that they can’t realise for themselves. www.muratozdemir.com
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COMPLEXDTravel+Lifestyle
ETHIOPIA | Image by Laurent Auxietre www.laurentauxietre.com
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BEAUTIFUL
LINES The lines that trace the journeys and experiences of older women around the world.
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PHILIPPINES | Images by Irene Nagayo www.irenenagayo.com
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NEPAL | Image by Laurent Auxietre
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LAOS | Image by Jean-Michel Baud www.flickr.com/photos/jmbaud/
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BRAZIL | Image by Jorge Brivilati www.brivilati.com
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AUSTRALIA | Image by Marie Sinclair www.flickr.com/photos/83786367@N00/
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GRENADA | Images by Andrew Richards www.picturesofgrenada.com
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IRAN | Image by Mehdi Mesbahi
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For daily updates visit www.complexd.co.uk/blog/
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