Twitter backlash over size 12 influencer's 'body positive' fashion campaign

Members of the body positivity movement have been left outraged after a fashion brand chose a size 12 influencer as the face of its new 'body positive' campaign.

Chessie King is a London-based influencer who boasts more than 565,000 Instagram followers and regularly posts unedited shots of her 'belly rolls' to promote body positivity.

But when she was named the ambassador for In The Style's new body positive campaign, people were livid.

At a size 12, King is two sizes smaller than the average UK woman, who wears a size 16, and at least a size smaller than size 14-16 Australian average.

However body positive activists insist that the movement was created for people who sit well outside of conventional beauty standards, something many argue King does not.

"This is one of the most absurd things I’ve ever seen," tweeted plus size author Bethany Rutter.

"A range themed around a thin person promoting ‘body confidence’ like yes I would imagine you are confident about your body."

Other backed her up, calling King's campaign an "empty appeal to 'realness'" and accusing In The Style of "trying to exploit body positivity without understanding it or investing in it."

But the company's CEO Adam Frisby hit back, claiming that just because King is slim doesn't mean she hasn't struggled with body confidence.

"We are promoting body confidence for ALL body sizes," he tweeted.

"Someone who is deemed ‘thin’ by some might have the lowest confidence… Who are you to say who should and shouldn’t discuss body positivity?"

The campaign photos do include other women of different sizes, however fans were unimpressed that only one woman in the main promotional image the company shared to Instagram was plus size.

"Body positivity isn’t for thin people!" one Twitter user fumed.

"We don’t f--king need it! We are not marginalised by society at large because of our size no matter how sad or weird we feel about our bodies. Going up to a size 22 is not inclusive! Christ!"

Despite the backlash King's fans have been supportive of her new campaign, insisting that the influencer is using her platform to promote body positivity for all women.

Though King didn't respond directly to the backlash, she did share her feelings in Instagram, explaining that she hopes to "support and empower" all people.

"To be told my body is not the right body to talk about body confidence is pure body shaming," she wrote.

"No one knows your story, your relationship with your body unless they’ve lived inside your body your whole lifetime."