Gigi Robinson is the new webcover of the month
For the October webcover we had the pleasure of speaking with Gigi Robinson, content creator and model. Gigi is an activist for sharing body positive beauty and the defense of chronic diseases. She told us about herself and gave her point of view on the fashion industry, all with her dazzling smile!
Looks like you are a real all-rounder! Do you want to talk about the master in Innovation Design, Business & Technology you are doing? We know that you have studied a lot so far.
I decided to get my masters because I thought it would be really beneficial to continue my education and study the intersection of innovation, technology, and culture. I also wanted to study new kinds of product development as well as thought leadership surrounding different content mediums. Overall, this degree is helping me apply different methodologies in these areas and I truly feel like I’m learning so much!
Your Spotify Live “Everything You Need is Within” podcast is very successful. What is it about?
Everything You Need is Within is about empowerment and positivity for creators as well as shining a light on different issues surrounding mental health and self-identity. I love highlighting influencers that are making changes in the world. Give it a listen!
You are also a former Sports Illustrated Swim Search finalist. What memory do you have of that experience? Any funny anecdotes?
The entire Sports Illustrated Swim Search process was incredibly quick. It happened so fast but it was really fun and I met some awesome people. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to shoot with a mentor of mine, which was really exciting. Another fun memory is that my shoot got completely rained out and I ended up having three separate shooting times instead of just one time so that was pretty fun.
As an expert content creator you need to have a great relationship with social media and your followers. And what about your private life? Do you keep it away from the internet or do you like to share everything?
I think my content is really centralized around things that not only I deal with but that other people deal with too. I love sharing my daily life so that people can feel heard and valued but when it comes to personal things like my inner group of friends and my family I definitely tend to keep it all more private. It’s all about balance!
Let’s talk about self-esteem. What do you think people could do to feel more proud of themselves and their bodies?
I am a big fan of not weighing yourself and not measuring self-worth with a number on a scale or a clothing size. You should just wear what makes you feel good and confident. Some of the other things that contribute to self-esteem are the way that you talk to yourself and compliment yourself. I’m a big fan of manifestations and affirmations.
As for the fashion industry, it can be said that we are doing a lot to encourage body positive beauty. We finally see more diversity. What do you think is still missing? What more can it do?
The fashion industry is already working hard when it comes to inclusivity and representation and although they are doing their best to fulfill certain diverse roles, there’s still so much more that can be done. I think on a corporate level, a lot of brands like to say that they’re diverse and that they’re committed to inclusion and equity, but they don’t actually implement changes on the runway. And that is pretty disappointing. I think that taking what they do on a corporate level and putting it into the real world is really really important.
Because if somebody’s working for you who can’t even use your products, because they’re not accessible, what’s the point of saying that you’re committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Another thing is that during fashion week it was very clear to me that certain kinds of bodies were meant to be shown and that others weren’t so I think that’s something that really needs working on.
As a child, you were diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome. You have managed your problem and share it on social media but also in panels at colleges, high schools and seminars of non-profit organizations, to fight for the defense of tolerated diseases. It is very brave. How do you hope to contribute?
I hope to contribute to the chronic illness community in a few ways. One of them is through sharing my story truly and authentically and the other is really through talking to people in my community. I want to be a friend to others who are struggling with similar things to me! Hopefully, as I continue to build my platform I will be able to do more and more to contribute to this community.
Your free time must be very short with all this busyness you have. What else do you like to do? Any sports or hobbies in particular?
Honestly, I don’t have a lot of free time, but when I do I like to hang out with my dog and make some time for self-care. I love getting my nails done or getting a blowout to make me feel like the best version of myself!
