Photographer Ben Hopper's 'Natural Beauty' photo series consists of black and white photographs of beautiful women sporting underarm hair. The series depicts women who are conventionally beautiful with the exception that their armpits are unshaved; it aims to convince people that feminine beauty shouldn't necessarily be dependent on body hair -- or rather, the lack thereof.
"I don’t want to say that I want women to start growing their armpit hair," Hopper said. "I just think that it’s a possibility and people shouldn’t dismiss it. I’d like people to just question beauty standards, the whole thing."
Hopper began working on 'Natural Beauty' several years ago, but only came up with its current look and format after posting a photo of Swedish actress Emilie Bostdt on his Facebook page, which went viral. It was then that he decided that a photo series featuring women with underarm hair would work best in a black and white format and a strong, dark background.
Hairy Armpit Photo Series
The 'Natural Beauty' Photo Series Celebrates Women with Underarm Hair
Trend Themes
1. Body Hair Acceptance - Growing acceptance of body hair on women challenges traditional beauty standards and presents opportunities for brands that embrace diversity and inclusivity.
2. Unconventional Beauty - The celebration of unconventional beauty standards, such as body hair, is gaining popularity in art and media and presents opportunities for brands to cater to a wider range of consumers.
3. Body Positivity - The body positivity movement is encouraging people to embrace their bodies in their natural form and presents opportunities for brands to be more authentic and inclusive in their marketing campaigns.
Industry Implications
1. Beauty and Personal Care - Brands in the beauty and personal care industry can capitalize on the growing acceptance of body hair and eliminate ‘hairless’ beauty standards with inclusive products and marketing campaigns.
2. Fashion and Apparel - Brands in the fashion and apparel industry can embrace the celebration of unconventional beauty standards by featuring diverse models in their campaigns and designing clothing that accommodates natural body hair.
3. Art and Photography - The celebration of unconventional beauty standards in art and photography presents opportunities for artists and photographers to challenge traditional beauty norms and create thought-provoking pieces that resonate with a wider audience.