Leomie Anderson: How to remain confident in a social media age

The Tooting-born model explains what she's learnt about body image and what we can do to promote a realistic approach to beauty standards

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To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we'll be highlighting different themes that relate to and impact on our mental health and wellbeing – from suicide to anxiety to body image and relationships. Today, model Leomie Anderson discusses what she's learned about remaining confident in a social media age.


I feel that whenever a model speaks about body image, people think that we can't have an opinion. Yes, we are part of an industry that accepts our body shape but people forget that before we were models, many of us were given a hard time for being our size too.

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When I was in secondary school, I was bullied for being skinny. I know that sounds like clichéd model talk, but I was and being victimised over your weight in either extreme isn't nice. Girls would follow me around every day, making jokes about me being anorexic and how nasty my body looked. From the ages of 11 to 14, people constantly tried to make me feel bad about something I couldn't control. My mum played a big role in my confidence as a teen and - fortunately - for some reason I wouldn't let their words get to me. Everything changed the day that everyone found out I was a signed model (I didn't tell anyone for about six months) and that really made me realise how fickle people can be.

"Girls would follow me around every day, making jokes about me being anorexic and how nasty my body looked"

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Being a young girl in this generation is harder than ever. They have to deal with things that didn't even exist when I was a teenager. Thanks to my career, I know I have many of these girls and young women following me and I wanted to create a platform that allows them to have a voice on these issues. When I had the chance to speak at St Martins Girls School in South London, I realised how much they needed a place that gives honest advice and perspectives from real women.

It's one of the reasons that I created my brand LAPP, which stands for Leomie Anderson the Project the Purpose; it's a place for women to keep these conversations on topics such as body confidence going. Women need to have a space where their perspectives on all issues, including body confidence, matter. We need to show women that they aren't alone in their feelings and work together to teach the younger generations about social media, unrealistic beauty standards and more. I think it's all about educating the next generation to have a positive view of their bodies.

There are so many factors that influence female body confidence and how we see ourselves. Take fashion – it's a way for people to express their art, but sometimes the industry forgets how their choices may come across to consumers. But it is changing. Fashion is a reflection of society, so if we as consumers demand more diversity and keep these conversations going then I believe it will have a positive effect on the industry. We are already starting to see some changes such as natural hair on the runway and dark skinned models fronting huge beauty campaigns; it's the consistency of these representations that matters.

Then there's social media, which definitely plays a major role in insecurities among young women. If it's not a sponsored ad for a waist trainer, it's videos of cosmetic surgery on your explore page. Girls are seeing all this at a such a young age and then internalising all these unrealistic standards. To that I say; don't just follow celebrities that you idolise or look up to. I love following travel bloggers, as well as fashion pages so I don't have a constant stream of photoshopped bodies on my feed. Don't obsess over likes and impressions, especially if you're not being paid to do so - don't make social media a job if you don't need to.

One subject I get asked about a lot is my involvement with Victoria's Secret – I've been working with the brand for two years. People complain about diversity on catwalks but Victoria's Secret has been the most diverse show I've ever participated in, with women from all different backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. I am proud to be a part of something that celebrates women in such a way.

Another question I get asked a lot: 'What do models really eat?' People always joke and say, "Oh you're a model, you don't eat." That's such a negative stereotype to force onto us. It's important for us to be transparent with our diet and exercise so that people realise that those stereotypes aren't an honest representation of our industry. I don't like fast food, but I wouldn't say I force myself to eat healthily. And that's the truth.

There are no instant fixes to self-confidence. My mum played a huge part in my self-esteem because she always encouraged me to join classes such as dance, football, gymnastics and athletics where my physique was an asset to me and I felt comfortable in my own skin. Do something that will make you feel good about yourself. Join a Zumba class at your gym, go swimming – just something that gets your heart pumping and feeling energised. Social media breaks are important - log out of Instagram and start appreciating your body for what it is because, honestly, it's beautiful.

Edited by Ella Alexander


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