Meet Akina Cooper of Ai Akinaa Clothing in Downtown LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Akina Cooper.

Akina, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey started off with my own self-esteem issues. I never felt pretty in my own skin. I was 98 pounds at the age of 22. Fitting in kid’s clothes, not able to wear anything that made me feel beautiful, let alone comfortable. I started to think how many other girls and women are feeling like me? Being told they’re too small or too big for something? Looking in the mirror and not feeling good enough because of the standards society hold of what beautiful and sexy are. I wanted that feeling I had to stop right then and there. So I decided to put my foot down and step waaaayyyy out of my comfort zone and make a difference. What’s the ultimate sexy? Lingerie.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has DEFINITELY NOT been a smooth road. There are times where I found myself crying and thinking “What the hell am I doing?” “How Can someone like ME make a difference?” Looking through magazines, seeing these women on Instagram with the “perfect bodies” I got so discouraged. Listening to all the hurtful things people had to say about me when I posted my first lingerie photo, I was completely thrown back. I was called a slut and whore, I was told I was too skinny and that I could never be a model. Those words hurt me so bad, but honestly, that’s what made me keep going. I wanted to prove those people wrong, to show the world that there is no such thing as a “perfect body” when everybody is made different! Who the heck were those people to tell me I wasn’t good enough. I wouldn’t be good enough if I didn’t believe in myself. The change had to start with me.

Ai Akinaa Clothing – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Ai Akinaa Clothing is a clothing made for EVERYONE. From XXS to 5XL, whether you have a mom bod, tattoos and piercings, a body full of scars, or even extra skin from losing weight. Black, White, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, Transgender, it doesn’t matter! ALL women deserve to feel sexy and beautiful. The Ai Akinaa Brand advocates body positivity and self-love. No matter what you look like or where you come from, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and YOU MATTER! With this line, I wanted to show the world that It’s time to LOVE your ‘imperfections’ and ‘flaws’. This is where the self-hate and body shaming stops!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment definitely has to be when I see a woman, who in the beginning did NOT think she was beautiful. A woman so torn up on the inside about how she looked, ending up blossoming when they see themselves in these pictures from the photoshoots won them in lingerie. The tears in their eyes when they see how BEAUTIFUL they really are. From that point, the confidence, the sexiness, the overall joy they have being in their skin and not giving a damn about what anyone says. These are the women I do this for.

Contact Info:

• Website: aiakinaa.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @aiakinaaclothing
• Facebook: Facebook.com/aiakinaa
• Twitter: @aiakinaa

Image Credit:
Photography By: Danny Kareem, Smarter Photography; Stylist: Gladys Isabel, Maurice McClain; Creative Director and Personal Assistant: My Beautiful Wife Shyanne Clark

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