POSITIVELY CHARGED
Body-positive influencer, founder of cult beauty brand Megababe and mother of the world’s first ‘supermodel dog’, Toast, Katie Sturino puts it all on the line. The New Yorker talks to Jessica-Belle Greer.
Katie Sturino’s first internship may have been with Chanel, but she’s quick to call out the fashion industry for its shortcomings in making stylish clothes for all sizes. She has successfully turned her social-media following – currently 299K on Instagram (@katiesturino) – into real-life social movements, exposing brands that don’t offer large enough sizes with the #makemysize campaign, and launching inclusive beauty brand Megababe. The latter offers stylishly packaged products including the Thigh Rescue anti-chafe stick and the waitlist-worthy natural deodorant Rosy Pits.
Katie first fell in love with online communities through posting on her late celebrity pup’s Instagram, Toast Meets
World (the cavalier King Charles spaniel with the signature floppy tongue helped raised awareness and funds for puppy-mill rescues).
But it wasn’t until the entrepreneur’s divorce from Josh Ostrovsky, also known as @thefatjewish, that she began to take her own account (previously called The 12ish Style) more seriously.
Two years and a new engagement later, the New Yorker has been on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery. The best styling advice she’s learnt along the way? “Put your confidence on first!”
Is the fashion industry getting better at providing fashionable styles for all sizes? Yes and no! We’re a light year ahead of where we were even five years ago. However, I still cannot shop in real life in NYC without targeting a few specific stores that welcome me. Why is it important that women of all sizes are represented on social media? Women often see a style or like the way another woman dresses but think they can’t pull it off because they don’t have the same body type. I just try to show them that style does not have a size!
What excites you about social media? I love connecting with people! I love hearing people’s stories. I love to see their progress and hear about their experiences. I find social media to be an incredibly powerful tool for positivity if you make it work for you in that way. Finding your tribe, so to speak, means that you can feel accepted rather than feeling like you are on the outside.
Are there any issues you see with the body-positive movement? I think some brands want to capitalise on it rather than do the work to offer a good extension of sizing and representation. How do we find our confidence? Pay attention to what makes you feel bad from the outside (is it a certain person you follow, is it a show, a magazine, a friend you spend time with?) and try to limit exposure to that negative source. Pay attention to what you’re saying to yourself. Those are great places to start! How do you stay fit and healthy? My friend and I have started Babebody, a club for inclusive fitness. I like to work out and I feel like the plus community doesn’t always feel welcome in boutique fitness. We want to change that! For Elizabeth Olsen, genuine beauty is about magnetism. “When someone is confident, charming and kind to everyone, I usually find those people to be magnetic,” says the 30-year-old actor, best-known for playing Scarlet Witch in the Marvel movie franchise including the new release
Avengers: Endgame.
The younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley features in Bobbi Brown’s Confident Beauty Campaign, which encourages a more thoughtful and inclusive approach to beauty – something that feels personal for Elizabeth. “I hope by partnering with Bobbi Brown, I get to be an example to girls and women that beauty is whatever it means to you. It’s not a trend, it’s not trying to mimic someone else, it’s whoever you want to be. I want to age naturally. It’s kind of important for my job, and I want women to see what that looks like instead of what we’re used to in the media.”
“IF MY BODY DOESN’T FEEL HEALTHY, I HAVE NO CHANCE OF FEELING CONFIDENT. I CONSTANTLY EXERCISE, TRY AND GET FRESH AIR AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE, AND I TRY TO STIMULATE MY BRAIN DAILY.”