Emily Ratajkowski, the statuesque model with millions of followers on Instagram, has made some feminist declarations in the past that have been called into question.
In an interview with Elle earlier this year to promote her work with haircare brand Kérastase, she said that being the face of a beauty brand does not contradict with her feminist views.
“Feminism is about the choices we make, and the freedom we have to make personal choices without judgment or retribution,” she said.
But some have taken issue with her feminist advocacy because she has become a representation of mainstream beauty standards and regularly poses in swimsuits on social media.
As High Snobiety notes, some felt that the Kérastase campaign, in particular, insulted women who don’t fit that ideal. In the original caption for one of the campaign photos on Instagram, Ratajkowski wrote, ” Hair is a fundamental part of beauty, femininity, and identity.”
Some of her followers claimed that the statement alienated women who have dealt with hair loss.
“So people without hair arent beautiful etc? delete this sis smh?” wrote one follower, according to High Snobiety.
“You don’t need hair to be beautiful….. aren’t you a ‘feminist activist’ what is this?” another person wrote.
But in an apparent response to the criticism, Ratajkowski says that she is still “figuring out” this whole feminism thing.
“What I always try to say about being a feminist is like, I’m just figuring it out and that’s how feminism should be, she said in an interview with Byrdie. “Like maybe say something to test it out, to figure out whether you think it’s true. And then maybe it changes or maybe it doesn’t.”
She went on to say that she is not some “sage” who knows everything about the issues. Her views are evolving, she says, and is just interested in starting “a conversation.”
“I don’t know that people always know that’s how I think about things. It’s definitely a weird accident that people are like, “She really thinks she knows what she’s talking about,” and I’m like, no, I don’t! Let’s just talk about it in general. It’s a conversation, you know?’
Emily Ratajkowski got her big break when she starred in the music video for Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video. According to her website, she has since graced the covers of a number of high-end magazines like Allure, Marie Claire , Vogue Spain , InStyle , and Glamour among others. She’s also done campaigns for DKNY.
Her bio on IMDB states that she also appeared on iCarly and in Gone Girl alongside Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.
Criticism of her feminist views aside, she seems to be making great strides in her career.
