Miss Indiana USA 2014, Mekayla Diehl, is the face of the Yummie by Heather Thomson, a shapewear and activewear brand based in New York.
Heather Thomson, the founder and chief creative officer of Yummie by Heather Thomson, was drawn to Diehl for her confidence, and hired her to model the company’s fall–holiday 2014 collection of shapewear, intimates, activewear and denim.
‘When this story broke and I saw the video, I felt an immediate connection with Mekayla. The confidence she exuded on that runway made me proud of her. I didn’t even know her but wanted to and knew that Yummie needed her. It was very clear to me that we both stand for the same things,’ said Thomson in a release.
Both women were keen to promote a healthy, confident body image through the fall–holiday range.
Diehl noted that she got attention because of her attempts to change the industry standard in beauty pageants. ‘I am confident in my own skin, and when I walked on the stage in a swimsuit, I was really trying to let my inner beauty shine through because that is what confidence means to me. There are girls who have trouble looking in the mirror every day and I want to encourage women to find a way to feel confident at any shape or size.’
Yummie by Heather Thomson is available online via YummieLife.com.