A growing number of plus sized models have been redefining what it means to be beautiful.
These are the hottest models who are breaking the mold and showing you don’t need a tiny waist to have a rockin’ body.
1. Marquita Pring
Marquita Pring is from Upstate New York who now lives in Brooklyn.
She now works for Ford Models and, “…never once thought about going
to be a straight sized model. Even at the beginning I figure, I thought I
could do beauty work, I have a nice face, they can photograph me from
here up and maybe my body won’t be included.” She found out she could
actually be a plus-sized model and still have the career and do the
things she wanted to do and eat and be healthy.
She has modeled for Jean Paul Gaultier and hopes to be able to be the cover girl for Lancome or Chanel one day.
“It doesn’t matter what shape you have or the size you wear, whether
you’re skinny or curvy, tall or short. The important thing is to be
happy, to feel comfortable in your own skin. I always say it because I
would have never gotten here if I hadn’t had confidence in myself. I’ve
always taken lots of care of myself, what a woman wears is the distinct
image of how she feels inside and what she wants to communicate to the
outside world. If you have confidence in yourself and if you’re happy,
it doesn’t matter what others think.”
2. Toccara Jones
Toccara Jones was born on March 13, 1981 in Dayton, Ohio.
She was contestant for the third season of America’s Next Top Model and finished in seventh place.
She went to school at Stivers School for the Arts. She is a plus sized model believe “plus means positive
3. Tess Henstra
Tess Henstra is a size 16 with one of the most striking eyes in the modeling world.
She has a natural beauty who works with Dominique Models Agency
4. Denise Bidot
On a mission to change the way we define beauty.
She’s been at New York Fashion Week, the runway of CHROMAT and Serena
William’s HSN Clothing Line. You can see her in Forever 21 Plus, Levis
Jeans, Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s. The fact that she models and still has
time to be a single mother speaks wonders about what this woman can do.
“It’s funny, because there’s no real science or anything. You just
make it happen! I’m one of those people that knows everything is
possible if I just work really hard. So, I have this beautiful
six-year-old daughter, and an amazing career that people can only dream
about. When I was a little girl, I believed I could achieve anything,
and somehow it worked out! That’s the honest truth.”
5. Maggie Brown
Maggie Brown won Tyra’s Thick and Top Model Contest in 2006.
Maggie pursued modeling back in 2006 out on a whim and eventually won Tyra Bank’s Thick and Top Model Contest. She faced many problems with perseverance in the industry.
“Well to be honest with you, my biggest challenge is patience. In
this industry there is a lot of “hurry up and wait”… You might get a
nibble at a job but you have to wait it out and be patient until all the
formalities are completed to book the time/date, etc. I’ve really
learned to become a very patient person!
6. Jennie Runk
Best known for H&M’s Summer 2013 beachwear campaign.
Jennie Runk was born June 13, 1989 in Georgia. She has been on Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Cosmo Girl, and Marie Claire.
“I’ve always considered myself a feminist. In high school I drove my
dad’s pickup truck with feminist stickers on the back and bright pink
seat covers. My ringtone is Joan Jett’s ‘Bad Reputation.’ I went to
Stephens, a women’s college, and joined a feminist protest group.”
7. Laura Wells
This international plus size model is an advocate for better body image.
This size 14 beauty has been fighting to break the model of modeling.
Many of the agents asked the models to stick to a diet of crackers and
water. “No food being eaten, prescription dietary pills, agents telling
girls that they’re only allowed to have one cracker and a couple glasses
of water leading up to fashion week per day.”
Laura Wells eats healthy, works out, and got modeling jobs. She was
happy with her body, but her roommates who were trying to fit the
smaller sized shoots were putting so much stress on both their bodies
and mentally. In France, the fashion industry has made changes to how
they portray women. Lawmakers made it illegal to condone anorexia and
want any re-touched photos that altered the bodily appearance to have a
message stating the images were manipulated.
8. Lizzie Miller
Lizzie Miller is considered a “plus-size” model with a size at around
a 12-14. The industry considers anything over a size six a
plus-size. As Miller says, “pretty much every picture in a magazine or
ad is airbrushed . . . I don’t think the public understands how much
smoke and mirrors are involved in making women look like that.”
Today, most fashion shoots still won’t use any average-sized women.
It wasn’t until the public reacted to a photo of her which generated a
frenzy of feedback from women all over the world. Lizzie Miller
celebrates her stretch marks and a roll of tummy flesh because she wants
to be able to relate to every woman out there.
