PMM Archives: Glamour’s Plus Size Model Lizzie Miller… Get to Know the Girl Behind the Image

It seems like the entire world became crazed over a small picture of Plus Size 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 plus size 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 fellow plus size models 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 🙂