A Bare Model’s Journey of Self-Love Empowerment

From an early age, she struggled with body image — constantly seeking validation that she was beautiful and worthy. As a mixed-race woman, athlete, mother, and model, she faced challenges unique to her journey. She was bullied and shamed for her skin tone, athletic build, racial ambiguity, and even her maternal status. Even within her own family, she endured judgment over the way she dressed and wore her hair. Acceptance, she realized, had always been something she longed for.

(BTS of capturing magic  — vitiligo as art, and Bailey's beautiful curves as poetry.)
Bailey with vitiligo in a baby blue one-piece bathing suit, posing outdoors with natural curves, short hair, and no makeup, celebrating body positivity and self-love.
Photo: Karlo Gomez / OBARE — Going Bare. No makeup. Unfiltered beauty

Finding Strength Through Others

‍Everything shifted when she began connecting with and uplifting other women.

“Hearing myself lift others up changed me,”

she shares. “It reframed my inner dialogue and helped me embrace my own body fully.” Participating in artistic shoots as a Bare Model became a powerful practice — an opportunity to honor her body, and her story.

Black and white photo of Bailey with vitiligo showing her stretch marks in underwear, embracing her natural curves, body confidence, and fitness-inspired beauty.
Photo: Karlo Gomez / OBARE — Going Bare. Unfiltered beauty

Learning to Love Her Body

‍“I love how strong my body is and the constant flow of energy I feel moving through it,”

she says. “I love how grounded I feel in my own skin and how my body has served me through thick and thin. Physically, I love my spots — my skin is an ever-changing work of art I get to explore every few months.”

The Meaning of Self-Love

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For her, self-love is both a mindset and a practice. “Self-love means embracing every part of myself while honoring the things I love about my body. More importantly, it’s not allowing others to make me feel guilty for the things I don’t like as much. It’s about unfollowing trends that don’t serve me and doing what makes me feel the best.”

Her work as a Bare Model has reinforced this belief — that the human body, in its most natural form, is a masterpiece worth celebrating.

Artistic black and white portrait of Bailey with vitiligo, implied nude holding a Polaroid camera, wearing white underwear, natural skin with stretch marks and no makeup.
Photo: Karlo Gomez / OBARE — Going Bare. No makeup. Unfiltered beauty

Advice for Women Struggling with Body Acceptance

‍“It’s okay to struggle — it’s perfectly normal, and you are not alone. Struggling is part of the process; it’s your body and mind telling you that you are ready for change.” She continues, “I can’t tell you exactly what to do — that’s for you to discover — but I promise that when you intentionally seek ways to love yourself, those small steps add up to big shifts. If you fight through your difficulty, you WILL reach the other side. Queen, it’s amazing here. I wish nothing but to meet you in this place of liberation — from others’ opinions and even your own harsh judgment.”

Black and white portrait of Bailey with vitiligo, short hair, and no makeup, highlighting her natural beauty, confidence, and self-acceptance.
Photo: Karlo Gomez / OBARE — Going Bare. No makeup. Unfiltered beauty

Tips for the Journey:

  • Find what works for you
  • Take one intentional step at a time
  • Be patient and give yourself grace
  • Expect challenges
  • Listen to your body
  • Don’t fear lessons from failure

For those of you wondering, Bailey’s skin condition is called vitiligo — a condition where the skin loses its pigment cells, often resulting in white patches. Vitiligo can develop due to genetic factors, autoimmune responses, or sometimes as a result of skin trauma, and it can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, or skin type.

Find Bailey on Instagram: @TheQweenBayOfficial.