#SMASHTESSFAM FEATURE - KAYLA LOGAN
MEET KAYLA LOGAN, Body Love and Mental Health Influencer
You might have seen Kayla before spreading her body positivity on Instagram. Kayla (@kaylaloganblog) is known for popping up in public places across Canada in her skivvies as part of a body positivity campaign on Instagram to encourage women to love their body regardless of shape or size and to feel beautiful in their own skin. She is passionate about helping women feel confident and happy in their perfect imperfection rather than constantly feeling less than due to weight or appearance.
Kayla also shares openly about her struggles with mental health on social media and wants her channels to be a safe space for others as well. She frequently experiences anxiety, depression and has ADHD. Her personal story was published by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and her goal is to shine a light on something many struggle with on a daily basis.
Kayla recently was a part of the #aeriereal campaign for Aerie and the #bodylove campaign with model, Silvana Denker. She’s a pro at raising awareness and it’s no surprise that she’s in public relations. We sat down with Kayla to learn more about her:
What inspired you to share your story on social media?
I started my journey as a weight loss campaign. I had gained 100lbs in the last year and I remember telling a family member that “I would rather be dead than be fat and alive!” That’s obviously not the case now, but at the time I was so depressed and I believed that being thin would make me happy again so I signed up for a well-known diet program and started sharing my authentic weight loss journey. After losing 20lbs, I realized that I still didn’t love myself and it didn’t matter what weight I was because I had a bigger issue. I needed to learn self-love. I quit the diet program knowing that taking part in the diet culture went against my values and decided that I needed to go on a journey of self-love. I decided that in order to show women and myself that we're all beautiful regardless of size, I would do the most terrifying thing I could think of, pose in public in my underwear! I say now that it took me gaining a 100 lbs to learn to love myself! I use my social media to promote these messages along with my authentic struggles. There are no smoke and mirrors on my Instagram.
What's the best piece of advice that has shaped your journey?
The best piece of advice that’s shaped my journey is a really hard question for me. A lot of my family hasn’t always agreed with my body positive campaign so I’ve done this mostly alone. My followers are my support and they empower me, without them I would be nothing. I guess the best piece of advice would be that in life, we can do anything we set our minds to and to never let anyone get in our way! We can achieve it if we’re focused. It’s the advice I constantly tell myself to keep myself strong.
One tip for building your own brand?
I’ve built a couple of businesses, I’ve had successes and I’ve had failures. I’ve struggled and it’s a challenge that’s never a linear process. My one tip is to be authentic! Not just to yourself but to your brand and to your followers. People can tell when you’re inauthentic and it won’t matter what type of message you're trying to share because your audience won’t be listening. I share the deepest and darkest parts of myself on social media, I keep it super real and the positive feedback I always get it is how appreciative they are for my honesty. You have to believe in what you're saying or else why even bother?
What does your ultimate Sunday consist of?
My ultimate Sunday involves some serious Netflix! Add in some honey garlic chicken wings (delivery, of course), a Smash + Tess Romper, and a facial then we’re golden!!! Self-care and relaxation are so needed!
Current Netflix binge?
Riverdale! I love the drama, the dark tones of the show and it’s a thriller so I always want to know what’s going to happen next! It’s sooo good!
Who inspires you?
My mother is a huge inspiration in my life. For most of my life, my mom raised me and my brother as a single mom and in my books, moms are superheroes. It’s only now in my late 20s that I see the sacrifices and hardships she went through to be the best and most inspiring women ever. I owe her everything and she continues to always be there for me even when I have crazy ideas to pose in the streets of Toronto in my underwear! She is my everything!
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Desert Island beauty product?
I would definitely need to bring some kind of facial with me. Facials are the one thing that keep me feeling pampered, calm, relaxed and beautiful. If I’m stuck on a desert island, I’m going to have a lot of time for self-care and this is what I do for ME time!
Fave place to rock your Romper?
I can’t just pick one place to rock my Romper! I’m obsessed with it! I love pairing my Sunday Romper with a leather jacket and ankle boots for a trendy weekend look. I don’t even need to change at night because it’s super comfy and can wear it to sleep! If I’m having a lazy day, I throw a sweater over my Saturday Romper and bam perfect errand look. Sorry, I can’t choose just one place! lol
Which guilty pleasure Instagram accounts are your fave Insta-follows?
I have some serious girl crushes going on! I’m obsessed with @thebirdspapaya and her body positivity message. She is so inspiring and a goddess! @kenziebrenna is an amazing mental health and body positive influencer. She was one of the women who helped get me out of my depression regarding my body image. She is so intelligent and her captions are thought provoking and are based on scientific evidence or statistics which is unique. Finally, @steph.sanjati is a transgender female who uses her platform to advocate and educate. She has a beautiful soul and she is super open about her mental health struggles and also the struggles of being transgendered. She is very inspiring.
Whose poster did you have on your bedroom wall when you were 12 years?
Backstreet Boys all the way!! To this day you’ll catch me singing their songs in my car. I love you, Brian!!!! I probably had a Spice Girls poster too, let’s be honest!
Now you see why Kayla has a message that we just had to share. We love creating clothing that makes women feel beautiful no matter their size from XXS to XL. Also, stay tuned for an exciting announcement regarding sizing in the new year. (Hint: XXL coming soon!) #rompersforall