Taking a hiatus from social media following 2021 assault allegations, Sienna Mae Gomez has returned to the Internet in full force to promote the launch of her newest project, swimwear line: Sienna Swim.
Debuting three weeks ago, Sienna launched her debut collection with 12 individual pieces, available in 14 colour ways, as well as two styles of cover up. The TikTok star shared the first promotional images on June 11th, 2022, featuring herself alongside a number of friends, wearing the collection on the island of Oahu in her home state of Hawaii. Fans however, are less than impressed with the new project.
Growing her following on the ethos of body positivity, the response to the launch has been largely negative, primarily due to the lack of diverse body types in the promotion and lack of inclusive sizing available on site.
One user commented on the post: “Girl you [literally] talk [about] body positivity all the time, then you just come out of nowhere to throw a bikini brand that does not feature ANY PLUS SIZE MODELS ?? Like is there something wrong ???”
To which Sienna replied from her personal account, it is “totally a goal of mine to include models of all sizes. we shot this line on oahu and most of the models were my friends who were able to come in on short notice. looking forward to casting all sorts of people for future drops.”
Left disappointed by the social media star’s justification, creators such as @danielleburnett_ have called out Sienna, explaining she has profited from promoting body positivity and as a result, has an obligation to include the people that have helped her grow her following and brand.
@danielleburnett_ Reply to @chanell_laas also this video is about to hit 6 million 😳 #bodyposi #sienna #siennamae #siennamaegomez #siennaswim
♬ original sound – Danielle Burnett
Similarly, @maiandouglas explains that while Sienna Swim claims to include plus sizing offering XXL, the measuring is inaccurate and limited and as a result negatively impacts those who genuinely wear plus sizing. Mention has also been made of the fact that Sienna looking to add larger sizes post-launch makes those that wear plus size continually feel like an after thought.
In response to the negative reception however, Sienna Swim on their official Instagram account has committed to an expansion in sizing from an XXL to a 3XL as the brand’s largest size, an open casting call for models in the XL to 3XL size range and a multi-level ambassador program, ahead of the launch of the next collection.
While there is a long way to go for Sienna Mae Gomez and Sienna Swim to truly find redemption, the brand actively taking steps to respond to feedback is a move in the right direction. Here’s to further growth and expansion from the brand, and more accountability from Sienna in the future.