Denise Bidot Discusses Overcoming Obstacles in the Modeling Industry

In an article in Cosmopolitan, Denise Bidot, a plus-size model, discussed overcoming obstacles in the modeling industry to be accepted because she does not fit the typical standards of beauty. Bidot said when brands would not hire her she started an Instagram where she posted un-retouched photos of herself and amassed 500,000 followers. It was then that brands started to notice her and hire her to model for their companies. She also started a movement called “There Is No Wrong Way To Be A Woman” which celebrates body positivity and women of all backgrounds, shapes and sizes.  

Bidot’s struggles to be accepted in the modeling industry show how there is still strict beauty standards where thin is the ideal body size in the fashion industry and in society. The fact she was able to find acceptance after gaining a following on Instagram shows the power social media has in empowering groups in society that do not fit the heteropatriarchal ideas of beauty. As we have discussed in class, social media has been a powerful tool for movements such as MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and body positivity to gain traction in traditional media powerhouses. Perhaps now that the fashion industry is seeing that people want to see diverse representations of beauty they will follow suit and hire more models of different backgrounds and body types.