To celebrate the publication of Ugly by award-winning journalist Anita Bhagwandas, Blink Publishing, a leading commercial non-fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK, partnered with Dove UK for a launch at Soho House.
The launch, organised by agency Halpern, included a talk between Bhagwandas and Sarah Potter, head of global Dove PR, discussing the book and how we interact with the beauty industry. There were further partnerships for exclusive goody bags for all guests which included items from: Penhaligons, Bobbi Brown, IT Cosmetics, REN, Ormonde Jayne, Tatcha, The Ordinary, Max Factor, AKT London, Living Proof, Authentic Beauty Concept, Hairstory and Amber Fossey.
In Ugly, Bhagwandas blends research with memoir as she aims to answer the question of why our lives are shaped by such limited ideas about beauty. Throughout the book she delves into where they started, how they are perpertuated, and most importantly how we can break free of them for a happier, more inclusive future. As the book states, this is because ‘feeling ugly should have nothing to do with how we look, and everything to do with who wants us to feel lacking.’
Author Anita Bhagwandas said, “To partner with Dove on the launch of my book was an absolute dream. Ugly is all about understanding where our beauty standards come from and how we can break free of them for a more inclusive future. Dove were the perfect fit and I’m so overwhelmed to have the support of them and all the brands who sent us products to share with supporters of Ugly.”
Sarah Potter, head of global PR, Dove said, “It was an honour for Dove to be approached by Anita to support the launch of her incredible book, Ugly. For over 60 years, Dove has been taking action to represent real beauty – working to shatter the beauty stereotypes that surround us, committed to making a positive experience of beauty universally accessible to all. We want to unlock the potential for positive change in the world around us and proudly stand together, which is exactly what Anita calls for when she examines and contextualise the often-unachievable beauty standards that can lead women to feel bad about themselves. I hope together we can all do more to change the beauty industry for the better.”
Agent Emma Finn said, “It was a real pleasure to see Anita’s book Ugly launched in such style with the most phenomenal support from Dove this week. Their passion for the message of the book – the importance of unpicking the often insidious roots of our beauty trends and standards – was clear from the very beginning and it resulted in a truly special launch for a crucial voice.”
Ugly is available now in hardback, eBook and audio by Blink Publishing.
