When it comes to beauty standards, the expectations placed on women's facial features and bodies is relentless.
In the age of Instagram and TikTok, filters are just the latest mechanism upholding society's ever-evolving unrealistic beauty conventions. So sophisticated are these filters, they have the ability to distort our perception of ourselves and the endless scroll of imagery we're fed online.
Our latest project — Big. Strong. Woman. — subverts the world of expectation placed on female identity and anatomy. The film is a celebration of the magnitude of female strength, including the strength it takes to challenge social standards and gender norms.
Featured in the film — which is narrated and creative directed by Ashley Graham — is Rikki Sandhu, who champions the deceptive nature of social media and its many filters, carefully curated poses, and meticulous angles.
She's pulling the curtain back on social media's warped sense of beauty by showing followers the true meaning of Instagram vs Reality. We recently caught up with Rikki to talk redefining beauty, what it means to be a big, strong woman, and why you should wear that outfit you've been hesitant about.
You’re a big proponent of defying toxic and unrealistic beauty standards on social media. How do social media filters, in particular, perpetuate those standards?
For such a long time I was unaware that apps existed that would allow you to completely distort your face while making it look so realistic. I would spend hours scrolling my explore feed and wonder why I didn't look like every other Instagram baddie — my makeup was never as smooth as theirs, my hair would never look as sleek as theirs.
I would beat myself up about it and search for ways to change the way I looked. Little did I know just how common these editing apps were in the influencer industry. It seemed to be a little secret within the world of Instagram: the people who knew about it would never post an image without using the filters and the people who didn't would become more and more insecure.
I'm definitely not against people using filters. I know that there are lots of reasons why people do use them: lack of confidence, wanting to fit in, or maybe to suit a certain aesthetic. My mission is to make as many people aware of filters so people who feel insecure no longer feel the need to compare themselves to others — because 99% of the time people who use filters don't even look like that.
You use filters in an unconventional way on your own social feed. In doing so, what are you hoping to show people?
I can only speak from personal experience. I used to post images of myself on Instagram. I would take hundreds and hundreds to find maybe two pictures that I liked. I would then edit these and post them online with a funny caption.
It wasn't an accurate representation of what my life consisted of or how I looked. When those likes and comments came in, I would get a temporary high from all the attention, but it only made me feel more insecure in the long run. Since ditching the filters and showing what I really look like I have never, ever felt more confident.
By defying the beauty ideals sold to us on Instagram, we could ultimately all be happier people within — which would be reflected outwardly.
What do we stand to gain from defying the beauty ideals sold to us on Instagram?
Social media filters used to just change the color of a photo or — at their worst — add some dog ears and whiskers onto your face. Now, filters have become so advanced that people can't even tell when you're using them.
Editing tools not only allow you to edit your face in a way that makes you look more attractive in society's eyes, but change your features to suit the new standard of beauty. From skin blurring tools — which allow you to erase a spot with the click of a button — to shrinking the size of your nose, or making your pupil color lighter, these all fit into Eurocentric beauty standards.
These refined tools even allow people to edit their bodies to look more like the current beauty standard, which is curvy, but only in the "right places."
What would you say to someone who is hesitant to wear an outfit because it doesn’t suit their “body type?”
I would question why it doesn't suit their body type. We've been conditioned all our lives to believe that people with stomach rolls can't wear crop tops or people with small glutes can't wear tight skirts, but that doesn't mean that it's right.
Anyone can wear any outfit and look good in it — you just need to believe it. You aren't meant to fit into clothes, clothes are meant to fit you.
We’re so excited to spotlight you in our film Big. Strong. Woman. How does it feel to be featured in a project that challenges the beauty norms women are subjected to every day?
It's honestly an honor. It feels amazing to be part of a project that is helping change the narrative when it comes to beauty standards. We've come so far, but we still have such a long way to go.
I can't put into words how incredible it feels to be a part of this amazing journey.
Learn more about Big. Strong. Woman. at Knix.com.