Aaliyah on body positivity with Estrid, her top tips and her journey so far...

Body Positivity Queen, Aaliyah recently shot the latest TIKTOK campaign for Estrid's razor brand whose strapline is Hair removal should be optional. Great hair removal shouldn’t. Aaliyah was the perfect fit for this brand and their ethos, using her social platforms to regularly promote self-confidence and not conforming to anyone else's beauty standards other than your own.

We decided to take this opportunity to speak to Aaliyah and find out more about her journey so far in the world of modelling and her advice to young females out there on embracing themselves for who they are.

I have hairy armpits, half a head of dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings.. if it were a few years ago I wouldn’t even be a model. Things have changed but there’s definitely still space , which is what I hope to do. I want to fill the space!

What made you get into modelling? So I started modelling very out of the blue. It was never a career I even believed I could do! I was walking to the shop at university and a woman asked me to model for her brand. From there, she mentioned me to J'adore Models and they immediately loved me - that is where my modelling career begin.

What made you choose to be with J'adore? After getting in contact with J'adore and meeting everyone, they seemed like a really big family, which for me at the time was important as I had no idea what the industry was going to be like or even the people! It was one of the things that stuck out the most. As well as this, when I had a look at all the other models - everyone was different. They had huge variety of individuals and that made me feel good. Everyone was different!

So to anyone that thinks modelling is easy, it definitely isn’t.. but it’s 100% worth it.

What are the biggest myths and misconceptions about models in your experience? I think the biggest myth is definitely thinking that modelling is ‘easy’. I’ve had a few people say to me ‘How are you tired? It’s just modelling!’ but it’s so crazy how much energy and time actually goes into it! It’s definitely something I had to work on as well with posing and expression to learn what works and what doesn’t. So to anyone that thinks modelling is easy, it most definitely isn’t.. but it’s 100% worth it.

What do you hope to change about the industry? I hope that with how different I am, I can push some more boundaries within the industry. I have hairy armpits, half a head of dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings.. if it were a few years ago I wouldn’t even be a model. Things have changed but there’s definitely still space , which is what I hope to do. I want to fill the space!

How do you use your social platform to engage about topics that you're passionate about? I use my social media in a variety of ways. On TikTok I try and use the sounds that are most popular to talk about topics more related to feminism and body confidence etc. On Instagram I’m a bit more personal, I like to show that I’m human! By talking about my own experiences and try and be a voice for everyone!

'Hair removal should be optional. Great hair removal shouldn’t.' Estrid Razors

What did you love about this booking and how does it link into your idea of empowerment? The biggest thing I loved about this Estrid booking was that they weren’t asking me to shave... they wanted me to dye my armpit hair! To see a razor company that embraces both the hairy and non hairy while also being vegan was insane to me. It really shows how things are changing! It made me feel empowered to be working for a brand that weren’t trying to change me, but take me for me.

Continue to normalise all the things we have been told that are wrong!

What communication tips would you give to other young females out there? One thing I would say is to just speak out. It’s strange because when women speak out we are seen as aggressive or that we are moaning but it’s crucial that we do. If no-one's talking about a topic and you feel you're well-researched in it or experienced or passionate... talk about it! Continue to normalise all the things we have been told that are wrong!