i-D Meets Body Positivity Pioneer Paloma Elsesser

Growing up without role models who reflected who she was, Paloma Elsesser knows the importance of showing young women that there are so many different ways to be beautiful. With her doe eyes and radiant skin, plus size model Paloma Elsesser is at the forefront of the body positivity movement, winning over the industry simply by being her radiant self. She was plucked from obscurity for legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath’s Golden Makeover series, and since then has been desired by editorial spreads and ads - not only because she looks amazing, but also because she's seriously smart.
In this episode of i-D Meets, we get to know Paloma in London before visiting a group of teenagers at a school to talk about how important it is as girls to surround yourself with strong female friends. Then we'll head to Brixton Village with Paloma's fellow International Girl Crew member Madeline Poole, to talk about the uplifting power of sisterhood and body confidence.
Director Tom Ivin
Global Executive Producer Eloise King
Assistant Producer Stephen Isaac-Wilson
Talent Producer Declan Higgins
Director Of Photography Beatriz Sastre
Sound Recordist Owen Pratt
Styling Bojana Kozarevic
Styling Assistant Louis Prier-Tisdal
Installation Artist Rebecca Louise Law
Editor Tom Ivin
Colourist Ben Rozario
Sound Mixer Benjamin Vavangas
Production Manager Lauran Clark
Production Coordinator Rosa Harris Edmonds
Post Production Manager Tom Lynch
Post Production Coordinator Regina Lemaire-Costa
Rights & Clearances Christina Lombardo
Music Supervisor Alex Benge
Music Coordinator Bonnie Reilly
Studio Manager Polly Williams
Production Accountant David Gray
Equipment Manager Richard Smith
Equipment Assistant Henry Cotsford
Post Tech Supervisor Dominic Brouard
Commercial Creative Director Bunny Kinney
VP Production, UK Bree Horn
Production Executive Shelley Hurley
Head Of Post Production Daniel Elias
Channel Manager, UK Jordan Joseph
Look 1
(opening scene)
Palomija wears jacket Unravel. Dress Molly Goddard. Earrings (worn throughout) Chanel. Socks and shoes model's own.
Look 2
(gallery scene)
Shirt Marques'Almeida. All other clothing model's own.
Look 3
(Lambeth Academy)
All clothing model's own.
Look 4
(gallery scene)
Overalls Martine Rose x Napapjiri. Top (worn underneath) Marques'Almeida. Socks and shoes model's own.
Look 5
(Brixton park and market)
Jacket Sonia Rykiel. All other clothing model's own.
Special Thanks
Danielle Palma at Muse NYC, Laura Tedder, NOW Gallery at Greenwich Peninsula, Brixton Village, Stella, Cassia, Cristiana, Diana, Leah, Teresa Best and Lambeth Academy.
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[@i-D]

We get to know body positivity pioneer Paloma in London, before visiting a group of teenagers at a school to talk about how important it is as girls to surround yourself with strong female friends. _Check out all the other i-D Meets here:_ bit.ly/2qbTr2q

[@flower-ld5id]

i want more documentaries on masculinity for boys growing up too. you don't get those as much

[@aydindemir3416]

Ryan YES! thank you for suggesting that!

[@DiegoLucass]

Paloma is breathtaking. She has such a radiant vibe to her that reminds me of the friendships I've cultivated from all around the world. Crucial that you invest your time in people that uplift you, love you in the most genuine way, not in-spite of your flaws, but because of them. xoxo

[@guyafrica7894]

loving everything bout this. this is also a result of good parenting

[@rfpoppop]

I fucking love her. I'm on her insta religiously lmao

[@mstambourinegirrl]

she looks like princess nokia.

[@datcat1981]

DUDE I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY THAT!! I think she may have been in a music video of her's too

[@rebfern]

or they're both mixed and run in the same circles lol.

[@datcat1981]

mstambourinegirrl but just realised she's Sage Elsesser' s sister so that's pretty cool

[@ememuly]

mstambourinegirrl this was the first thing that came to mind

[@mcmedong7219]

Sister...

[@nadia3851]

THIS CHANNEL HAS INSPIRED ME SO MUCH THANK U FOR UPLOADING SUCH STUNNING CONTENT WITH BREATHTAKING VISUALS AND AMAZING CONTEXTS

[@kyristal]

I love her she's so dope!

[@kathybatesmotel]

She is absolutely radiant

[@therealeastchick2778]

these articles are necessary👏 we need to see various shapes and sizes.

[@supererikman5331]

the healthy at all sizes thing is a myth and it is encouraging people to be unhealthy, i do not support the body positivity movement because it encourages obesity. Humans were not meant to be overweight or severely underweight , period

[@katj6442]

Absolutely 💗! Thank you Paloma ❤️

[@xDidonax]

beauty is softness I think ... in every way .

[@OmargaritaO]

Yes binch YES! I love Paloma so much!

[@thiefcobblers]

Does anyone know where Madeline's jacket is from?

[@passport3763]

This was so sweet!!!!! ❤️💛💚💙💜🖤💖

[@victoria4]

i love her, she's so iconic

[@henryludlam9831]

Anyone know the first song??

