If you had told me in my thirties that I would one day found a movement — and a swimwear brand — rooted in visibility, body confidence and freedom, I would not have believed you.

Liberté – Free to Be was born from lived experience.

For years I struggled with body image and confidence. I believed my body was something to fix, hide or apologise for. Like so many women, I thought happiness was waiting on the other side of weight loss, perfection or approval.

It wasn’t.

At 46, I unexpectedly began a new career as a model. A UK size 16 with grey hair and a 34G bust, I did not fit the traditional mould of the fashion industry. And that is exactly why it mattered.

As I stepped into campaigns for lingerie and swimwear brands, I saw first-hand how powerful representation can be. Women stopped me in the street. They sent messages. They told me that seeing someone who looked like them changed how they felt about themselves.

That was the turning point.

As a mum of three, I realised this was about more than me. It was about the example we set. The permission we give. The standards we quietly pass down.

Through public speaking and live body confidence events, I speak about self-acceptance, visibility and dismantling body shame; I host the Liberté – Free to Be podcast — where I have interviewed over 160 women sharing their stories — one message became clear:

We cannot be what we cannot see.

Liberté – Free to Be now extends beyond conversation into fashion. My swimwear brand will be made for women who refuse to hide themselves — in fabric or in life. Classic, powerful, unapologetic pieces designed to support the body you have now.

Because confidence is not about changing your body. It is about changing the way you see it.

I am building Liberté – Free to Be as a platform spanning fashion, media and community — creating space for women to take up room, and for the next generation to grow up knowing that they can too.

This is just the beginning.

Freedom is not something we wait for.

It is something we claim.