Beyoncé showed the world that she is proud of her famous womanly curves, specifically opting to be portrayed in the original images that were snapped for the 'Beyonce as Mrs. Carter in H&M' ad campaign instead of airbrushed versions. Shot by photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadinand in the Bahanas earlier this year, the sizzling shots for H&M's summer ad campaign show the superstar, 31, modelling swimsuits and holiday wear in the idyllic setting.
When the Swedish retailer attempted to use modified pictures, the mum-of-one demonstrated her girl power, refusing to give the go-ahead for the worldwide campaign, so that her 'real' body would be displayed to the world.
An H&M spokesman said that there had been 'discussions' about the campaign images, but confirmed that the final pictures were not digitally altered.
He said: "As with all campaigns there are discussions on which images should be used. Both H&M and Beyoncé are very happy with the final result. "Beyoncé said of the shoot: "I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements – fire, water, earth and wind."
The clothing retailer took the groundbreaking step of using US model Jennie Runk, a size 12, to advertise a beachwear line. What's more, the company refused to label the collection 'plus-sized' in a move to promote the use of women with healthy proportions.
She continued: "It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial. "The brand's creative director Donald Schneider referred to Beyoncé as "an icon for women around the world". He added, "The campaign is the essence of Beyoncé, and also the essence of H&M this summer. "The singing diva's decision to show off her curvaceous figure to the full comes just a day after the CEO of H&M admitted that the company has 'a huge responsibility' to portray a healthy body image to its customers. And H&M have already showed their customers that they are taking this seriously – the high street brand has already treated us to curvy shots of female models this month.