Posing in your underwear for pictures likely to be seen by tens and hundreds of thousands would be a daunting prospect for any woman.
But for breast cancer 'previvor' Carla Atherton, helping to front a lingerie brand's new promotional campaign was a privilege.
The 34-year-old's attitude is made even more remarkable by the fact that she chose to undergo a double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene in 2014, which meant she had up to a staggering 87% chance of developing breast cancer and a 60% chance of developing ovarian cancer.
Carla, who lives in Saltney, subsequently had her breasts rebuilt using implants.
So modelling for Scantilly by Curvy Kate’s second edition of the #TheNewSexy campaign – which seeks to challenge mainstream perceptions of what is considered sexy – was an opportunity for Carla to represent real women.
Along with seven others, Carla will be at the core of Curvy Kate's bid to signify a new era for diversity in the fashion industry.
“Women come in all shapes and sizes; curvy, slim, tall and small which don’t fit into what is being portrayed in the mainstream media," Carla said.
"Don’t get me wrong, the women are beautiful and sexy in their own right but they do not represent all women. They certainly do not represent women like me, who have had to undergo major surgery.
"I am confident and sexy with how I am now, I am a new kind of sexy and it doesn’t take having my breasts removed to change that. That to me is #TheNewSexy.”
Carla's road to recovery continues, and she faces more preventative surgery in the future due to her high risk of ovarian cancer.
Passionate about supporting other women, she now uses her experiences to help others going through the process.
She blogs about her journey on a special Facebook page, and works with support groups to raise awareness.
Curvy Kate's head of PR and marketing Hannah Isichei explained that the use of diverse role models should be practiced by all companies.
"Society isn’t made up of one woman and we know our customers are all different, so why not give them someone they can recognise," she said.
To visit Carla's blog, click here.
