Bella Neergaard is the model, yoga teacher and ‘advocate of self-love and being brutally yourself’ you may have seen gracing your Instagram feeds or being featured in the likes of Vogue Scandanavia.
We were lucky enough to chat to her about modelling, fashion's need for better inclusivity, and how she's embracing authenticity online.
Firstly, huge congrats on your recent feature with Vogue! How did you feel when you first saw the published piece?
It was very surreal, I’m still processing it! My mum was actually in town helping me move house so I got to tell her first, which was a really lovely experience.
In Vogue, you write beautifully about the need to celebrate and embrace neurodiversity in the modelling industry. As someone with first-hand experience of this, what would you say are your biggest hopes for the future of neurodiverse representation in fashion?
I really hope that neurodiverse representation extends beyond the performative and makes a difference in creating more neurodiverse-friendly working conditions for those on set. Normalising taking breaks and being aware of each models’ unique needs are just a few of the things that I really hope to see embraced in the industry.
In your view, what’s the next big step the modelling industry should take to become an equitable space for marginalised people?
I would love to see more representation of marginalised folk behind the camera and involved in products. I feel there is this tendency to stick a person of colour behind a camera and say “that’s the work done for today.” Creating an equitable space in this industry requires fostering the growth of creatives, photographers and editors… not just models.
What would be your advice for someone just starting their career who’s worried they don’t fit into the rigid colonial beauty standards traditionally seen in the industry?
Find someone in this industry you can really see yourself emulating. For me, this was Barbie Ferreira, Paloma Elsesser and Sabina Karlsson. I’ve been nerding out over their modelling journeys for many years, simply because I saw myself in them. They taught me that it’s possible to be the change you see in the world and gave me a lot of hope.
Your Instagram (@bellaneergaard) often talks about body positivity, and you share a lot of your personal journey on the platform. Some may call this a brave thing to do, how have you found sharing it with the world?
I’ve thought about this a lot. Most of the personal anecdotes I share on Instagram are things I’ve already processed and dealt with, whether that be through journaling or even in therapy growing up. I try not to use my Instagram as a way to vent or seek validation from people, instead I stick to discussing things that I feel comfortable sharing and would perhaps help people who are on similar journeys. There are, of course, times where I post about quite raw subjects where I ponder to myself, “was that too far? Should I have opened myself up that much?” But then, I either delete the post (which I’ve never done!) or I trust the process that someone will feel less alone by reading it.
And that’s another thing, I really hope that people don’t think I post about my experiences in order to “heal others” because I see myself as some sort of self-help expert. I share my journey not to directly help others, but to show them that they’re not alone in what they may be experiencing or feeling. I am literally a 23-year-old woman (I use that term very loosely, I still feel like a teenager some days) and have no idea what I’m doing, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s okay to be wobbly and insecure and not have your life together, and that’s what I’m trying to show.
It's really inspiring and refreshing to hear how you're sharing your personal journey. What would you say has been the best part about running your platform, and your proudest moment so far?
Receiving messages from people all around the world telling me their story. These messages make me feel very connected to the universe.
Aside from your modelling, you recently got accredited as a yoga instructor. What inspired you to start doing yoga and does it tie into your other work in any way?
I started yoga as a way to get in touch with my body after sexual assault. I embarked upon yoga teacher training because I knew how beneficial yoga had been for me in my stages of healing, and so, I wanted to hold that space for
someone else.
Finally, where do you see yourself going in the future? What would your ultimate goal be and do you have any plans coming up we can look forward to seeing?
Damn, I can barely figure out what I’m doing tomorrow. All I can say right now is that I want to live my life a lot more slowly. Yes, I’m currently completing a Masters degree and I’m teaching some yoga classes. But right now, I just want to simply cherish the moment I’m currently living in and stay a little more grounded. I hope this answer wasn’t too lame.
You can see more from Bella on Instagram.
The Leeds RAG Fashion Show is embracing diversity and community and highlighting fashion as a force for social change. This year they are raising funds for chosen charities the Racial Justice Network and Stop Hate UK.
Tickets are available to purchase through FIXR. You can donate directly via JustGiving. Follow us on Instagram for more information.
Images courtesy of Bella Neergaard