This Tunisian model advocates for body acceptance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through her groundbreaking career
Ameni Esseibi @ameniesseibi
Ameni started modeling at the age of 18 with the ambition to become the voice of all plus-size women in the Middle East. She is a body positivity advocate and is 'The First Curvy Model of the Middle East and North Africa.' As an Arab plus-size model, Ameni constantly tries to break barriers in the region and hopes to represent all Arab women to the best of her ability. She dreams of a more inclusive and accepting society in a part of the world where body positivity is only recently being discussed. Known for her strong personality and hard-word, she hopes to influence the fashion industry in the region. She is the first Arab plus size model to walk in Paris Fashion week several times from Weinsanto to Georges Hobeika. Ameni constantly pushes brands to explore new horizons and promotes diversity and inclusivity. Ameni has worked with some of the most influential brands to share her powerful message worldwide. From being ambassador for Jean Paul Gaulthier and Dubai Fashion week/Arab Fashion council to being featured in all magazines from Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, L'Officiel, Harper's Bazaar etc..
What was the experience like starting your modeling career as the first curvy model in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region?
My experience started off as a young girl, who got bullied in high school filled with big dreams, and wanting to create the impossible in the Arab region. It was definitely very challenging. I had to go through very difficult obstacles growing up in a very judgmental society filled with criticism and sometimes have a toll on you, but this is where self-worth and values and manners comes into play and helps you face all the difficulties. I feel responsible today, holding the title of the first curvy model of MENA. It’s definitely a responsibility as I’m not just a model but also a body positivity, advocate, and mental health advocate but most importantly, the older sister I wish I had when I was young.
She hopes to inspire young Arab women daily and engages with them to show they can do anything they set their minds to. Ameni was French-educated and graduated from American university in the emirates with a degree in Fashion Design. From walking on runways to drawing dresses in the classroom, she thrives for the best and believes nothing is impossible.
In your opinion, which parts of the fashion and beauty world need to change?
In the fashion world, it would be definitely that they stop using diversity and inclusivity as part of a marketing strategy and rather start doing facts and actually doing something about it; we see so many plus size models on the runway but then we would never see those pieces in stores. They’re using diversity as a trend when it’s not at all —people need to understand in the fashion industry that the fashion world has a place for everyone and everyone deserves a voice in it. For the beauty world, they need to stop posting on social media and using videos on their campaigns of unrealistic final results. We all know that most of the beauty brands use Photoshop and filter their pictures a lot and at the end of the day people are really waking up and wanting authenticity and starting to realize that they have been fed lies for so many years.
How do you think social media has impacted beauty standards and expectations for women?
I think if you don’t follow the right people on social media, it can get dangerous as social media can actually increase your insecurities and really affect your confidence but also it can increase your confidence and lower your insecurities depending on what you’re watching and who you’re following. People need to be very careful and need to know that whatever people are showing on social media is what they want to show and it’s never even half of the reality. Social media is so fake but at the same time there are accounts that are so authentic and so real so I think you just really have to be careful with what you’re watching, but it definitely had an impact on beauty standards because of all the Photoshop and the filters that people are using. You can see that most of the girls and Instagram actually don’t look like that in real life and it’s all editing.
How has your perception of your own body shifted over time? What helped you to develop a body-positive mindset?
I think in the beginning, I actually thought my body was wrong and that I was not normal and I really wanted to change it. I’ve tried several types of diets and exercise, but because I’m a PCOS girl it was very hard for me to lose weight. But then I reached a certain age, where I realized that my stretch marks tell story of strength and vulnerability, and my cellulite is just a normal aspect of my body. It’s just that society and capitalism told me to hate it, but it was just a phase of my life and now I really appreciate it and embrace it. Our body is actually all we have and at the end of the day health is wealth. On my journey of learning how to embrace and love my body, I went through different phases as I’ve been under the spotlight from a young age I definitely went through a lot of criticism that affected my self-love journey. Today I embrace my curves like no tomorrow I feel sexy I feel fears I feel bold I feel powerful. What helped me to develop a body-positive mindset is definitely realizing that every single human on this earth actually has insecurities and trying to be understanding and empathetic with others, that we all have a story that we don’t know behind closed doors, and that if you were a little bit kinder to each other, and not let our thoughts fall into the whole of capitalism the world will be a better place. I try to love each inch of my body, by really trying to create a connection with that an emotional one being grateful that my body is fighting for me every single day.
What advice would you give to others who are struggling to feel confident in their bodies?
The best device I would give is do some self-love exercising like talking to yourself in the mirror it really does help a lot, but it does take some time. Also writing down what are your insecurities and, of course, and how to overcome them and why are they affecting you. Is it really something that you don’t like or is it something that society put in your head? And also you need to remember if you get it bad comment or criticism about how you look or about a certain part of your body note that most of the time the person who has said that to you is actually insecure or jealous or envious.
What are some actions that individuals can take to champion a culture of body positivity and inclusivity?
I would say acceptance and understanding. Of course I think it’s a lot about mental also to learn to be less judgy embracing, and being grateful for your body, I think after COVID, we realize what our bodies are capable of doing, and we have to be grateful for them. Also think about it from a perspective that it’s unique each person in this world is unique in their own way. We all come in different shapes and sizes and colors and that’s beautiful.
What does being a feminist mean to you?
Being a feminist, for me, is being a woman who is fully independent (emotionally, mentally financially, and physically) and who is capable of taking control of her own life with her own decisions. A real feminist supports other women and brings them up, creating a bigger community of strong, independent women without feeling any sort of jealousy or envy towards them. Just pure love and support.
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