Extra, Extra: We’re Making a Doc With Aerie!

Yesterday was an exciting day. We released the teaser for our upcoming documentary with Darling Partner Aerie on our social channels and it’s been incredible to see the response. We’re humbled and encouraged that this message of finding self-esteem in a retouched world resonates so deeply with so many of you, and we hope you’ll join in the many conversations and events surrounding self(i.e.) to come.

Watch the teaser here:

Official Press Release below:

Unique Media Partnership Brings About Feature Length Film Exploring The Important Issues Behind Retouching And Its Impact On Self Esteem

DARLING MEDIA, an emerging, female-focused media company that creates positive, uplifting content for the modern woman, has joined forces with Aerie by American Eagle to produce a feature length documentary exploring the real consequences of virtual standards of beauty placed on the lives of women. “Selfie” will explore the history of retouching, its impact on media and the hidden dangers of its unchecked use in social media while also giving hope and inspiration for a new reality for women.

The film, which features influential women such as Actress/Singer Debby Ryan, YouTube personality Ingrid Nilsen, Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger Niké Ojekunle, CEO and cultural change maker Jess Weiner, along with a diverse group of other women from ages 8 to 80, will be released in feature length in 2018 and unveiled in ten outtake previews cut to episodes available on DARLING’s YouTube Channel beginning on September 13, 2017 with one episode being released every week for ten weeks. The documentary was inspired by Darling Media’s CEO Sarah Dubbeldam and the Aerie team for their remarkably successful “Aerie Real” 360-degree brand platform.

“We came to DARLING because we felt their pioneering vision was perfectly aligned with ours,” explains Jennifer Foyle, Global Brand President for Aerie. “Their promise to present realistic portraits of women in the media falls right in line with Aerie’s mission of presenting truthful, body-positive advertising with no retouching ever.”

“Aerie has been an incredible partner to us for over a year now,” adds Jess Trinca, SVP and General Manager of DARLING. “This is really the next step in bringing that partnership to the next level. We came together with the mutual desire to move the needle forward, to further our missions and demonstrate our commitment to elevating the art of being a woman and creating media that truly matters to our female audiences.”

“This documentary has been a dream of mine for many years now and seeing it become a reality is so meaningful,” comments DARLING CEO and Editor-in-Chief Sarah Dubbeldam. “Our vision at DARLING has always been to produce smart, engaging and helpful content for women to help build up their self-esteem.  Whether it is in our own editorial, our advertising or any other media produced by DARLING, the intention is to stop feeding into the obsession over body image and this film really exemplifies the story behind it. The documentary will address a very important issue to DARLING and Aerie.”

As the number of eating disorders, mental health diagnoses and body image issues skyrocket, this film will expose the damage the practice of retouching has had on a generation and present the hopeful alternative found in an emerging body-positive movement.

About DARLING Media

Born out of the idea that media should focus on building up women’s self-esteem rather than feeding into the obsession over body image, writer, artist and former model Sarah Dubbeldam founded DARLING Magazine in 2011 with the mission to produce smart, encouraging and meaningful content for women. DARLING expands the “ideals” of beauty by presenting realistic portraits of women and never retouches or digitally edits the models or celebrities that grace its pages or website. The multi-media company works across five verticals: a print magazine with over 30,000 subscribers, online with over 224,000 pageviews per month, nearly 400,000 followers on social media, as well as video and live event productions. DARLING is more than a media company; it’s a movement to create media that matters.

About Aerie by American Eagle

Aerie is bras, undies, swim and more for every girl. Designed in sizes 30AA to 40DD Aerie is committed to making girls of all sizes feel good about themselves, inside and out. No supermodels. No retouching. Let the real you shine.^® #AerieREAL. For more information, please visit www.aerie.com.