Primark praised for featuring model with missing tooth in fashion campaign

'Proud of her and Primark'

(Primark)

Primark has been praised for setting a “positive example” to other fashion brands by featuring a model with a missing tooth in its spring/summer campaign.

The high street clothing brand posted a photo of two models, Symone Lu and Lucy Knell, wearing its latest swimwear range on Instagram on Monday alongside the caption: “Vaycay season is upon us, and we're leaving our cares behind!”

Lu, who is wearing a black bikini and yellow crocheted beach dress, is photographed smiling at the camera with her tongue out, revealing her missing central incisor.

Shoppers applauded Primark for promoting diversity by choosing to include a model with an “imperfect smile”.

“Good to see @primark having real people as models so my kids don’t grow up thinking they have to look a certain way,” one person commented on Instagram.

Another added: “Such an inspiration! I've felt so conscious of my teeth, just recently got braces due to gapping! She looks gorgeous... proud of her and Primark.“

A third person wrote: “When I was 18 I had to spend 4 months without my front tooth because of a car accident.

“It definitely scarred my self-esteem because I had to cover my mouth every time I smiled, laugh… With time, I even felt embarrassed to talk.

“Had I seen this picture back then, it would have made a difference.”

Others praised the fashion brand for featuring plus-size model Knell, with one person writing: “Lovely pic of real women not Barbie dolls, yes Primark.”

Speaking about its decision to feature Lu and Knell in its latest campaign, a spokesperson for Primark tells The Independent: “At Primark everyone is invited and our customers are at the centre of everything we do.

“We always strive to represent diversity and inclusivity, and our brand imagery reflects this. We want people to see our campaigns and be able to relate to them.”

This isn’t the first time Primark has been praised for using diverse models in its campaigns.

In January, shoppers commended the brand for featuring a young boy with vitiligo in campaign images around its stores.

Vitiligo is a long-term condition that involves pale white or pink patches appearing on the skin due to a lack of the skin pigment melanin.

One woman was delighted when she spotted a billboard of the model in her local Primark store.

“Big up @Primark for including models with vitiligo in their stores,” she tweeted.

“I showed this to my mum, who always struggled with my vitiligo, and she smiled."