The New Faces Of Lane Bryant Are Exactly What We Needed — & We Think You’ll Agree

Lane Bryant’s second installment of its This Body campaign, for AW16, dubbed “#ThisBody Is Made to Shine,” just dropped today. This time around, there’s a new, zeitgeist-y twist on the campaign’s original message of empowerment and body positivity. The retailer used diverse casting to underscore the wide range of sizes and shapes within the plus market. There’s also an emphasis on dealing with — and overcoming —negativity on social media. It’s something that Ashley Graham, one of the campaign’s stars (and a recurrent Lane Bryant face) has certainly dealt with and spoken out against.

Graham stars in the new imagery alongside Candice Huffine, as well as Alessandra Garcia Lorido (fun fact: she’s Andy Garcia’s daughter). It’s also the first time the retailer has included non-models — actresses, specifically — in its ads. This marks the first-ever fashion campaign for Gabourey Sidibe, who stars in Empire and is directing a short film (with us!). Danielle Brooks, currently in the fifth season of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black as well as on Broadway in The Colour Purple, featured in the latest This Body ads, as well.

We went behind the scenes on on the shoot, lensed by Cass Bird, in NYC last month. Ahead, all of the campaign’s stars discuss the state of plus-size fashion today, dealing with social media ire, and more.