The Militant Baker: Sticking It to Abercrombie and Fitch, Awesome Style

You may have seen these pictures percolating through the Internet recently:

 

That would be Jes, of Militant Baker fame, in a photo series she created with Liora K Photography in response to Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries' comments regarding his distaste for fat people wearing his brand. I happen to be so lucky as to know this incredible woman, and watching this photo series and the attached open letter to Mike Jeffries explode across the world of the Internet is an absolutely surreal experience, and I am SO thrilled for her. I definitely recommend reading her entire post -- because it's AMAZING -- but here's the big takeaway from her letter that makes me love this so much:

I didn't take these pictures to show that the male model found me attractive, or that the photographer found me photogenic, or to prove that you're an ostentatious dick. Rather, I was inspired by the opportunity to show that I am secure in my skin and to flaunt this by using the controversial platform that you created. I challenge the separation of attractive and fat, and I assert that they are compatible regardless of what you believe. Not only do I know that I'm sexy, but I also have the confidence to pose nude in ways you don’t dare. You are more than welcome to prove me wrong by posing shirtless with a hot fat chick; it would thrill me to see such a shoot.
I'm sure you didn't intend for this to be the outcome, but in many ways you're kind of brilliant. Not only are you a marketing genius (brand exclusivity really is a profitable move) but you also accidentally created an opportunity to challenge our current social construct. My hope is that the combination of these contrasting bodies will someday be as ubiquitous as the socially accepted ideal.

Being true to yourself looks pretty damn hot.

 Why am I posting about this here? Because in a week where we're talking about mapping your creative DNA to discover what makes you tick, Jes is a perfect example of what you are capable of when you go where your interests lead you. As a body positivity activist, photographer, and blogger, with her previous work includes such awesomeness as The Body Images Project, Jes is a woman who's following her passions all the way to the Today Show and beyond.

And after all, that's what living a creative life is all about, right? Using your passions to show you the way -- and sometimes, just sometimes, finding out that where they take you goes beyond your wildest dreams. Congrats to Jes, and just because it makes me so darn happy, here's one more Attractive & Fat image for your viewing pleasure: