Happy holidays!

Well… first I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Hanukkah and general holiday merriment to everyone!

What a year it’s been, and I just wanted to thank all of you for everything. Both I, and the campaign have achieved so much over this last year and most of it is down to you guys; the people who have supported the campaign since the start, everyone who send in messages of support after watching the campaign on Channel 4, everyone who both read the campaign issue of my magazine and gave me such wonderful feedback, as well as everyone who has read the other magazine issues this year. Also my fantastic all new campaign team; Larnie, Greg + Amy and all the ideas they have come up with so far (some great stuff planned for 2009!), all the magazine staff who were patient with me while I was trying to get the campaign issue with all the campaign pictures just right! (sorry about all that guys!). And even a big thank you to everyone who has sent in negative messages to the campaign; its allowed me to change the campaign for the better by playing devils advocate!

Thanks again, and don’t worry about how many mince pies you’re eating!

Rachel

xoxo

Since the documentary...

Hi!

This is kinda like a quick catch up since the documentary was on television, because I recon by now you all think I’ve vanished off the face of this earth!

I’ve been quite busy with school work (GCSE mocks coming up!) but I have found time to lots of campaign - ish stuff!

I now, for starters have a campaign TEAM. There are four of us; I’m going to be getting each of them to be typing a quick introduction to themselves for all of you guys but here’s just a quick intro from me!:

Larnie – Campaign manager. She’s great, straight to the point and full of ideas. She’s also one of the new staff writers for LR Magazine!

Greg – The think tank. Diligent researcher and he’s been a great help to me and the campaign so far (apart from I don’t like the fact he comes up with better ideas than me!)

Amy – The magazines Fashion Editor, who has always felt really strongly about the cause is joining us too.

The main sort of stuff the team and I are working on at the moment is research; I did a lot of this at the beginning of the campaign but now I think its time for a little bit more!

Greg, is talking to a male sufferer from negative body image and writing an article for us about it; but I’d love your help too!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy, or how old you are but I’d like you to send in to us your perception of: What Is Beautiful?

I think both the team and I really need to get a grip on what exactly your guys are thinking too, not just what we think you think! It can be as long or short as you want, either a few words or even a whole paragraph!

As always you can either leave me a comment on my Battlefront page, Bebo or you can drop me an email at: rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk!

I can’t wait to hear from you, and have a great holiday!

Rachel

xoxo

Replies...

Answer Blog...

I don't like want to fill up my whole comments box answering you all... so I'm writing them in a blog post instead! But I just want to say; thats SO much for all your comments and your support... you've all made my day! I rushed back on my lunch hour to watch it and when I logged on afterwards... you all made me feel on top of the world - and I have loads of new ideas for the campaign!


Sophie, 04 December 2008 12:01 - Can I have a look at some of your pictures? It would be great to work with you! You can email me at rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk!

Abi, 04 December 2008 12:03 - I would LOVE your help! Interested in joining our street team? As your only in Whitstable your could come and meet me and the magazine's Secondary Editor Catharine (she was in the film too) sometime to talk about campaign stuff... email me! rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk


claire louise, 04 December 2008 12:13
Thomas Hedderwick, 04 December 2008 12:15
laura, 04 December 2008 12:24
Briana, 04 December 2008 12:26
Viviane, 04 December 2008 13:30

- Same as above - interested in joining the street team? Drop me a line! - rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk

Sophie, 04 December 2008 12:31 - You can add by Battlefront Bebo - bebo.com/anti_size_zero!

Connor francis, 04 December 2008 13:47 - I'm interested! Can you tell me a little bit more?!? rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk

jhaniel smith, 04 December 2008 15:25 - Hey! Can I see some of your work? You can email me at: rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk

Fern - Lynn, 04 December 2008 19:03 - Ideas... I'd love to here them! rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk!

Amy , 04 December 2008 19:06 - Email me (rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk) and I;ll email you back with some more info!

Thanks guys... I hope thats all your questions answered!


Rachel

xoxo

I wanna help out!

I really support your campaign and want to help out... but how?

You can join the new Who wants To Be A Size Zero Anyway Street Team...

email me for more info @ rachel.insideout@yahoo.co.uk !

Rachel

xoxo

Model Support...

A couple of days ago I had a worry moment... I was getting lost of negative comments, and mot of them from models. Did all models hate me now?!? Not ideal for a fashion magazine editor...

