Wavey by Stellina Stampouli
There have always been stigmas surrounding women’s hair and especially body hair. This can be noted in the historic 1903 portrait of Evelyn Nesbit, “The Eternal Question,” where a woman’s needs are societally questioned based on how her hair is worn. To have our wants predicted by how we wear our hair has been a constant pressure on women to conform to the desires of men and society in general. While today there is some freedom with how women wear their head hair, things seem to have only become more intensified as social standards require that women remove their body hair or they are often viewed as unattractive or unhygienic.
In reality, body hair exists for many purposes. We sought to present body hair in the innocuous way that head hair is seen and to show that just like with the hair on our heads, there are different ways to present pubic hair for comfort, hygiene, or personal aesthetic. The central theme in this work is that women should be able to make the decision to grow or remove body hair free from social pressures or shaming. We hope that the imagery can serve as a platform for courage and inspiration for women to have confidence to reclaim body autonomy and understand that societal demands do not have to have the power to decide what is beautiful and right for them.
Credits
Wardrobe Stylist: Scarlett Lillia @queenelizaspliff
Hair Stylist: Ethan Johnson @ethanluke
Model: Nora Rosenberg @nudenora