Paloma Elsesser is breaking barriers in the fashion world and kicking down the door on those misconceptions of what a model should look like.
The plus size model doesn’t have a traditional hourglass curvy body and she is not a size 10 or 12. But she has proven that she doesn’t need to be those things in order to be a successful plus size model. We didn’t call her one of the plus size trailblazers to watch in 2018 for nothing.
“I wasn’t scouted in a mall as a kid. I went through my whole life thinking I’m a pretty, chubby girl. I’ve never been skinny, so it’s something that was really born out of the visibility that social media granted me.
I’m not super tall, and I don’t have this classic plus-size body, but I’m special in my own way, and I think that story is really inspiring to a lot of girls.”
We love that she’s so transparent about everything from being different to hating jeans when she was younger because she couldn’t get a good fitting pair as she told Vogue in a recent interview:
“When I was younger, finding jeans were like my hell, being a little thicker. I started wearing men’s jeans, and I remember going to Tilly’s, a fake skate shop in the Valley, and I found a weird stretch pair of women’s Dickies. I remember I wore them until they ripped in the thighs.”
She’s a member of the International Girl Crew, which partnered with Nike on a collection of retro and colorful sneakers promoting diversity within the crew and how their differences bring them and keep them together. Elsesser also was featured in billboards for Glossier, a beauty brand, in their #BodyHero campaign last fall.
This powerhouse has worked with Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand, ASOS, Nike (in their plus size activewear campaign), Forever 21, Good American, Target, and H&M. She has been seen in Teen Vogue, Vogue, Allure, Elle and the CR Fashion Book.
Her most recent cover appearance for Vogue Arabia’s Body Revolution issue is what has people talking and asking who she is.
How can you NOT know who she is?!?
Vogue Arabia stated that Elsesser is on a mission to get the fashion industry to serve every woman. And we are here for all of it. Yessss!
Click here to check her out on Instagram and here to check out her online portfolio over at her agency IMG Models.