Aerie Ad Features Size 12 Model Barbie Ferreira In Unretouched #AerieREAL Campaign (VIDEO, PHOTO)

Aerie, American Eagle's swimwear and loungewear line, is launching a new campaign that features 19-year-old model, Barbie Ferreira, who is a size 12. Dubbed the "curved model," Ferreria's photos present a striking difference against all other swimsuit models' photos as her images are not retouched. The move is part of the #AerieREAL campaign, which was first lauched in 2014, according to Refinery29.

"We cast Barbie because she's got nothing to hide, she's strong and beautiful - she embraces her real self, which is the spirit of the Aerie Real message," said Aerie's brand president, Jen Foyle, via the fashion news outlet. The ad also celebrates the rising popularity and demand for plus-size models and celebrities with their own plus-size fashion.

The campaign has released only one image of Ferreira so far, but Aerie uploaded a clip of the model as she lounges poolside in a sexy two-piece. Ferreira also talks about her thoughts on releasing her unretouched photos. "Not being retouched in the images is something that's really important to me," Ferreria said, according to People. "Knowing that that's what I look like without anyone's perception of what my body needs to look like. The world needs more women who are so strong, especially a lot of friends that I have."

The teenager confessed she's actually not a fan of the word "plus-size." "It reminds me of the word 'oversize.' I am not with it ... Curvy is cuter," she said, according to Daily Mail. "One day I won't have to say 'curvy model' and I can just say 'model.' The ultimate dream."

Ferreria has been receiving a lot of praises on social media, but along with it, there are some haters too. But the young model is hardly affected. "Have to remind myself that people are so cruel and wrong about bodies because they never see average bodies on their screens and it's new to them," the teenager wrote on her Twitter account. "I don't [really] care much [about] what they say except [just] super inaccurate s--t, like I'm promoted [sic] obesity. What?!? Im [sic] not close to medically obese."

Tags

American Eagle, Body image, Curves, Obese, Overweight, Obesity, Body shaming, Fat Shaming