A woman is on a mission to reclaim the word ‘bimbo’ and destroy the stigma surrounding female sexuality.
Alicia Amira, 29, calls herself a professional ‘bimbo’ and girl-power activist. Based in the UK, she is encouraging women worldwide to embrace their sexuality and find their inner ‘bimbo’. Alicia told Barcroft TV: “A bimbo is anything but stupid, being a bimbo is empowering because you are fighting back to a system that has been demoting and censoring women like me for so long.” Alicia’s movement, ‘Be A Bimbo’, aims to empower women everywhere who feel judged for being themselves.
Featuring sex-positive clothing apparel, Alicia wants to change the conversation around sexuality and support women who are working in the sex industry. She said: “I’m not just doing this for bimbos, I’m doing this for women in general who are working in strip clubs, as escorts, as porn stars. “They have been stigmatised and judged and excluded from society, it’s a horrible tendency we have.” Growing up in Denmark, Alicia was first drawn to the bimbo look age 11: “I was up late at night watching a Danish TV show and there was this blonde woman who was very tanned and had very big boobs – I was mesmerised by her.” “I thought that was such an archetype of sexuality that I could relate to.” At the age of 26, Alicia was involved in the sex industry herself. She explained: “It was the best thing that I ever did – it’s very individual to each girl if you love it or not, but for me, it was very empowering.” Being open with her sexuality was liberating: “As soon as I was naked all over the internet, I’d never felt so confident with myself.”
Despite not staying in the porn industry for long, Alicia has done whatever she can to make her brand inclusive for those who are. She said: “One of the most important reasons why I started my brand was that I saw so many mainstream fashion companies taking advantage of the sex work industry without crediting the sex work industry.” Another motivation behind the brand was to change the way people associated the word ‘bimbo’ with stupidity. She said: “I started the brand because I felt so judged on a daily basis and I thought this has got to end – I have got to do a movement about this.” “The biggest misconception people have about me is definitely that I’m stupid, and I’m actually quite smart. Funnily enough, every time I speak, people will be surprised.”
Confronting the stigma is a common theme in the clothes Alicia designs for her brand, featuring statements such as: ‘Stop Censoring Sluts’ or ‘Stripper Queen’. Recently, Barcroft TV followed Alicia to Los Angeles to meet the women who are part of her bimbo family. Alicia met Angel, Rachel, Jasmine and Alex and took part in a photoshoot for the ‘Be A Bimbo’ clothing line. Their professions range from porn to pre-med, but they all have one thing in common – they’re proud to be bimbos. Rachel said: “Being a part of events like this makes me feel like I’m living the Barbie dream I’ve always wanted.” “I really believe that you should do what you think is fun and just live your fantasy,” Jasmine added. For Alex Gray, a big name in the sex industry, being a bimbo is liberating. She said: “I’m a bimbo because I’m a sexual being and I am proud of it.”
Despite having never met Alicia, the girls were inspired by the message she was sending out to the world. They discussed the judgement they face on a daily basis and the importance of inclusivity when it comes to female sexuality. Jasmine said: “It is so common for girls to compete with each other, but bimbos don’t do that – we come together and embrace our own personality. “It is so weird that sexuality is a part of all of us but gets so oppressed.” For Rachel, she feels judged when people find out she is studying pre-med. She said: “People always ask if I’m a nurse. It’s hurtful to assume you are dumber than you actually are.” Alicia is adamant that her movement tackles the negative experiences women endure, particularly when exploring their sexuality. She said: “We are all smart, even if we work in porn or law or pre-med – we are all the same and here to celebrate each other and ourselves.”