'I Am What's Underneath' Documentary Will Explore What Beauty Really Means

'I Am What's Underneath' Documentary Will Explore What Beauty Really Means

Beauty isn't about clothes or makeup -- it's about the person underneath them.

That's the theory behind the "What's Underneath" video series, filmed by mother-and-daughter team Elisa Goodkind and Lily Mandelbaum and hosted on their website, Style Like U. In the videos, they interview people about body image, confidence and life lessons, and during the conversation the participants slowly undress.

Their next step? A full-length documentary.

i am whats underneath

The pair just launched a Kickstarter for "I Am What's Underneath," a feature-length film based on the existing project. To create the documentary, they hope to travel to at least five cities worldwide to film 30 more episodes of "What's Underneath" and meet with satellite ambassadors who will continue the project in their respective cities.

To Goodkind and Mandelbaum, positive body image is something everyone deserves -- and should be able to attain.

"True self-acceptance is not about looking like some made-up ideal of perfection," they explain on the fundraising page. "It is about the bravery to be in this world, exactly as you are, and not in the image of others. That is what gives a person style. That is what makes a person beautiful."

whats underneath

Goodkind and Mandelbaum explain the guiding principles behind the project as follows:

We are guided by a vision of a world where:
  • People don’t judge each other based on differences.
  • People accept the natural skin they’re in regardless of age, gender identity, sexuality, race, body type or physical condition
  • The fashion industry is inclusive of diverse models and voices.
  • People don’t dress to conform, they dress to express their authentic selves.
  • There is no more photoshopping.
  • Magazines do not perpetually point out people’s "deficiencies."
  • Future generations of girls, boys and everyone in between feel free to be themselves, without fearing judgement
  • Our self-image is no longer be controlled by corporations and the products they want us to buy.

They hope that the documentary will share this message more widely, getting them closer to making their vision a reality.

whats underneath

"We want to celebrate self-acceptance, whether that's about your body or your age or your gender," Mandelbaum told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. "To help people love the skin they're in, no matter what."

Learn more about the project here.

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