Elisabeth Rioux: The Power to Empower
Take a second, close your eyes and picture this: caramel coloured skin glowing with glory and silky, platinum blonde curls bouncing about. She’s got sulky brown eyes and the figure of 60’s model Twiggy but with the curves. If a picture could paint a story, hers would be the perfect one. Jetset Sundays and breakfast by the bay, weekends spent in the Bora Bora and Winters in her snowy city.
The girl you’ve got on your mind is Vancouver’s very own Elisabeth Rioux.
As today’s fitness culture craze continuous to rise, celebrity stars like Rioux rise with it. With the emphasis on cutting fat and feeling fit, Instagram moguls depicting the ‘ideal’ are put on a pedestal for their body and beauty. Lucky for Rioux, her hard work was validated, gaining over 1.4 million followers on Instagram and even the status symbol ‘verified’. Nevertheless, this glorious goddess has much more to offer than your traditional social media superstar.
At the age of 18, Rioux was set to inspire, creating her very own bathing suit company: Hoaka Swimwear. Built on self-acceptance, strength and support, Rioux dedicated herself to showing girl’s the beauty in feeling beautiful.
Rioux is taking Instagram by storm, showing the world that power is in positivity and it’s time for us all to get with the trend. The star strives to publicly push ‘feminine’ norms, encouraging followers to embrace their perfect ‘imperfections’ just as she has her own: blemished skin, stretch marks, hairy body and all.
Undoubtedly, introducing her inspirational outlook on body positivity and girl power hasn’t gone unnoticed. Hundreds of comments flood her photos thanking her for her honesty and encouragement.
Behind all of the glitz and glamour of the social elites, it’s the girls that speak the truth that end up standing out from the rest. Rioux shaped her vulnerabilities into her strengths, her superpowers, her brand.
And in all it’s un-retouched glory, the brand promotes female empowerment, inclusivity and natural beauty. The star uses her social platforms as discussion forums, engaging with followers by asking for their opinions on products. Doing so, Rioux shows supporters they’re more than this month’s pay or last month’s like. She tells them they mean something, they’re valuable, they’re a part of the team, a part of the movement, a part of something bigger.
By building her values into her brand, Rioux blurs the lines between profit and passion. She’s effectively created the perception that herself and her products (despite their high cost) aren’t for personal gain but rather are meant to provoke conversation. Doing so, she establishes herself as a energetic activist rather than an income-driven capitalist clone.
Besides her game-changing commitment of eliminating airbrushed abs and photoshopped faces, Rioux has touched fans with personal struggles like mental illness. Drowned by a sea of negativity, the Instragram model took to her platform to confess to followers how challenging living in the public eye can truly be. Rioux reminds fans that happiness isn’t something that can be bought, in fact, oftentimes wealth is synonymous with loneliness.
Intentional or not, Rioux has capitalized on her honesty. Sharing personal posts such as these effectively breaks down barriers between herself and followers. She treats her fans as her friends, creating an intimate connection with them and distinguishing herself from her fellow celebs.
Rioux has gone one step further, creating a ‘finsta’ page to share her most embarrassing photos with the public. The self-loving icon stops at nothing to show her crowd how much she really loves herself. From funny faces to unfiltered photos, Rioux gives us the inside glance on her life.
And let me tell you, fans are loving it.
Silly clips of her husky barking about or boyfriend Jay playfighting in the pool strengthen the experience. It reinforces feelings of ‘friendship’, we don’t see her as a Personality, we just see her personality.
Apart from showing us her quirky side, Rioux does a impeccable job at engaging with consumers. You can frequently catch the mogul replying to comments, republishing Tweets and thanking her individual supporters. Doing so, Rioux sparks excitement and encourages eager admirers to post in hopes of being noticed.
But that isn’t all.
Her followers aren’t only her fans and her friends… They’re actually the models as well, the women behind the clothes. Rioux doesn’t just support her followers, she actually shines the spotlight on them.
In her recent campaign, Rioux has set out to engage her girls in every way possible. In promotional posts on her Hoaka Swim website and social media account, girls wearing the brand actually get to represent the brand.
This genius marketing tactic helps to demonstrate the company’s diversity in it’s rawest form… In the beautiful, natural, untouched photos of the women wearing them.
