Laxmi Saa proves that beauty comes in all forms. When Saa was 15, an older man threw acid at her after she refused his marriage proposal, which left scars and burn marks on her face and neck. Now, 10 years later, this brave woman stars in the Indian sari brand Viva N Diva’s newest campaign, “Face of Courage.”
According to the brand’s website, the campaign serves as “an initiative dedicated to those who lost their physical beauty due to the horrific acid attacks with an aim to create new opportunities for them in the fashion industry.”
Today, Saa is one of the most prominent advocates against the unregulated sale of acid in India, while also working for her own non-profit organizations, Chhanv Foundation and Stop Acid Attacks. She even won the International Women of Courage Award in 2014.
Saa told BBC that this campaign was a “platform for [her] to send a clear message to criminals that women will not lose courage even after they are attacked with acid to destroy their physical beauty.” According to the Huffington Post, she will be the first acid attack survivor to model in a fashion campaign. Talk about girl power!
Rupesh Jhawar, the co-founder of Viva N Diva, came up with the idea to cast Saa after seeing a calendar full of other acid attack survivors. The campaign encourages women who have suffered in any way to feel beautiful.
In a culture where perfection is everything, it’s so refreshing to see the fashion industry accepting more forms of beauty! It’s even more amazing that the campaign spreads awareness for acid attack victims.