L.A. Weekly calls her a “badass plus-size model” and Vogue describes her as an influencer, but Isabel Hendrix is more than that. She’s an inspiration for hundreds of thousands of women. Why? Because she demonstrates how to love oneself. This is the story about one inspiring woman.
Isabel Hendrix doesn’t fit the mold, but her thrilling and unique Instagram account is all about body celebration. However, her social media presence has nothing in common with the powder-sugar style employed by most social media influencers. On the contrary: Isabel tends to mix it up, by combining the compulsory mirror selfie with creative snapshots and skillfully staged OOTD shots that show her in skin-tight outfits. But she doesn’t conform to social media or societal beauty ideals. Instead, she has mastered the art of proudly presenting every pound of her body. Self-love is her credo. The Californian describes herself as a “self-love advocate”.
How Isabel Hendrix came to love herself
It hasn’t always been like this. Born in San Francisco, Isabel suffered from eating disorders and depression as a teenager. “At that time, I already knew I wasn’t well, but it was an inner struggle between the will to seek help or indulge in an eating disorder,” the American told German Vogue magazine. It wasn’t until she sought treatment at a specialist clinic that her journey to recovery began. Later, a friend encouraged her to start her own blog and Isabel discovered her passion for fashion alongside a greater sense of self-love. She quickly developed a unique style celebrated by many followers today. And for good reason too. Isabel gives her creativity free reign. She mixes vintage styles, colors and patterns and loves to break the rules of fashion. But it’s not all about style, her captions consistently encourage female followers to practice self-acceptance.
Hateful comments? Just delete them!
As expected, not everyone’s a fan. Isabel has seen her fair share of hurtful comments beneath her Instagram photos. But it doesn’t upset her anymore. She simply deletes them. “I’ve found that they act as breeding ground for even more negativity,” she continued in conversation with Vogue. “Comments like that can’t hurt me anymore, but it infuriates me that there are still people out there who think our society would actually benefit from individuals hating themselves and their bodies.”
That’s why Isabel’s recipe for more self-love involves removing everything from one’s life that promotes self-doubt and dissatisfaction. Instead she encourages her followers to join a community that offers affirmation. We think it would be a good place to start following this inspiring young woman.
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