7 Fun Facts About Iskra Lawrence, the Woman Shaking Up the Modeling Industry

By Monica Sisavat Solís

Updated on 8/3/2017 at 6:00 PM

Getty | Michael Loccisano
Getty | Michael Loccisano

Iskra Lawrence is taking the modeling world by storm thanks to her partnership with Aerie. Not only is she the global role model for the lingerie and intimate apparel brand, but she's also a body-positivity activist and frequently encourages women to embrace their bodies no matter what their shape or size. Back in April 2016, Iskra clapped back at a body shamer by covering her body in snacks and flipping off the troll in question, saying, "This is for anyone who has ever been called FAT," and seven months later, she stripped down to her underwear on a packed NYC subway train to protest body shaming. Here are seven fun facts about the model.

  1. She's English. Iskra was born in Worcester, England. Her mother is from Northern Ireland and her father is British.
  2. She's 27 years old. Her birthday is Sept. 11, 1990.
  3. She's actually pretty short for a model. Iskra is 5'9", while the average model is 5'10". "I'm a little bit of shorty in the industry, but I own it," Iskra joked in a video for Runway Riot.
  4. Speaking of Runway Riot, Iskra used to be the managing editor of the site. Runway Riot is a website dedicated to celebrating women of all shapes and sizes. In addition to being a fashion and beauty site, Runway Riot "addresses real issues that women face on a daily basis."
  5. She has webbed toes. "Not crazy webbed," she said in a video for Runway Riot. "I don't look like I have duck feet, but they are webbed and it kind of makes sense because I was a national swimmer, so they probably helped my swimming skills."
  6. Her first major shoot was for Claire's in the UK. In a video for Runway Riot, Iskra revealed she was "about 14 or 15" at the time. "It was really bizarre . . . . That was my first major shoot and I guess I got a taste for it and it made me want to be modeling even more."
  7. Her name has a special meaning. Iskra's parents chose her name, and "Iskra" means "spark" in Russian. In fact, it was "the name of the first communist newspaper that sparked the revolution in Russia," and her parents thought Iskra was the "spark of their lives that took them from just being a couple to being a family."