Charli Howard is a woman who defies categorisation.
This proved true towards the beginning of her modelling career in 2015, when Howard, now 30, struggled to fit into the industry’s polarised attitude towards sizing. At a UK size 10-12, she was above a UK sample size (typically 6-8), but far below what the industry would describe as ‘plus size’. “Agents didn’t know where to put me,” she tells GLAMOUR.
This refusal to fit into one ‘category’ is equally true of Howard’s career. Having once struggled to decide on a career, nowadays she’s a woman who wears many hats. Together with being a lingerie model, she’s the author of two books; a beauty entrepreneur and podcast host of the BBC’s Fashion Fix. “I like being my own boss – and being able to do lots of different things,” she says. “Besides, I’ve been fired from every ‘normal’ job I’ve ever had.”
In fact, you could say that Howard’s success lies in her subsequent resistance towards categorisation of all kinds. Luckily, that’s exactly how she likes it: and over her career Howard has learnt to champion her uniqueness to her advantage, paving the way for others in the process.
In 2015, she called the modelling industry out in a viral Facebook post, after her London agency dropped her for being “too big”. It was a move which indirectly led to Howard being signed by a New York based agency, Muse Management, instead, and eventually carving out a niche for herself within the industry. Then, in 2019, she added another string to her multifaceted career, launching Squish Beauty, a one-of-a-kind skincare range which features pioneering products such as flower-power acne patches, and cherry-shaped eye masks.
Earlier this week, GLAMOUR caught up with Charli Howard about her latest venture: the launch of Squish X Playful Promises, her first lingerie collaboration range. It’s an equal-parts cute and sexy line which is size-inclusive, sustainable (it’s made from recycled polyester, nylon, lace & organic cotton) and features Squish’s trademark cherry and heart designs.
You’re an author, beauty entrepreneur, model, and now you have your own lingerie range. Can you tell me more about what it’s like to have such a varied career, and what that means to you?
I love it. I used to struggle talking to my school careers advisor – thinking that I’d have to choose one sector. But now, I love being able to do so many different things. We live in a time when being entrepreneurial is really celebrated. It’s exciting to know you don’t just have to stick to one career – that you can be your own boss.
You’ve worked as the face of Agent Provocateur before, in 2019. Why was it important for you to launch your own range?
I’ve worked with a lot of different lingerie brands, and I just love the industry as a whole. Sarah Shotton [the creative director of Agent Provocateur] is amazing, and has a real eye for women’s bodies and what they want. But with my own range, I wanted it to be a collection that was more accessible than high-end products, which can sometimes cost hundreds of pounds.Comfort was such an important consideration, too. Sometimes, if someone buys you a lingerie set, you’ll wear it once, it will feel itchy, and you’ll be like, “OK, I can’t wear this again!” I also wanted it to feel really good – to have that luxurious feeling – because as a lingerie model I know how fabrics work, and i know that often high-end lingerie you might save up for doesn’t feel as good as it looks. The recycled materials we’ve used feel really good and high-quality – I’ve worn sets three times as expensive as the Squish x Playful Promises in the past, which felt nowhere near as comfortable.
What was it about Playful Promises that made it the ideal lingerie brand to collaborate with?
I wanted to create designs that were fun, playful and appealed to younger women. I knew that Playful Promises would understand that, based on their existing offering and having made collections with people like Dita von Teese and Gabi Fresh, who I love. They’ve been so collaborative and made everything happen, in a way that a larger lingerie company might not have – for instance, making custom lace with the Squish designs of little cherries and hearts. I also love what they do in terms of brand values, for instance the body positivity. This range goes up to size 20 at the moment, with plans to expand that sizing further in future.
The photoshoot for this range, shot by fashion photographer and Girls, Girls, Girls editor Claire Rothstein, is incredible. With unPhotoshopped imagery and visible pubic hair. it certainly made me feel seen, and felt like a true testament to Squish’s influence of ‘real beauty’! In 2021, it’s still rare that we see something as normal as body hair in lingerie shoots. Why do you think this is – and why was it important to you to show it?
