After being sacked by a modelling agency for being 'too big' at just a size 6, no one knows better than Charli Howard that fashion industry beauty standards are misleading.
Now, working as a plus-size model in New York City, UK-born Charli is using her voice to support other women in learning to love their bodies.
In a recent pair of Instagram posts taken in Austin, Texas, the stunning brunette shows off her stunning figure in a set of bright pink Aerie underwear by snapping selfies in a mirror.
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Natural form: Model Charli Howard, 26, displays her enviable figure in a pair of Instagram snaps, along with a message of body positivity
Putting it out there: Charli told her followers that 'you don't have to be skinny to feel beautiful'
In the caption of the first, Charli gushes over her new Aerie bra, calling it her new favorite.
In the other image, the model strikes a different pose and captions the photo: 'You don't have to be skinny to feel beautiful.'
Ever since being dropped by a London-based modelling agency in 2015 because she was viewed as being too large to book any jobs, Charli has made it her mission to change the fashion industry's narrow view of 'perfect' body types.
According to comments shared on her two new posts, it appears that she is achieving just that.
One fan thanked her 'for bringing up my self esteem' while another wrote: 'Thank you so much for empowering young girls around the world to love themselves. Love you and everything you do.'
Charli also recently posed in two powerful campaigns that saw her proudly showing off her natural physique without any editing or Photoshopping to hide what some might see as her 'flaws'.
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Baring it all: Charli also recently appeared in an unretouched campaign for Nike
Making moves: The 26-year-old Brit, who is based in New York, also appeared in a second unretouched ad for Spanish brand Desigual
The first of the two campaigns saw Charli proudly showing off her natural shape in shoot for Nike, which was part of a collaboration between the sporting giant and a body-positive campaign that Charli founded alongside fellow curvy model Clémentine Desseaux.
Named the All Woman Project, the group is aimed at 'helping all women to feel represented' no matter what their size.
Charli and Clem teamed up with Nike to create a campaign starring women of all shapes, sizes and races - and from all different backgrounds - to prove, in Charli's words, that you 'don't need a six-pack to feel great in gym gear'.
In the campaign, Charli could be seen posing confidently in a pair of tight shorts and a crop top, happily showing off her body.
Another shot featured the New York-based Brit posing with All Woman Project co-founder Clem, with both women flaunting their physiques in athletic ensembles.
'You can see my rolls, you can see my cellulite, you can see who I am and what I really look like,' Charli explained to FEMAIL at a launch party for Suze Yalof Schwartz's book, Unplug, at the Aerie pop-up in Soho, New York.
Teamwork: After being dropped by her agency, Charli teamed up with plus-size model Clémentine Desseaux to launch a body-positive movement called the All Woman Project
Room for everyone: The duo partnered with Nike on a campaign for International Women's Day which aimed to prove 'you don't need a six-pack to feel great in gym gear'
Diversity: Charli and Clem appeared in the campaign alongside women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds, from fitness trainers to artists
'The images are totally unretouched; they are completely natural,' she added.
'One of the main concerns we hear from women worldwide is how they feel too insecure to exercise or go to the gym because of the way they look,' the duo said of the campaign on their Instagram account.
'You don't need to look like an athlete to work out and fitness should never be just about losing weight - exercise benefits you mentally, as well!
'We love the recent Nike campaigns, which celebrate body and color diversity, and are super excited to team up with @nikenyc to bring you these unretouched images.'
The campaign, which was released in honor of International Women's Day, starred a diverse group of women from the New York area, including Y7 Yoga founder Sarah Levey, Rumble Boxing trainer Danielle Burrell, and artist Andrea Bergart.
And International Women's Day certainly proved to be a busy one for Charli, who unveiled a second unretouched campaign just hours after the Nike images debuted online, this time for Spanish fashion brand Desigual.
Confident: In a behind-the-scenes video from her Desigual shoot, Charli explains that her career has thrived since she was dropped by her London agency
High-end: Charli wants to prove that women of all sizes can work as models - and that curvier people shouldn't be restricted to posing for brands that specialize in larger sizes
Showing it all off: The model admits that she wasn't aware plus-size models existed until she moved to New York a year ago
Healthier and happier: 'I'd starved myself for so long, and tried to confirm to these really small standards... I was just tired of it,' Charli said of her career as a 'straight-size model'
Posing in a variety of colorful summery ensembles and bright and bold swimwear, the model explains in a behind-the-scenes video from the shoot that she initially thought speaking out about being dropped by her agency would end her career - not cause it to thrive.
'Back in about September 2015, I was dropped by my London agency for being too out of shape, despite the fact I was only a size US 2 to 4,' she tells the camera.
'And I really couldn't do it anymore. I'd starved myself for so long, and tried to confirm to these really small standards for such a long time, and I was just tired of it. My body was tired, my mind was tired, and I just really needed a break.
'I went home one day on the train and I wrote this Facebook letter that went viral, and everything changed for me.
'It was really weird, I honestly thought that my career would end there and then, but it didn't, [the Facebook post] actually helped me move to New York, and I truly believe that speaking out and having an opinion about something that is obviously so wrong can really be beneficial for you.'
Charli goes on to explain how she founded the All Woman Project alongside Clem, noting that, before moving to New York, she was totally unaware that the plus-size fashion industry even existed - let alone that there were curvy models out there forging successful careers working within it.
Speaking out: Charli attended the launch of Suze Yalof Schwartz's book, Unplug, at the Aerie pop-up in Soho, New York. She has previously appeared in a campaign for the US brand
'Before I came to New York, I never knew what a plus-size model was, but then I walked into my agency and there was just this board of beautiful bigger women,' she noted.
'And by 'big' I mean, they start at a US size 6 upwards, so they're not big at all, they're just plus-size compared to the skinnier models in the industry.
'At the time, I was still very small, and [Clementine and I] questioned why we didn't see straight-size models and plus-size models in the same campaign, so we decided that we would do it, and that we would create some fashion images that were really high-end but still really diverse.'
The duo hoped that by shooting a diverse - but high-end campaign - they could prove that there is plenty of room for women of all sizes within the fashion industry, and that curvy women shouldn't be restricted to starring in campaigns for brands that specialize in larger sizes.
'We both felt that a lot of these body-positive campaigns can end up looking a bit tacky and a bit DIY,' Charli explained.
'So we really wanted to prove that fashion images can still be beautiful and you can use girls of every single size, every shape, every color, and make it look marketable.'
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