Photos: Sophia Hadjipantel, founder of the unibrow movement to promote diversity

Sophia Hadjipanteli, model and activist
Defying beauty standards
The Unibrow Movement
'I call it Veronica'
A matter of preferences
'Accept the different forms of beauty'
Inundated with comments on social media
Lots of criticism
Sophia Hadjipanteli
Born and raised in Cyprus
The choice of dyeing the eyebrows
London Fashion Week
On the most important covers
More than 500 thousand followers
As will be seen in the future
She will continue to fight
Big advocate of body positivity
Sophia Hadjipanteli, model and activist

Model Sophia Hadjipanteli made a lot of noise at the recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival. She attracted the attention of all photographers as she paraded next to Leonardo DiCaprio to the premiere of Martin Scorsese's 'Killers Of The Flower Moon'.

Defying beauty standards

Strikingly, her particular beauty is characterized by thick, connected eyebrows; a look that challenges traditional aesthetic ideals.

The Unibrow Movement

In response to criticism of her appearance, Hadjipanteli initiated the #UnibrowMovement. It is meant to reclaim inclusive beauty against the standard that promotes thin, defined eyebrows as an aesthetic ideal.

'I call it Veronica'

The Greek Cypriot-born model has said on multiple occasions that her family and culture inspired her to embrace the  unibrow as her signature trait. She affectionately nicknamed it 'Veronica.'

A matter of preferences

Clearly, Sophia Hadjipanteli has chosen to embrace her signature quivering brows, and she encourages others to do the same. Here's what he told Harpers Bazaar in an interview a few years ago: "I am doing it to show people that they can get on with their lives by following their preferences."

"If I like this, just let me like this"

She continued: "I personally think my face looks better this way. Others disagree, and that’s totally cool. I am not trying to get anyone on the unibrow bandwagon. If I like this, just let me like this."

 

'Accept the different forms of beauty'

Sophia Hadjipanteli's intentions are therefore quite clear, namely the desire to promote the acceptance of different forms of beauty and the celebration of individuality, without letting oneself be influenced by the judgments of others.

Inundated with comments on social media

To give voice to the unibrow movement, Sophia Hadjipanteli has used her social platforms. Obviously, though, users haven't spared her from their comments which are often negative.

Lots of criticism

As she herself told Harpers Bazaar, among the comments that were difficult to swallow were phrases like "You're beautiful and an inspiration, but you'd be better looking without those eyebrows."

"I wear makeup and have a unibrow because it is what I like"

Many criticisms also aim at her make-up style, which they consider "too colorful." Her response to them: "I wear makeup because it is fun. I have a unibrow because it is a preference. I wear makeup and have a unibrow because it is what I like. Don't put me in a bubble," she told Harpers Bazaar.

"The only way to deal with criticism is to defy it"

Her clear and direct answers don't try to create conflict or divide people but rather to encourage conversations, as she said in an interview with Vanity Fair Italy.  "Most people don't understand why I defend something that society taught us to remove and hate. The only way to deal with criticism is to defy it: by doing so, you don't create conflicts but conversations."

Sophia Hadjipanteli

But who is this remarkable young girl anyway?

Born and raised in Cyprus

Sophia Hadjipanteli was born on May 25, 1996, in Cyprus. She graduated in marketing at the University of Maryland, USA, where she'd moved at a young age with her entire family. During her studies, she started working as a model for brands like Hugo Boss and Guess.

The choice of dyeing the eyebrows

In 2017, Sophia Hadjipanteli, tired of her blonde eyebrows, decided to dye them black, following a tutorial found on YouTube. This was the first step towards the movement she would later found.

London Fashion Week

She initially gained public attention in the UK when she made her first fashion show appearance during London Fashion Week in 2020.

On the most important covers

By now, Sophia Hadjipanteli has had the opportunity to appear in more than 50 internationally renowned publications, including Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times, and Vanity Fair.

More than 500 thousand followers

She is not just a model but also an activist and influencer who has more than 500,000 followers on her Instagram profile, @sophiahadjipanteli.

As will be seen in the future

Regarding the future and the possibility of changing her look, the young model told Harpers Bazaar: "I want to be sure that I am not defined by the way I look right now. I see [my unibrow] like it's winged eyeliner or red lipstick. In five years, I might look back and think, 'That was a cool phase!'"

She will continue to fight

"But until people start to accept others for this specific feature on their face, I won't feel ready to move on from it," she says.

Big advocate of body positivity

Her clear message, determination, and passion to communicate will certainly continue to be a great support in promoting a positive body image.

"The favorite version of yourself is much more rewarding than what everyone else wants you to be"

Her words to Vanity Fair Italy: "I want to make it clear to as many people as possible that the favorite version of yourself is much more rewarding than what everyone else wants you to be". And we can only agree.

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