Surviving breast cancer can be a very empowering and victorious experience, however, the scars that it leaves behind especially when you get a mastectomy can be very difficult to live with. Survivors often have to deal with the discomfort of breast prosthesis, especially now that it’s summer, at the beach, when they want to be active and swim and play with their children.

These modern swimsuits, dubbed “Monokinis,” help eliminate the discomfort breast cancer survivors face when they go to the beach and show us their bravery, hope and determination. The project’s Finnish designers state that breast cancer survivors should not be ashamed of their scars – instead, they should feel proud of them, for they are marks of a battle well-fought.

“Monokini 2.0 is a social art project that re-examines popular culture’s narrow view of a woman’s ideal appearance,” they explain.“Our other aim is to dig into the restrictive social taboo on what is considered appropriate – of exposing something that is not there. Seeing an exposed breast is considered nakedness, but why is exposing no breast also considered nakedness?“, the designers behind this project ask.

To see the models that participated in this project, check out the images below.