... so I had a buzz round and asked a couple of internet models, for those of you who don't know; these are normal models with normal modeling careers from across the world who promote themselves on the internet and have gained a celebrity like following... This is what I got in reply!

Tara Mason - Artist, Model, Promoter, Designer, Entrepreneur, Musician, Actor, Host, Writer, Manager, Marketer, Stylist. (Yes - she's even busier than the Battlefronters!)
http://www.myspace.com/taramason

"I think it's (the campaign) awesome! keep it up!"


Sharon TK
http://www.myspace.com/sharontrustkill

"I'm all for a healthy body image, who wouldn't be. The fact that people would give you shit about it makes no sense at all? I do understand that in the modeling industry clothes look better on a person that is between certain weights but there needs to be a healthy lower limit with that. No one wants to see stick figures walking down a runway and if they do then they have some serious issues!"


Joshy Lofty
http://www.myspace.com/josh82886
(bear in mind he talks American sizes!)

"I completely agree with what you're saying. not everyone has to be a size 0 or 1 to look good. I'm a size 2 and i get poked @ every day for being skinny. i can't help that i'm skinny! i'm actually pretty athletically built but i'm a small framed boy. leave me alone! lol. i also believe everyone can be beautiful. you just have to find out how each person is beautiful. Rachel Ray for instance... she is GORGEOUS to me and she's a 4. she has a very nice curvy body, nice butt & nice natural boobs. she is gorgeous! and not a size 0. I think the world should just lay off."


Loriel Andre'a
http://www.myspace.com/xoflyleafxoloriel

"This is so true! I hope more girls and boys just stay true to themselves and stop worrying so much about how they look or how skinny they wish they were. Find beauty within your unique qualities and be yourself, because trying to look like everyone else is boring and typical as long as you are doing good for your body eating good and exercising regularly just so you stay healthy you should just be happy with who you are."


One of the most famous internet model/ celebritys of them all... the one who was on the cover that sparked this whole campaign... Audrey Kitching!
http://www.myspace.com/audreykitching

"im not stick skinny at all i eat whatever i want and hate eating disorders because of todays media i back it (the campaign) fully oox"

A Models Perspective...

In the new issue of Lipstick Royalty you'l all (hopefully!) be reading on December 15th we have our fashion editor Amy interviewing an alternative model with a twist - Ulorin Vex.

I've just been reading through the interview for the first time and I was like jumping up and down with happiness when i read this passage...


"Finally, when I told her about Editor Rachel’s “Who Wants To Be Size Zero Anyway?” campaign, she wondered whether people understand that what they see in most magazines (we are proud to count ourselves out of this!) is often not actually real. “It's amazing what a difference professional hair/makeup and good lighting makes.” She told me, and to be honest, I think she’s right; more than that, even, many photo-shoots are airbrushed to make people look better than they really do. Despite the fact that she’s a model, and that she believes this, though, she still has things that she wants to change about her appearance, just like the rest of us. “I've learned to be happy with what I have, if you can't change it there's no point in stressing about it.” Very true. Very true indeed."


Hear that ladies? We have it straight from the models mouth... WHAT WE SEE IN MAGAZINES (except Lipstick Royalty of course!) IS NOT REAL.

Who wants to look like they were made out of highly polished plastic?

Who Wants To Be A Size Zero Anyway?


Rachel

xoxo

Lipstick Royalty Magazine are looking for a New Staff Writer!

Lipstick Royalty Magazine (the funny little thing that used to be Inside Out) is looking for a new staff writer! (Our staff writers are basically the people who write funky aritcles and interview cool people.)

Job Requirements:

Some writing experience is required be it journalistic, fashion or creative.

Applicants need to be enthusiastic, and have access to the internet each day.

They also need some previous knowledge of both alternative and main stream fashion.

They need to be able to work as a team and be unafraid to pitch ideas to others.


To apply either Bebo message me, Lipstick Royalty Magazine Myspace message me (myspace.com/lipstickroyalty) or email me! (rachel.insideout@yahoo.com)!


I can't wait to hear from you!


Rachel

xoxo


Note To Applicants: Positions at LR are unpaid, but great for experience and unbelievably fun!

Inside Out Nov. 2008 - Who Wants To Be A Size Zero Anyway? Issue!

http://www.myspace.com/insideoutmagazine


Check it out and tell me what you all think!

