Why Global Citizens Should Care
Women are discriminated against at every step of motherhood. The stigma attached to breastfeeding and pumping is only one of the many ways societies attempt to shame women’s bodies. Fashion shows like Marta Jakubowski’s help normalize the very natural process women use to feed their children. You can join us taking action on this issue here

Fashion designers have motherhood on their minds.

Model Valeria Garcia walked down the runway wearing a breast pump at the Marta Jakubowski Spring 2019 show as part of London Fashion Week on Friday, BBC reports

Take Action: Tell Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary to Ensure All Mother’s Get the Support They Need to Breastfeed

Only a few days earlier, Slick Woods modeled while pregnant in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie show. Woods later revealed she was in labor during the presentation and gave birth a few hours later. 

Read More: 10 Myths About Breastfeeding

Garcia, who had her second child in June, wore an exposed Elvie (the world’s first wearable breast pump), under an opened Jakubowski suit jacket. 

It’s no wonder Garcia was the first model to ever sport a breast pump at Fashion Week — the historically clunky devices have never looked this chic. The Elvie, which allows mothers to control milk flow “silently and secretly” by app, simply appeared to be another layer of Garcia’s lacy bra. There’s currently a waitlist for the pricy ($479) innovation making breastfeeding more convenient for women who can’t always find the privacy to pump while out and about, or at work.

Breastfeeding, when an available option, is shown to be the healthiest choice for babies and mothers, but not enough women do it. The UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, according to UNICEF. While publicly breastfeeding has been legal in the UK since 2010, it continues to be a target of criticism

Read More: What Breastfeeding Looks Like Around the World

At Miami Swim Week 2018, Sports Illustrated model Mara Martin similarly made history as she held her daughter and pioneered breastfeeding down the catwalk. Martin wanted to remind everyone: "Breastfeeding is a natural thing.” 

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This Model Just Made History by Wearing a Breast Pump Down the Runway

By Leah Rodriguez