“People victimise acid attack survivors, but I think we need to come out of this mindset”

There are approximately 1,000 acid attacks in India every year. Laxmi, who goes by her first name, was attacked by a scorned suitor when she was just 15. Now 26, she has become an advocate for women affected by acid attacks, and this year will model for an Indian clothing label for their ‘Face of Courage’ campaign.

“This opportunity to represent an apparel brand was a platform for me to set an example for women like me to be confident and have courage despite their physical appearances, Laxmi told the BBC. “This was also a platform for me to send a clear message to criminals that women will not lose courage even after they are attacked with acid to destroy their physical beauty.”An acid attack survivor who was disfigured by a man she refused to marry has been named as the star of a designer clothing campaign.Laxmi Saa, 26, will model for an Indian clothing label for their campaign called the 'Face of Courage' and said she wants to show other women who have been attacked to have courage.Laxmi, from Delhi - who was left with agonising injuries at the age of 15 after the older man who was angry that she ignored his advances threw the corrosive chemical in her face - is now an advocate for tougher punishments for acid attacks in India.t led her to file public interest litigations in India's highest court, seeking changes in the law and asked the government to take steps to restrict the sale of acid. In 2013, the Supreme Court of India acted on a petition filed by Laxmi and directed state governments to formulate a policy to regulate over-the-counter sale of acid in India. But the country does not have a specific law to prosecute attackers and the Acid Survivors Foundation India found that in 2014 there were 349 attacks on people in India, mainly on women.Laxmi was so scarred by the encounter she thought she would never find love.She said: 'Someone asked me the question of what if the attacker still offered to marry me? I said, he has changed my face, but he has failed to change my mind.

But she met Alok Dixit, 26, while campaigning and they now run the Stop Acid Attacks campaign together with their main focus helping other acid attack survivors.

Laxmi said: 'We have decided to live together until we die. But we are challenging the society by not getting married.'

The families of the couple have also accepted the relationship, which defies conventions, and are standing by them.

The video for the fashion campaign is 'dedicated to those who lost their physical beauty to the horrific acid attacks with an aim to create new opportunities for them in the fashion industry.'

Ayushi Rastogi from the fashion company Viva N Diva told the Hindustan Times: 'For a moment, we saw beauty in a very different way and all that we could think of was to capture it in a way that gave it meaning.'

Ayusha also said they had worked with Laxmi like a usual model 'both in terms of payment and profit sharing as well as in terms of the shoot.'

Viva N Diva is described as the 'leading manufacturer and distributor of designer saris' on its website.

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