I speak to a lot of my friends about this, and I do think bushes are back. Iv’e done the whole super waxing thing – and it’s not fun, it’s painful. I don’t like how it looks. Obviously, the question of whether you have pubic hair or not is a personal preference. But I remember someone telling me, “Oh my husband yells at me when I don’t wax it all off.” And it’s just really bizarre. When we did the shoot, I did think “oh, should I cover this up?” Because, sometimes, pubic hair can be seen as this really graphic, sexual thing. But it’s not – it’s actually more normal to have it in then not have it in. It’s like with Squish beauty products – it was important to me that we shot the imagery of the acne patches on models who actually had acne. I can’t actually think of any lingerie shoots where I remember pubic hair has been on display before – this might be the first one to my knowledge.
You've been controversially been described as a plus-size model in the past, although you’re only a size 10-12 and you've never personally affiliated with that label. What kind of words would you use to describe your relationship with your own body?
When I first moved to New York, I suffered from bulimia and anorexia. I’d been ill for a long time: I used to count calories, make myself sick, and I was physically exhausted. It was always about numbers, and being a certain size, and if I ever went over it would ruin my day. I decided I didn’t want to live like that anymore. When I went into recovery, I started to embrace the size I’m at naturally. Yet, when I got into the curve movement, I’d go to castings and they’d be like, what are you doing here? I wasn’t thin – but I wasn’t plus-size either. There wasn’t a market for me. Even plus-size models used to say to me, “Why are you trying to take our jobs?” And I was like, “I’m really not – I’ve just been put into this category”.
Now, I prefer the term body neutrality. Because, as much as I love body positivity, and what it stands for, I still find that it very much focuses on the physical appearance. Whereas body neutrality is about accepting that, some days you're going to feel bad. Some days you're going to feel thin and then you're going to feel bigger. And that's just fine. Your weight doesn't have to define how you fit on the inside.
You represent a body type which doesn’t fall into one extreme or another, and particularly by modelling industry standards you’ve defied categorisation and labels. Do you think it’s important to represent this middle ground?
Absolutely. My natural body type isn’t plus-sized – but it isn’t going to be super thin either. I think there’s a lot of women like me who are going to still have squishy tummies and cellulite and thighs and stuff like that. It’s about representing them as how they are. I think it’s important that we allow everyone to be represented. It’s about embracing everyone. We put women in categories so much: you have the sexy women, the smart women, the business women. But I think you can be all those things – and we need to all support and empower each other to do that. On a wider level, part of my mission is to demonstrate that women are multifaceted – that you don’t need to put yourself in a category. You can treat yourself to lingerie and be sexy while also being intelligent, and having a career, and you can be fun. You can still be a mother, a daughter, a sister, and an amazing girlfriend – and own your sexuality.
According to the press release, this range is about ‘lingerie that not only feels good but does good for the wider world’. Can you tell me more about why that feels important right now?
I do a podcast with the BBC around sustainability [Fashion Fix, available on BBC Sounds] and just about how ravaging the fashion industry is upon the world. I’ve never designed clothes before, this is the first time, and I wanted it to be a sustainable collection. I’m not a believer in fast fashion at all – I’d rather save up for something more expensive that will last longer.
You almost left modelling in 2015 after being told you were ‘too big’ to model. What would you tell that 2015 Charli now, looking back?
That everything happens for a reason; the world is a big place, and you shouldn’t let anyone bully you. That just because someone has an opinion of you, doesn’t mean that’s right. And, sometimes, breaking the mould and doing your own thing can change your life. I’d go back and say, “Don’t be afraid to take chances and stand up for what you believe in.”
The Squish X Playful Promises collection is available to buy from the Playful Promises
website (www.playfulpromises.com) from the 26 October, with prices ranging from £18-£35.
