‘Live mannequins’ promote female body confidence in Nantwich shop

The campaign, Accepting Who We Are (AWWA), is the brainchild of model and body confidence activist, Peru, and business coach, Boden.

Boden said AWWA was launched in June 2025 after she entered a beauty queen pageant for the first time, at the age of 56.

There was a photo of her in swimwear on stage, and she realised that images of women like her – “5ft 3in, naturally ageing, naturally grey hair” were never seen in advertising for that type of clothing.

The coach, who works with women in business, said she shared her thoughts on Linkedin, and it had a huge response.

Her friend, Peru, who gives body confidence talks, became a model at the age of 46, after a career as an early years teacher.

“When I first got into it, I never imagined I’d be doing lingerie and swimwear modelling, I fell into really,” she said.

Her first big campaign was modelling swimwear in the Bahamas, alongside model Ashley Graham.

She said she came back a different person, as other women of her age commented that they could see a body they could relate to, but had not been represented in underwear and swimwear marketing.

Standing in a lingerie shop window was about showing other women bodies like theirs so they could feel more confident, and encourage them to get properly fitted for bras, she said.