Glamour’s Lizzie Miller… Get to Know the Girl Behind the Image

It seems like the entire world became crazed over a small picture of Plus Model Lizzie Miller in the September 2009 issue of Glamour Magazine. Why? Lizzie’s body was not touched up and her natural belly was exposed. Countless readers flooded the Glamour blog with statements of praise for showing a “real” woman within their pages. Since then we have seen Lizzie on countless TV shows and have read numerous interviews but today PLUS sits down with Lizzie to talk about her views on the picture, the instant fame and how she really feels about all the hoopla!

[Maddy]  Oh my goodness… I can’t believe the madness over the picture in Glamour Magazine. When I first saw it I was shocked – what was your first impression when you realized they had not touched up the photo? Did you know about it?

[Lizzie] First of all, thank you for taking an interest in me and my picture! I actually didn’t know I was going to be in the September issue of Glamour. The picture was originally shot for a body image story that ran in the April issue this year. So when my friend told me that I was in the magazine I was excited. When I found out they had not touched up the photo I immediately thought, “Well thank god I have good skin!” Ha-ha! Usually every picture that you see in a magazine has some sort of airbrushing done to it. So no, I didn’t know that it had not been airbrushed until I was told-but that’s okay! I don’t think the picture needed any airbrushing anyway. They wanted real, and they got it!

[Maddy] Many people are calling you a trailblazer following the footsteps of models like Crystal Renn and Nicole Lebris who have also posed without having the photo’s retouched. How are you handling the newfound fame?

[Lizzie] I just did a shoot yesterday where I met Crystal Renn and Kate Dillon for the first time. These were the women I knew about when I started and I’m so honored that I had the privilege to shoot with such amazing women. And they were so down to earth and nice. I’m so honored to be considered a “trailblazer” and to help pave the way even more for the plus size industry.

I’m LOVING the attention the picture has gotten. I’ve had a couple of people recognize me on the street and I was so tickled! I said to myself, “You recognize lil’ ol’ me?!” It’s very flattering. I’ve had so many people add me on Facebook I decided to make another page for fans. The word “fan” sounds so silly to me, but I guess I do have fans now! It’s incredible!

[Maddy] What are you hoping this media attention will do to the plus size modeling industry?

[Lizzie] I’m hoping that other magazines (along with Glamour) start to see that this is what the public wants to see. Look at the reaction a little 3×3 picture has gotten! Imagine if they could put a plus size woman in a magazine without drawing attention to her size. I say put her in among all the other skinny girls and let the picture speak for itself, rather than feeling the need to justify it, or just put it in a “body image” story. I just think the advertisers are nervous because it hasn’t really been done. I’m hoping that Glamour paves the way and shows these other businesses that this is what the public wants and NEEDS to see 🙂

[Maddy] The picture has brought attention to the media at such a great time when being anything above a size 2 is portrayed as unhealthy. Can you tell us about how you keep in such fabulous shape?

[Lizzie] Yes, sadly, in this industry, anything over a size 6 is considered “Plus size,” But that’s just ridiculous! Now I’m not saying that being a size 2 isn’t healthy (because for some it really is their body type) but it’s not fair for people who are built differently than that to feel inadequate because they can’t fit into the mold that the media portrays as “sexy.” I’m just trying to show the alternative!

I’m very active, when it’s sunny out I HAVE to be outside. I’m usually either biking, walking and people watching. I like to be active and I like to mix it up. I play on two co-ed softball teams here in the city and LOVE going to classes at the gym. I really love belly-dancing class. Dance classes are the most fun and effective way to burn calories because you don’t feel like you’re working out. You’re getting into the groove of a song and having a good time.  Even if you put on some music at your house and dance around it’s somethin’! The key is to move and find what’s fun to you. If it’s fun and you look forward to doing it, it won’t feel like “working out” it’ll feel like “YAY! I get to learn some new moves in belly dancing today!”

[Maddy] I remember when you first started your career a few years back and you were a young teen – remember the shoot you did with Luke (Lucaspictures.net) at Designer’s Richard Metzger’s house? Since then you have developed into an amazing model – if you could summarize the 5 most important things a model should do while developing her career, what would they be?

[Lizzie] Awwww… wow! Blast from the past! That shoot was so awesome! And I was such a youngin’! He-he

1) One thing is to have the mentality that, “You can learn something new everyday.” Whenever I do a photo shoot and there are a couple of models there, I always observe. You never know what little tricks or poses they might have and you can learn so much by watching. Then make it your own.

2) Today with all our technology we can see the picture right after it is taken on the computer. If there is a break in shooting (fixing the light, or camera adjustment etc.) I’ll always look at the computer and see how the clothes and my body look. When someone tells you “Oh, you’re doing a claw thing with your hand, relax it,” it’s much easier to know what they’re talking about if you can SEE it.

3) Don’t take criticism to heart. If you’re really smiley and bubbly, and the client wants you more laid-back/sexy and they tell you, don’t get discouraged! It doesn’t mean you’re not good at what you do; it’s just that different clients want different things and as a model it’s your job to figure that out and give them what they want.

4) Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If a client is telling you something and you don’t really understand, ASK! Or have them show you. Then that will make them more likely to hire you back again, if you give them what they want. If you don’t understand what they’re asking for, then you could lose a client that way!

5) And last but not least, is Confidence… I live by the phrase “fake it ’till you make it!” If you are confident in your skills and abilities then the client will definitely be impressed!

Thank you Lizzie and we wish you much continued success!

Lizzie Miller – www.wilhelmina.com

Photographers: rickdaynyc.com – lucaspictures.net