Everyone knows sex sells, and when you want to make some noise in protest, why not use this age old philosophy? Based in New York, French photographer Erica Simone has photographed herself in various locations in the mega city of New York, in protest of a self obsessed society valuing oneself by what one may wear.

Turning the fine art project in to a book entitled ‘Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen’, Erica needs help, as she is currently trying to raise $10,000 to make this dream a reality. Which no doubt, she will have no trouble achieving. So feeling like shedding with a few items of clothing, you can support the cause here. Need more convincing? Read the reasoning from Erica herself below:

https://vimeo.com/121965676

Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen bloomed from an initial questioning about clothing and the importance of fashion in modern society. What we wear acts as a silent language allowing us to portray who we are or want to be, suggesting to the outer world an impression on us—whatever that may be. Fashion tends to segregate us as well as adapt us into various social categories, also helping us communicate our moods. This tool of expression is quite precious to civil society and as most people, I organically use clothing as a way of portraying my own image.

New York City is a fashion mecca, where image and stature reign the streets. As I watch an image-absorbed society care more about the sales at Barney’s than the homeless people they ignore as they parade by, I began to ponder: “What would the world feel like naked? What if we didn’t have clothing to come in between us? Or if we couldn’t show off our social status? What if all we had were our bodies to express our personalities?” These questions raised many various issues and these issues raised many various questions. “How have we evolved so far away from our utmost primary state of being that it is actually against the law to be nude in public?” Naked is who we are and who we come into the world as.

The project’s slogan “Nothing Fits Like You”‬ (#thepowerofnaked) is a campaign about being comfortable with who you are as a person, with your body, your mind and your role in society. It’s about being free from the confinements of societal’s expectations and the media’s projections. – Erica Simone