[@JENNYHARTNETT29]

She's amazing! does anyone know the name of the song please? :)

[@llamaddrama]

I think I'm in love with her

[@parisjasmine223]

She's beautiful 😍I wonder though if plus sized women who aren't models still feel that her beauty is unnatainable Because yes she's bigger boned but she still has beautiful feautures and a thin face/bone structure. Just from what I've heard from my thicker friends plus sized models make them happy body wise but at the same time they have rolls or are shorter and idk just something I've been thinking about alot

[@therealeastchick2778]

Paris C being big boned is a myth. her bones are the same same as a skinny girl. lol

[@supererikman5331]

There is no such thing as being big boned, she is fat period. People need to stop being overly politically correct to the point that we deny reality. I am not really a big fan of this body positivty stuff because it encourages people to be unhealthy. They are just encouraging women to trade one eating disorder(anorexia) for another (Binge Eating Disorder)

[@udoka96]

I feel like the body positivity movement has the opposite effect. Because people feel more confident at large sizes, they're more likely to engage in exercise rather than being too ashamed of their bodies to go to the gym. At least that's the effect it's had on me, my friends and the women that I work with.

[@therealeastchick2778]

cosmic Panda that article kind of confirms what I'm saying😒 no such thing as big boned in the way that its being used here (as to say she is plus size therefore has big bones). you can have a larger skeleton frame with longer/denser bones due to height but being overweight doesn't mean u have bigger bones than anyone else. a skinnier girl with the same height will have the same size bones. its just something people say to justify obesity.

[@sadcholaclown9163]

supererik man Nah dude my dad is 6'5" and my mom is 5'3". I inherited my mom's height (I'm 5'5"), but my dad's frame (I have really broad shoulders, etc. ). Even when I was an anorexic heroin addict in my twenties who walked everywhere and never ate, I never got below a size 8/10 because my actual fucking frame (shoulders, pelvis, etc) are wide. I've played fast pitch softball all my life. I eat a plant based diet and I'm a size 10/12. so, yeah, I'd say I'm "big boned"/"big framed".

[@TheBooMF44]

YES FINALLY PALOMIJAAA

[@nv6468]

i love this so much omg and her style is so peng

[@bettyfz17]

First song??

[@PixieBratski]

The music sounds so much like Grimes... :)

[@ariesmoon222]

i have a huge crush on her 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@itsamerzz]

YESSSSSSS

[@kola8784]

paloma is so damn fly

[@rogerwinters9856]

You should also act, I would love to see you in the movies.

[@roryryan2957]

swear this is lit princess nokia

[@alexismoran9716]

Es la hermana de sage elsesser?

[@esperantoboxing891]

si

[@alexismoran9716]

jaja me parecia por que es igual

[@ickyythump9508]

[@LaWendeltreppe]

I think she is one of the most b'ful women in fashion. And that coat!

[@jenniferpermata9883]

i want all her clothes

[@oya419]

how the fuck is she on i-D before Sage lmaoo

[@aidou97]

As a plus size man, I get so annoyed by plus size women. They literally have access to so many fashion stores, outlets, everything. I'm all for body positivity (I've struggled with body image, but I'm learning to love myself and I'm going through a weight loss journey), but I feel like some plus size women always complain about the way they look.

[@AliceInHerFantasy]

And why do you think that is? So much pressure is put on women to look a certain way (primarily very skinny) and if you do not fit into that category, much criticism and judgment will follow. We have been socially trained to hold our appearance as a major concern. I will not deny that men suffer from similar pressures but women do so to a much larger degree. The fashion industry and western societal views have only begun to change their outlook on body image - with the help of people like Paloma Elsesser. You may think that plus-sized women are now being accommodated, but society's pressures still remain.

[@BLURRRULB]

Its not plus sized womens fault for fighting for equality and representation.

[@birches2172]

Princess Nokia got phat

[@aliceplamedie5147]

I live in London and the fact that they went to Brixton brought a smile to my face

[@LaWendeltreppe]

yeah , me too. Don't live in London but Brixton Market is a good place, great memories.

[@receptionvp1583]

It's so nice to see different forms of beauty represented. I used to think the only way I could be pretty was white and blonde. Gorgeous girl 😍

[@mpmg67]

I hope one day soon we get to a point when someone is just referred to as a "model" regardless of size.

[@christianak.4785]

I don't know why I've played 4:00 10 times. Something about the message, their hug and the cheeky smile as the music becomes more audible gives me a burst of confidence. My best friend and I are going to Brixton Village tomorrow x 🌺

[@desiree282]

Paloma is awesome!! And her Depop is lit. Ive bought a few things from her 👌

[@fourhemispheres2734]

Yeah...but what if you're big and don't have excellent bone structure and aren't tall? Still don't see any like that on the fashion scene...like, average people...

[@user-kt1kb7rm7o]

sage?

[@TWILIGHTHATINCHICK25]

her brother

[@user-kt1kb7rm7o]

are the for real related????

[@TWILIGHTHATINCHICK25]

yes, Elsesser. instagram.com/p/BP7tyP1lDq7/?taken-by=palomija

[@mandisashabalala6466]

Ikram K Thanks for sharing. i followed her - real quick.😂

[@geraldskywlkr2556]

bae snapping

[@Robert-uh4ut]

What a family, some next sick parents, pro skater bro (sage) and herself being some cool model person. Mad

[@raetait967]

I live videos like this

[@Primerolapatria_]

Que linda 😍🌈

[@caoimhecos101]

Post more

[@beatrizsanchez2471]

[@geemail369]

track-IDs pleeaase! Great stuff!