Besides capitalizing on this fantastic and free visual marketing tactic, Rioux also uses the platform to select ambassadors to promote the brand. The model actively searches for new girls (and guys) to join her team! She openly advertises new spots, encouraging girls of all shapes, colour and sizes to send her a message and apply for the position.
Nevertheless, for those not chosen, the end of the selection process doesn’t mean the end of their journey. Rioux devotes a portion of the profits back towards the people that make it all happen.
Yes, you heard it here folks.
Not only does the Insta star give away free bikinis each week but she actually immerses her followers into her lifestyle. No, I don’t mean through fantastic photos or vivid videos. I mean through real-life experiences with Rioux herself.
That’s right!
Rioux gives girls the opportunity to embrace the luxurious lifestyle, enjoying all-exclusive getaway trips to the Maldives equipped with moonlit dinners, deep-sea snorkling and sea-side sun bathing .
The girls get to truly embody the brand in all of its sunny glory.
By creating these types of campaigns, Rioux offers the possibility to spark buzz around her brand and encourages users to keep up with her posts in the case another giveaway arises. Moreover, it does a excellent job at reinforcing and legitimizing the brand’s values: acceptance, happiness, diversity and friendship.
I guess you could say Rioux really practices what she preaches.
But she doesn’t just stop there.
Rioux upholds her image across all of her social media sites. The footage from her trips gets transformed into promotional videos and then plastered across Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook pages. It’s a great way to showcase all of the hard work the brand and herself go through to provide memorable experiences to their guests. It also gives a voice to girls without big followings, allowing them to share their stories and struggles, showcasing how Rioux and Hoaka have helped them embrace their body.
The community of faithful followers behind Elisabeth Rioux have established her brand and have gained her the success she deserves thus far. Maintaining the personal connection she has with her fans will be a critical factor in differentiating herself from the thousands of other ‘insta-famous’ stars. Despite her involvement in social movements and the personal life she shares online, Rioux is an entrepreneur nonetheless.
It’s important she remains relevant in today’s ever-changing, technology-driven world. Rioux has a dream and the efforts are evidently there, nevertheless there are things she can do to continue the conversation.
The stunning superlight has the potential to dominate beyond the screen. With her mass following, her vision and her passion, Rioux has the ability to truly spark change.
Her current status puts her in the unique position between promoting self-acceptance and being pressured by the media to look a particular way. Without a doubt, from crude comments to abusive blog posts, Rioux feels the heat. I think it would be tremendously inspirational and influential to hear her story… Not just her 10 second Instagram story, but the whole thing, possibly in a book or a personal site. Not only would this allow fans to connect with the star on a deeper level but it also gives them the opportunity to find strength in her story, relating to her challenges and growing as a community.
Moreover, Rioux’s mass following is packed with devoted girls, dedicating entire Instagram pages to praise their role model. Offering meetups or even skype calls can help strengthen the feeling of intimacy between herself and her fans, giving them the opportunity to get to know her better.
While Instagram is deemed one of most damaging social media platforms for teen mental health, its accessibility and global reach have made it a key component in social activism. As made apparent, Elisabeth Rioux has recognized it’s potential and worked diligently to dismantle distorted images of femininity. Nevertheless, she has the occasion to go one step further by partnering with other likeminded individuals.
Inspirational figures like Emily Bardor, Mama Cax, Harnaam Kaur and Morgan Mikenas have dedicated their time to encouraging body positivity and motivating viewers to do the same. The game is no shame, and they’re deep in the field. Rioux has the potential to join the team and become a key player in creating a more inclusive society.
For centuries, the media has dictated a woman’s value based on her body.
No more.
Girls are taking a stand all across the world, celebrating themselves and their newfound confidence. It’s important we take this as a stepping stone and not a set back. Time and time again, these beautiful women continue to be shamed for their honesty and expression.
We’re each born beautiful and we’re each born worthy, unfortunately it’s a lesson many people are never taught. We shouldn’t be here to compete or defeat but to empower and embrace one another. Let’s stop thinking we need to trade in our authenticity for social media’s acceptance and remind ourselves we’re all queens, we should be wearing our bodies like shining armour.
