Padma Lakshmi began her journey towards self-acceptance with her body when she started modeling in her 20s.
“I had a very heavy dose because of course I had stretch marks, and I had other things like mosquito bites, but I also had a big scar on my arm. It felt like it was an albatross around my neck,” the former A top chef the host, 53, speaks exclusively to PEOPLE.
“At a very young age, I learned how arbitrary beauty standards are,” she adds.
So when, in her 50s, the entrepreneur, activist and mom got the chance to model her own line of underwear, loungewear and swimwear for Bare Necessities, she approached the whole process with a new level of confidence. To begin with, she did not want the photos retouched.
“I told them, ‘Don’t take out my scar, don’t take out my vaccination mark, and don’t take out the stretch marks on my thigh and butt,’ because I have them,” she says.
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Padma Lakshmi for essentials.
Courtesy of Bare Necessities
Inside Padma Lakshmi’s Sexy Lingerie Line and Photo Shoot: ‘I Feel More Confident Today Than I Did in My 20s’ (Exclusive)
– Obviously I want to look the best I can – admits Lakshmi, who before the shooting “toughened up”, went for lymphatic drainage, drank a lot of water and fed her body with healthy meals.
But her decision not to allow photos to be photoshopped to the limit comes from a desire to attract body positivity and confidence for her daughter, Krishna, 14, and other young girls.
“I try to tell my daughter that beauty is really deep,” says Lakshmi. “If you can put something out there that has nothing to do with how you look, or hopefully build on that something meaningful for others, then you’re ahead of the game.”
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Padma Lakshmi for essentials.
Courtesy of Bare Necessities
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Lakshmi continued to keep it real behind the scenes of her sexy shoot.
As she began teasing the May 20 launch (the 19-piece capsule officially drops on June 6), she posted unfiltered candid photos on Instagram of herself posing in racy pieces, which range from lace bodysuits to James Bond-level rash guard zippers -up swimsuit.
One video even shows her in a hot pink bra and lacy underwear as her “personal pit crew” begins to “rub” her body (that is, moisturize her skin for a glow).
Padma Lakshmi shares her approach to health: ‘I try to be kind to my body’
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Padma Lakshmi for essentials.
Courtesy of Bare Necessities
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“At the end of the day, I want to make sure I love myself no matter what I look like,” Lakshmi tells PEOPLE. Of modeling in her 50s, she adds, “It seems like a nice boost when we’re dealing with all the other aspects of aging that women go through in our society.”
“I feel more confident today than when I actually looked more vibrant, toned, smaller, in my 20s,” Lakshmi says with a laugh. “So I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education