(Aerie)
Aerie model Iskra Lawrence.

Aerie, the American Eagle lingerie brand that refuses to airbrush its models and has seen sales soar in recent months, has taken another step to set it apart from the competition.

On Thursday the underwear brand, launches a new push in support of the National Eating Disorders Association's (NEDA) National Eating Disorders Week. It's the first time a big brand has partnered with the organization.

The largest lingerie player in the market, Victoria's Secret, markets itself using svelte models and highly choreographed runway shows. Aerie, meanwhile, has set itself apart by positioning around "real" women — often curvier in shape and whose images aren't retouched using Photoshop.

Aerie's newest ambassador, Iskra Lawrence — the model who was dropped from her first agency in her teens because her 36-inch hips were "too big" — fronts the campaign.

Throughout the week, Aerie will donate 100% of sales of a new t-shirt — which reads "Strong. Beautiful. You!" to NEDA. Any customers making a donation to NEDA online or in-store will also receive a bracelet. Aerie will promote the push online, in-store, and on its social channels.

(Aerie)
Aerie will be donating 100% of sales of this t-shirt to NEDA.

Speaking to Business Insider, Lawrence — who is also an ambassador for NEDA — says the charity raises awareness of an issue she has personally had to deal with.

"In the modeling industry, I started at the age of 13, then I was dropped for being too curvy," she said. "I was really scrutinized for my body, rejected, called certain things. Then I tried to do plus-size, but I wasn't big enough. So I struggled with, sort of, eating, and it's something close to my heart. Many of my friends have suffered."

Lawrence said the campaign is significant because brands don't usually publicly lend their support to eating disorder charities — "It's almost like eating disorders have that stigma," she said.

Lawrence says she receives between 100 and 200 messages on Instagram — where she was 1.1 million followers — from girls every day from young women who are struggling, or who have been craving a more realistic portrayal of body image in the media.

Education is key, according to Lawrence. As part of her role at NEDA, she teaches courses in schools to help prevent eating disorders, and she hopes her work with Aerie will have a similar effect.