For many, the summer before the final year of A-levels is an opportunity to recover lost time in the sun, gain some extra cash and deliberate on the next stages of life post-school. But for Isabella Fernandes, her life was turned upside down when her dress caught fire while cooking pasta at home, causing severe burns along her armpit, breast and arm.
One July evening when Fernandes was 17, she found herself looking in the mirror while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. The fire alarm was ringing, her hair was singed and there was a pungent smell of burned flesh. The affected areas were red, hot and sensitive — but the severity of the incident would not hit her until later.
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Fernandes worked in a boutique not far from her home in Ladbroke Grove. "I remember being in hospital and getting Mum to call in sick because I thought I was going to be there later on," she recalled. Instead, she spent her entire summer in hospital, which for her "felt like years". The incident would leave her permanently scarred and change her relationship with her body. The "traumatic and difficult" operations after the fire included a skin graft, which saw skin from her leg taken to rejuvenate the damaged skin on her arm. This was more emotionally taxing for her than the scars from the fire itself due to it being purposely inflicted rather than an accident. "It just didn't look how my legs looked and my legs had been one of my favourite parts of my body," she explained.
After returning home, Fernandes saw an open casting call for Behind The Scars, a project by photographer Sophie Mayanne, which celebrates scars – and the stories behind them – in all their shapes and forms. Not only do the project’s photographs challenge mainstream perceptions of beauty and perfection, they also give people an opportunity to share their personal experiences. For Fernandes, the project allowed her to reappropriate her emotions regarding the burns: "It’s become a new way to look at myself and how I feel about myself. It’s something nice to think about other than associating the burns with pain or the hospital."
Before the shoot, Mayanne sat down with Fernandes to discuss what had happened to her. Although she had modelled with her scars once before for a friend, Mayanne’s photos carried more weight for her as it felt as if her experience was as important as the pictures. Her story was released alongside the photographs on Instagram.
The photographs have had a lot of positive attention, but sharing the photos online was enough to enable Fernandes to feel empowered and in control. "It’s lovely but that validation is from myself. I felt comfortable enough about myself to do the photographs and post them online." Now 20 years old, Fernandes is still being treated for PTSD for the burn incident, but continues to model, not letting her scars define her.