This Egyptian Fashion Label's New Campaign is Challenging Our Beauty Standards

When it comes to women in the media, there’s no question: sex sells. Every day we’re bombarded with pictures of tall, skinny models - voluminous hair, flawless skin – images that have been dramatically retouched to remove cellulite, stretch marks and other imperfections. But who decided that being sticky thin is beautiful?

Fashion direction and styling agency, DYAD is challenging how mass media is perpetuating unattainable and narrow ideals of body images; with the launch of their very first photoshoot featuring models with different body types and features - Plus size, curvy, tall, short, curly and straight-haired. The shoot serves to highlight the importance of inclusivity by enabling such diverse expression and representation. 

“All body types are beautiful – trying to change them to conform to someone else’s ideal of beauty isn’t. This is the message that the fashion industry at large needs to hear and many campaigns abroad, like Dove’s campaign for Real Beauty, have tried to push for. We decided to do the same in Egypt,” say Mariam Zahw and Nancy ElTaher, founders of DAYD. 
Long the outcast at the high school lunch table, double denim is once again gaining steam in the fashion scene. DAYD’s photoshoot is a Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears enactment – with a lot of standout jewellery. “When you see someone that closely resembles you, you’re more likely to take fashion risks, you think oh this girl looks like me, and she just pulled this look off, this means I can too,” add Zahw and ElTaher.

Check out DAYD's Instagram page here.