Girls, it’s that time again! We’re back with another gorgeous member of our Female Family and we’re seriously buzzing with excitement.
Introducing model and influencer, Georgia Rankin.
Boasting more than 700,000 YouTube followers, Georgia, who has a form of skeletal dysplasia, has taken the internet by storm with her awe-inspiring body positivity and we love her for it!
Luckily for us, we’ve worked with Georgia quite a bit over the years. From being a key part of our #MyBoobsMyBody campaign to showcasing some of our beautiful bestsellers, we’re proud to have her as part of our Female Family.
We caught up with Georgia on all things Lounge, body positivity and what inspires her. Read what she had to say below.
Thank you so much for Lounging with us, Georgia. How are you?
Thank you for having me! Things are good. I’ve been enjoying the lovely weather we’ve been having in the UK and I’m feeling refreshed after a lovely week away in the Lakes.
How are you feeling about lockdown restrictions finally being eased? Do you have any plans with the girls?
Honestly, I’m so relieved that life is starting to feel a bit more “normal” since the restrictions have been eased. It's so nice to make plans now that summer is here! Going out for a cheeky drink and a bite to eat in Manchester is on the top of my list!
Let's talk body confidence. How has your condition inspired you to love the skin you're in?
My body confidence was non-existent back when I was a teenager. I just wanted to be like everyone else when I was at school. I tried to ignore my condition just to try and fit in! Since working in this industry, I’ve learnt that actually my size and being in a wheelchair is in fact, what makes me unique and makes me stand out - in the best way!
I didn’t see anybody like me online, which at first did knock my confidence, but actually It was about me trying to make the online world a little more diverse. I wanted to post content that made other people feel more confident with their body! I love how we are now getting better at celebrating everyBODY and people who do have a disability are more accepted in the online world - which is amazing!
You're such a big inspiration to our Female Family. Have you always been accepting of your condition?
When I first started on social media, it was very obvious that there was a lack of diversity, which definitely made me doubt whether I should be doing it at all! People can presume I have lots of confidence from the photos I take, but in reality, it has taken me years to feel confident in my own skin.
Having a short stature and also being a wheelchair user is something that has taken me many years to accept. I’d never be like the other gorgeous influencers on Instagram and that was a hard pill to swallow. I eventually learnt to embrace myself for who I am and stop hating my body, through fashion... and discovering Lounge actually!
All through my teenage years, I used to have to wear underwear made for children. I hadn’t found any brands that made underwear small enough for my body so I always hid my body under tops that were floaty or bigger as I just felt so insecure, which is really sad looking back. When I discovered Lounge back in 2017, I took a chance and ordered myself my first matching underwear set (the original Triangle) and I was in shock that not only did it fit me SO well, I actually looked in the mirror and didn’t hate what I saw. I felt body confident for the first time in my life!
Lounge has definitely been such a huge part of my body confidence journey. If you would have told me back in 2014 that one day I would be working with my favourite brand, posting underwear content and also being part of the #MyBoobsMyBody campaign, I wouldn’t have believed you at all. I’m forever grateful to Mel and Maddie for believing in me and giving me the confidence I have today.
What or who inspires you?
My mum inspires me so much. She’s an incredibly strong female role model in my life. No matter how tough things have gotten over the years, she’s always been the one fighting my corner and always encouraging me to be me and keep going.
You're always so positive online and we live for your TikToks! How do you rise above hate and trolling?
Aw, thank you so much! I absolutely love knowing I have a positive space online that people can come to and just be themselves! Hate and trolling is sadly something that I have learnt to accept. When you put yourself out there on social media, it ends up being the new “normal”. As much as I’m a people pleaser, it’s impossible to please everyone and someone will always have something to say about how you look or what you do. Thankfully, I have a lot of lovely comments and they will always outweigh the bad. Block, delete and disconnect from anyone who doesn’t support you, not just on social media, but in real life too.
We loved having you as part of the #MyBoobsMyBody campaign. What was your favourite thing about the campaign?
Absolutely EVERYTHING!!! I have never felt so accepted in something in my life! I still watch it back now and can’t believe I was part of such an amazing campaign! It was my first professional shoot and I was nervous beforehand. I was used to my mum taking my pictures of me, at home, in my own bubble but to add to the nerves I was in underwear. The whole day was so empowering, all of the girls on the shoot were so welcoming and friendly and not once made me feel like I was different in any way. This gave me the biggest boost of confidence!! It will always be my favourite career highlight and I am so proud to have been a part of it.
What’s one piece of advice that you live by?
You’ll probably be expecting a deep and meaningful quote here, but mine has to be ‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ haha! I remember hearing Philip Schofield say it on TV and it is so true. I think as you get older, quality really matters.
If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?
Oooh, this is a good question! I would say ‘If in doubt, get out!’ and ‘always go with your gut instinct’.
There’s no doubt that Georgia is a massive inspiration to our incredible Female Family. Her confidence, positivity and beauty is everything that we need, which is why we’re so grateful to be able to work so closely with her.
Want to explore more from our Lounging with series? Discover our blog with Lyric Mariah here.