Rachel

xoxo

I spent this afternoon designing clothes that you CAN wear and feel good about yourselves!

I'm talking about the Who Wants To Be A Size Zero/ Lipstick Royalty Women and Mens T Shirts + Tote bags!

I'd love you guys to all by one and help spread the word! (the website are on the back!) and they'll soon be available to purchase online so watch this space!

Womans T Shirt: £13.60
Mens T Shirt: £12.60
Tote Bag: £12.60

Rachel

xoxo

Bye Bye Inside Out Magazine

Well.... its a long story... very long story actually, but the special Who Wnats To Be A Size Zero Anyway issue of Inside Out will be its last. But never fear. On the 15th December 2008 the team behind Inside Out are unveiling...

Lipstick Royalty Magazine - Inside Out, but bigger, and of course better!

myspace.com/lipstickroyaltymagazine


Rachel

xoxo

Picture Exclusive...

Well its not THAT exciting as there's only one of them, but check out the profile picture... thats the ONLY picture I'm gonna release until you see the whole spread from the shoot on Nov. 10th in Inside Out!

Rachel

xoxo

Name Change!

As some of you may have noticed... the official name of my campaign has changed! Well it USED to be 'Anti Size Zero' but I felt like that was a kinda negative slogan, and it was really exclusive to certain people etc. so its now changed, to something which was one of my original slogans when i started Inside out Magazine - 'Who Want's To Be A Size Zero Anyway?' as I feel this is much more fun and positive etc. and it includes everyone!

She's A Real Woman!

How many of you have just finished watching tonight's first live stage of the X Factor?

On the show we had one of the most stunning women ever, who is living proof you don't have to be a size zero to look absolutely fantastic. I'm talking about Ruth, or, for those of you who are bad at names the one Simon Cowell fancies!

In that white dress she looked like the most stunning woman I've seen all month! That is what you should be aspiring to ladies!


Watch the performance: http://xfactor.itv.com/videos/video-detail/item_200311.htm

There are also some great pictures of her on that site too!


Video credits: ITV.com

Shopping!

Hey all! Sorry I haven't been keeping you updated this week... lots of school work! I finished lessons at one today and I went straight off to start sorting things out for the up coming 'Real Girls' photoshoot.

First off I walked down to Armoire - the fantastic little boutique who have greed to lend us clothes for the shoot! I was really glad when Sophie, the owned agreed to lending us clothes as I think that the stuff in there is perfect for our cause. The point of the shoot is to show that real girls, not just super skinny models can look fantastic too and in Armoire every single dress (thats not including the cute little accessories!) look fantastic, and any woman of any size could find something they'd look fabulous in in there! I even got side tracked and tried on a gorgeous little purple satin dress which I'm going to use in either that colour, red or green in the shoot!

Then I went round (this is the surprisingly boring bit!) and spent hours finding the right colours and types of make up for the models!

So now almost all the organizing is done, I have a photographer, hopefully a make-up artist an stylist, and 1.5 models (one is unconfirmed!) and a location and almost a date!

Who Wants To Be Size Zero Anyway?

The 'Who Wants To Be Size 0 Anyway?' campaign want's YOUR answers to the crucial question!

Ladies with Facebook please join the group and tell me: When WAS the last time you felt good about yourself?

http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28505054759&ref=mf

Paul Costelloe - The Right Example

As some of you who’ve read my catwalk report in the current issue of Inside Out on the Paul Costelloe Spring/ Summer 09 collection will know that I was at the show, but not how I came to be there!

The opening show of London Fashion Week was really my first proper research trip for the campaign and, I learnt a lot! I started the day (at a ridiculously early 4:29 am start I must add) with two aims in mind. First of all it was, hopefully to come away from the catwalk show with the proof that normal sized models could look fantastic on the runway too!

The designer Paul Costelloe is well known for his assertion that he doesn't use models below a size ten. I hoped to watch a fantastic catwalk show where all the models looked like poster girls for my campaign; and I wasn’t disappointed! The only way to describe my reaction to the show is that I was blown away. That, and how the hell can I make myself look like one of those runway models?!? THEY are what young women of today should be aspiring to. While about 20% of me was blown away by the show 80% of me was so pleased at my findings. The models were beautiful, but they looked healthy. They glowed in a way that no make-up artist of lighting tec. could create, their limbs looks tones and well formed, completely in proportion, more like yours or mind than shrink wrap draped over a structure of barbecue skewers.

I saw this as a success in both my research and in my campaign in general. Since the word go I’ve been telling my campaign that normal sized girls can both look fantastic as models and make the clothes look spectacular to boot but now I’ve seen the proof on the runway. Google the Paul Costelloe Spring/ Summer 09 show at London Fashion Week; thats what you should be aspiring too.


My second goal of the day coincides with the second feature of my morning in London; my interview with the international supermodel Erin O’Connor. Everyone’s been asking me about it! They seem shocked that I’m more interested in what Erin said than what it was like to interview someone so famous! (She was so nice! And tall! And pretty!!!!.... saves you asking see!) When I wrote and researched the questions I was going to ask her I designed them such that I would find out exactly how different people in the industry, in Erin’s opinion felt about the size zero debate and I was not disappointed!

But I came away with one important point, one that has stuck with me five very long, busy and tedious days later. Up until now the main focus of my campaign, and still is, to educate magazine editors, modeling agencies and designers as to how their placing or helping to place images of super skinny models in their shows, photo spreads and ad. campaigns is affecting women and girls across the country. But Erin made me think while she talked to me about her work with the Model Sanctuary, which she set up.

The Model Sanctuary is a place at London Fashion Week where models can take a time out, eat healthy food and drink, obtain health advice if they need it, and as Erin put it in our interview ‘turn up their iPods way too loud!’ Erin reminded me that models are people too, not just mannequins that take pretty pictures. I have been neglecting them far too much in my plans. I’m not just doing this for the people on the street anymore. I’m now also doing this for the models. Do they want to have to obtain size zero to find themselves paid work?

BBC Slink Mention

The page has changed (apparently it does every day!) but whoop for the campaign for getting a mention in last weeks what BBC Slink Loves section! One of the guys over on the Inside Out Magazine Network (Steph) told me about it and thats how she found the page! Thanks for letting me know Steph!

How the casting went... and some ideas please!

Right, this is like my second blog entry and this time round I wanna ask you guys all something. What would you like to see in this documentary I'm planning on making? (see previous blog posts) I'd like all your input (leave me a comment, send me a message etc.) as I'm gonna get a chance to start filming soon! Stuff's been really hectic with the new term at school and stuff but its soon Sunday! And Sunday's my main campaign day!

I did the model casting before I went back to school too! I found some great girls but one really stuck out for me. This means that a) I may have found my first Inside Out girl! *Jumps up and down in excitement* and b) I'll be doing more casting days to ind the second so I'll keep you guys posted on what is happening with that too!

Anti Size Zero on Mooky Chic.com!

Check out the article for this campaign on Mooky Chic.com!

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/opinion/riotgrrl/anti_size_zero.php

Join The Cause!

You are my favorite person today. You've found my first blog post for my Anti Size 0 campaign I'm doing with Channel 4's Battlefront project! (http://battlefront.co.uk/campaigns/a...

This blog post is basically a little something to say hi to you guys, tell you a little bit about what I'm going to be getting up to to promote the cause and a little bit to tell you about how you can show your support too!

On Tuesday my best friend Kathryn and I are gonna be hanging round the little city of Canterbury (High street and Whitefriars for those of you who know the place) and we're gonna be hunting for models. We're looking for two girls, aged 15-19 to join our campaign. To be the 'faces' of it if you like! What better way to show the fashion industry we don't need size 0 models that showing that real girls can do the same job just as well, if not ten times better!

Also I'm gonna be making a 10 min. mini documentary (which will, once I've made it be viewable on the Anti Size Zero Bebo and Vimeo pages) which I hope to be able to show as many fashion designers, magazine editors, modeling agencies and as many powerful, people in the fashion industry as possible. Hopefully the film will show them what they are doing to woman across the country by casting size 0 models in their shows and in their photo shoots. After all what you see on the pages of the magazine is supposedly what your supposed to aspire to!

The anti size 0 campaign is on almost social network you can think of, so show us your love by joining us on any sites your a member of! We want to spread the word and help the change!


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel...

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/anti_size_zero

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/anti_size_zero

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/anti_size_zero

Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/antisizezero

Also if you go to my page on the official Battlefront website (http://www.battlefront.co.uk/campaig... you can embed the Battlefront badge onto any page that allows HTML to show your support!

Rachel

xoxo