As a brand, we strive to bring something into the world that has value, that resonates with others, and that touches the deepest part of ourselves. Beauty is great but the true essence of beauty is to inspire and to uplift. Quite literally, it’s about bringing joy.
So, when we embarked on our Body Joy adventure over a year ago, we knew this was our SOL mission – to inspire, share and celebrate Body Joy with you and with every body – all shapes, sizes, colors, genders. Inspired by the diversity in Brazil and our innate pleasure in taking care of our bodies, our brand of beauty has never been about one standard of beauty or about beauty to please or impress others. Long before this became a trendy subject, this has simply always been a way of life in Brazil. And this is what our brand is all about.
So, how best to show Body Joy? We thought about how we could bring our words and ideas to life and that’s when we met Hayley Powers Thornton-Kennedy, a professional artist and illustrator. Hayley was already exploring ways of showing bodies in motion and celebrating strength in her art. These were no cookie cutter bodies, but fluid, shape shifting, and sometimes larger-than-life figures that got our attention and made us feel good. We knew Hayley was the artist who could bring Body Joy to life – and thus, began an amazing collaboration.
“I was really inspired by Sol de Janeiro’s body positive message,” says Kennedy. “It was authentic and welcoming and that allowed me the freedom to explore bodies in fresh new ways in my art. I loved the range of possibilities and loved that there were no rules.”
The Body Joy campaign launched with a series of posters to show and tell the story of Body Joy, each one highlighting a different aspect of Body Joy. “I loved exploring ways of representing themes like: Body Joy is ageless or genderless. It felt great to bring these values and ideas to light. It’s important to me as an artist, and as a woman.”
Bold, colorful and definitely joyous – Hayley’s art got noticed. At Sol de Janeiro events and in store, her Body Joy art made people stop and smile, and perhaps discover our brand for the first time. And it got people talking, too.
“People had such great things to say about the message and how the art made them feel. They loved the inclusivity depicted and I was struck by how big this conversation really was. It just reinforced for me how important it is to create art that speaks to people in a meaningful way.”
The accolades didn’t end there. This year, Hayley was recognized as a notable artist by The Society of Illustrators in NYC where her Sol de Janeiro Body Joy art was placed on display and also featured in their prestigious annual publication.
Body Joy has most recently taken on a whole new meaning for Hayley, who is expecting her first child. “To see my body go through these huge changes has been an amazing experience,” says Kennedy. “It’s also given me a deeper appreciation for my body and how strong and resilient we are – and everything our bodies are capable of.”
As far as Hayley’s fave Sol de Janeiro products, nothing beats Brazilian Bum Bum Cream – but there’s a new twist and benefit, too. “I love to put Brazilian Bum Bum Cream all over my growing belly now,” says Kennedy. “it keeps my skin so smooth and the scent always makes feel good. “It’s like double body joy now,” she laughs. “Brazilian Bum Bum Cream feels like a great big blanket!”
