*Claps in appreciation of realistic skin being shown on the red carpet*

While there were plenty of headline moments at this year’s Met Gala – Blake Lively’s dress, Rihanna’s special honour, and Kim K in Marilyn’s “Happy Birthday” dress, none were quite as memorable as Cara Delevingne‘s gold body art.

The model and actress appeared on the red carpet in a pair of tailored trousers and a suit jacket – but once photographers started taking her photo, she took off the blazer to reveal she was wearing nothing underneath bar gold chains and nipple covers.

She was painted from head to toe in gold body paint and the only bits of her body she left unpainted were those affected by psoriasis. 

Psoriasis is a common skin condition that can cause red and itchy areas on various parts of your body, including your knees and elbows.

Delevingne suffers from it around her elbows and tattoos and had left the areas uncovered, assumedly so as not to aggravate her skin condition, but similarly to make a statement about skin conditions not needing to be covered up. 

Why is this newsworthy? Simply because, in a world of filters and unrealistic body expectations and standards – especially when it comes to celebrities – it’s refreshing and empowering to see Cara share her condition with the world. In the past, common conditions have been covered up or kept under wraps, only adding to the feeling that people who are going through them are alone – which is never true. 

Seeing a world-famous model appear on the carpet and proudly stand as she is marks a step forward for body positivity and acceptance of all skin types, conditions, and more. 

Lila Moss, the daughter of Kate Moss, also appeared on the Met Gala red carpet wearing her insulin pump, which we are very here for too.

Other celebrities who have been vocal about suffering from psoriasis include Kim Kardashian, Jonathan Van Ness, and Kris Jenner. 

At current, there is no cure for psoriasis – it is a long-term condition that affects around 2 in 100 people in the UK. “It can start at any age, but most often develops in adults between 20 and 30 years old and between 50 and 60 years old,” states the NHS website.

Cara has spoken about her psoriasis openly before, telling reporters in 2013 that “it’s all over [her] body” and her symptoms normally worsen “at stressful times when [she’s] working a lot. You can’t cure it; you’ve just got to go on holiday.”

She’s also spoken to try and debunk the factually incorrect and often harmful misconceptions about psoriasis she’s seen day-to-day – like it being contagious or infectious. “People would put on gloves and not want to touch me because they thought it was, like, leprosy or something,” she told The Times in 2015.

Good for you, Cara – and here’s to more normal body representation in the media.

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