Viva N Diva, an Indian fashion retail brand, now has a new face; and she is none other than Laxmi Saa, a prominent acid attack survivor and social activist.
Apparently, Saa will get featured as the new model representing the Face of Courage campaign by Viva N Diva. Contrary to what she expected, she will now live her dream of getting involved with fashion and specifically the latest range of designer outfits for women.
According to BBC, upon being interviewed, Saa said that the opportunity to represent the apparel brand was a foundation for setting an example for women like her to have courage and confidence in spite of their physical appearances.
"It felt cold first. Then I felt an intense burning. Then the liquid melted my skin," Saa told the publication. She also said that it was a platform for her to send a vivid message to the criminals that women shall not lose courage even after they get attacked with acid in an effort to destroy their beauty.
Viva N diva co-founder Rupesh Jhawar also told the publication that a calendar that featured acid attack survivors stirred him to launch the campaign. He stated that he had seen beauty in a different way, and he and her brand wanted to capture it, and by removing victimization from the victims, give them a stage, a platform, employment and a medium to flaunt it with style.
The 26-year-old was attacked at the age of 15 with acid by a 37-year-old man when she refused to marry him. Since then, she has become an advocate against the sale of acid. She has also called for severe penalties for offenders involved.
It is due to such incidences that the Viva N Diva brand wants to change people's perception of beauty by creating awareness that beauty is beyond physical attributes. As stated by Saa, victimization by the society has also been prevalent to victims of acid attacks where they get seen as good for nothing people who have wasted their lives.
According to Sidney Morning Herald, her case is not the first as more girls get similar attacks in India. Acid Survivors Foundation India confirms that 349 people, mostly women, suffered as acid attack victims in 2014 in deliberate assaults. Many got injured while others died.
Most survivors languish at home, in poverty and in isolation, because no one is willing to offer them employment. However, Viva N Diva has overturned the state of things by making the very first step in recognizing them.
Watch a clip of Saa's interview below;