Growing up, Lauren Wasser at all times felt beautiful. The daughter of two models, attractiveness ran within the family. But she also felt strong; when she wasn’t doing modelling of her own, she was throwing down hoops on the basketball court, riding her bike, and customarily keeping fit. Then in 2012, all the things modified. After going to bed with flu-like symptoms, Lauren woke up in an LA hospital with no recollection of what had happened. By the point she was admitted, Lauren was 10 minutes from death, her organs failing resulting from Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), a life-threatening condition attributable to bacteria that has been largely related to tampon usage for the reason that 70s. 

On the time, Lauren was on her period and was wearing a tampon like she normally did. After her infection turned to gangrene, Lauren lost the toes on the left leg, while her right leg needed to be amputated below the knee. It took Lauren some time to feel beautiful again, identical to it took her some time to feel strong, let alone comfortable in her body. She sued the tampon manufacturer and has since dedicated her life to spreading awareness about TSS prevention. At the identical time, she also wants to make use of her platform to redefine what we expect of as beauty. 

In 2019, she had her second leg amputated and today wears her gold prosthetics with pride, not only to take a seat front row for at Balenciaga, Missoni, Margiela and Off-White, but to walk the runway as well, which most recently included closing the show for Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2023 collection. This autumn, she also plans to run the Latest York City Marathon. Dazed Beauty sat down with the model and activist to discuss her journey to self-acceptance.

Growing up, what did beauty appear to be to you? 

Lauren Wasser: Because my mum was a model, I used to be at all times surrounded by her and her supermodel friends – growing up everyone at all times appeared to be glamorous and excellent. So I essentially grew up with that one side of beauty. I didn’t know anything different.

What was your relationship together with your own looks? 

Lauren Wasser: I used to be at all times a tomboy; I still am. My old flame was basketball, so I played as much as I could. I modelled with my mum once I was younger, but it surely wasn’t really my most important focus. After I did find yourself modelling and realised the restrictions and measurements that you just needed to keep up, it obviously made me have a look at myself in a different way as a young woman. The industry was cutthroat.

You’ve spoken openly about your journey, why was it so essential to share what happened to you publicly? 

Lauren Wasser: Toxic Shock Syndrome has been killing and injuring women for many years. I’m so grateful that I is usually a voice for all those women the world won’t ever hear about. These products that we put within us are extremely toxic (they contain rayon, dioxin, bleach, and chlorine). Even when it says it’s 100 per cent cotton, it [could] still be sprayed with chemicals and pesticides. I need men and women to get indignant and ask the questions… Why are [tampon] corporations not transparent about how dangerous these products are and the long-term effects they are going to have on our bodies? We want secure products and proper transparency. We should be protected.

What was your relationship together with your body like before all the things happened? How did it change your relationship together with your body after?

Lauren Wasser: I used to be an athlete my entire life, my legs were my life. Having to lose parts of me, especially my mobility, was a nightmare. I couldn’t just walk to the toilet or take a shower. I used to be in a wheelchair for eight months after my first amputation. I used to be waiting to attempt to salvage my left leg and foot. My whole world modified inside minutes. Damage was done to my body that was irreversible. I hated the wheelchair, so I needed to one way or the other accept my prosthetics. I made them gold, made them my very own, and learned to like them.

How has it affected your relationship with beauty within the broader sense?

Lauren Wasser: If you first take into consideration beauty, you most likely give it some thought within the physical sense, but that’s the least essential. In my journey, I’ve needed to see what life is absolutely about and it’s about your heart. I used to be suicidal and would think of the way to finish my life day by day. I used to be in such a dark place, but I knew that my 13-year-old brother could be the primary to reach home from school. Had I made that call, my little brother and mother would must live with that burden. So as a substitute I selected to indicate him and everybody that irrespective of what happens in life you’ve got to rise up and fight. 

What does having the ability to model mean to you today?

Lauren Wasser: I really like my job because I give the industry and this world something it’s been missing. A special side of beauty; a latest type of beauty. I’m beautiful from the within out. It allows me to showcase my golden legs and be celebrated. 

How do you hope to make use of your platform?

Lauren Wasser: I hope I is usually a positive influence on the world by showing you may be authentically yourself. That you simply are enough – beautiful and powerful just the way in which you might be. Not allowing whatever has happened to you to define you or your future. In a world that’s consistently telling everyone that they aren’t pretty enough, fit enough, or cool enough, it should be tough to navigate being a youngster or anyone.  I hope people will see in the future that they don’t need to alter anything to be accepted.

A lot has happened almost about diverse representation in fashion and sweetness, but perhaps not as much with regards to differently-abled bodies. What can we do to alter that?

Lauren Wasser: I do think it’s moving in the appropriate direction. It is perhaps slower than we wish but I believe it’s happening. I mean I actually have created a lane throughout the fashion world that never existed. And I’ve needed to prove I belong. I’m just like several of those girls, it’s just that I got a unique set of legs. 

We hear lots about self-love and self-acceptance, how do you discover with these?

Lauren Wasser: For me personally, it’s been about digging deep and rebuilding myself from the bottom up, and doing the work inside and outside. The one thing I hope people take away from me and my story is that if I can do it, so are you able to.