Women’s History Month is an important month for ALL women.
This month is a perfect time to not only reflect on the past work women have done to further equal gender rights but also honor the many inspiring women leaders that we look up to for empowerment, especially those who tirelessly work within the plus size industry. We see you and we salute you for all you do!
Here’s 10 women who are using their platforms to push for change in the plus size industry and beyond – click NEXT to continue the gallery:
#1: Rebecca Alexander – Entrepreneur, author, and activist
Alexander is truly an amazing example of someone who serves her community in a fresh, out-of-the-box way. In 2018, the entrepreneur founded AllGo, a review app designed for plus-size people that provides accessibility information so others can know what those places are like for people of size.
In 2019, she co-founded Plus Size For, the first-ever line of political graphic tees in sizes XS to 6X. In the same year, she also launched a collection of plus size stock images that she offers to the public for free.
When looking for images to use for her own businesses, she saw there was a lack of photos of plus-size people doing normal things and when she did find them, the fees were high. So she created her own.
2019 also saw Alexander become an author. A Kids Book About Body Image “takes the conversation around body image head-on, helping kids not only love their own bodies the way they are, but understand how corporations and capitalism profit from keeping us insecure. The book highlights common body image concerns experienced by kids of all races, genders, and sizes“.
You can purchase A Kids Book About Body Image here.
AllGo: https://canweallgo.com/
Plus Size For: https://plussizefor.com/
Free plus size stock images collection: https://canweallgo.com/plus-size-stock-photos/
#2: Stephanie Yeboah – Freelance writer, fashion blogger, public speaker, and fat acceptance advocate
A veteran in the plus size blogging space, UK-based Yeboah has an audience of almost 100K followers across her main social media channels and has used her platform to push for more visibility for fat Black women, talking to hot-button topics such as racism, fat phobia, traveling as a fat black woman, dating and more.
Whether she is using her pen, voice or image to further that mission, her fearlessness to be vocal about those important topics has led to her being regarded as a key figure in the plus size community. She has an impressive resume, having written for media outlets such as Bustle, Elle, Lonely Planet and Who What Wear. She’s been featured in TV and radio segments for TV Points of View, Channel 5 News, The Jeremy Vine Show, Good Morning Britain, BBC 4 Women’s Hour, BBC 5 Live, LBC, MTV UK and more.
The gorgeous stunner recently graced one of Glamour UK’s February 2020 Self Love Issue covers and is currently at work, writing her debut non-fiction book which will launch in Fall 2020.
Website: https://www.stephanieyeboah.com/
You can pre-order her book Fattily Ever After: The Fat, Black Girls’ Guide to Living Life Unapologetically here.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieyeboah/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephanieyeboah
#3: Nicolette Mason – brand strategist, creative consultant, fashion writer and entrepreneur
Fashion and Feminism: that’s how Mason describes herself on Twitter and we simply love how she has married the two into this amazing platform where she has become such an incredible ally and supporter for fat women everywhere.
She’s passionate about size inclusivity in fashion as well as representation for ALL, not being afraid to call out brands and push for them to do better for their customers. We also love how she has started the conversation about plus size women and why they are worthy of having more access to luxury fashion.
In 2017, Mason co-founded the body positive clothing brand Premme with fellow veteran blogger and friend Gabi Gregg, offering up to size 6X. In December 2019, she partnered with Nordstrom to curate their first-ever extended sizes holiday pop-up store in New York City, which featured an assortment of their in-house brands and designer labels up to size 26/28. The pop-up, which also featured one-on-one styling sessions with Mason and bra fittings by Elomi Lingerie was a success and we hope to see more of this powerhouse partnership in 2020.
The former contributing editor at Marie Claire also shares her voice as a contributing writer to major mainstream publications such as Glamour, Teen Vogue, Refinery29 and Coveteur. Mason is able to access spaces that many plus size women have not been able to and she makes us all feel like we are by her side, pushing for more inclusivity and diversity.
Website: https://www.nicolettemason.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolettemason
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicolettemason
#4: Mary Alice Duff – Designer and Founder, Alice Alexander
During a time where slow, sustainable fashion has now become an important topic that cannot be ignored, Duff takes it a step further, adding inclusivity to that conversation.
Her ethically and sustainably made women’s apparel brand Alice Alexander is truly size inclusive, where she designs for ALL sizes. As noted on their website:
“We’re on a mission to radically change the fashion industry to one that is inclusive of ALL BODIES and is respectful of people and planet.”
The way Duff and her team accomplish this is by creating each garment on a made-to-order basis. They create and produce each piece in the US and sell them directly to their customers.
Duff’s commitment to sustainability and ethics doesn’t end there. She uses her brand to educate customers on slow fashion and all things inclusive, ethical and sustainable via her weekly newsletter titled Monday Musings. She has used her newsletter to also further the conversation about individuals investing in themselves via slow fashion and knowing they are worth it.
Duff recently announced that she has partnered with Brit Reed of Tesoro Leather Studio to have a weekend long event in Philadelphia on May 16 – 17, 2020 called Slow for All: An immersive slow fashion experience striving towards inclusivity. The event aims to celebrate inclusive, sustainable, ethical fashion and includes speakers, panels and vendors.
It’s exciting to see slow fashion become front and center, and how Duff is also ensuring that plus size women are not left out of the conversation.
Website: https://alicealexander.co/
To find out more about the Slow For All event in Philadelphia and purchase tickets: https://alicealexander.co/pages/slow-for-all
Instagram – Alice Alexander: https://www.instagram.com/alicealexanderco/
Instagram – Direct: https://www.instagram.com/maryalice_duff/
#5: Felicity Hayward – Plus size model, speaker and body positive advocate
Hayward was discovered in 2012 while dancing to Diana Ross in an East London pub and the rest is history.
During her eight-year career, Hayward has modeled for publications such as Vogue and Glamour, also gracing the cover of I-D in 2012. She has modeled in campaigns for MAC Cosmetics, TK Maxx, Accessorize, Ann Summers, Boohoo, New Look, River Island, Missguided and is currently one of faces of Katy Perry’s INDI and L’oreal Elvive. In 2013, the British stunner was the first plus size model to be featured in a TK Maxx commercial.
In 2014, ASOS tapped Hayward as their first ever Curve Ambassador & Stylist, inspiring women of varying shapes and sizes to embrace their silhouettes.
She has become one of the most recognized plus size models in the plus size industry and is considered a trailblazer in pushing for change within the fashion industry. In 2015, she launched her body positive movement #SelfLoveBringsBeauty, which focuses on self-love, diversity, confidence and acceptance for all. The movement has expanded to include merchandise, workshops, events and talks.
Speaking of talks, Hayward is also a past TEDxSpeaker, having spoken at the TedxLeamington Spa event in the UK in 2019. Her talk, called “The Great Body Positivity Swindle“, discusses how body positivity has become a trend where many influencers are cashing-in and targeting the low self esteem of their audiences.
We look forward to seeing what Hayward will accomplish in the next decade in her mission to inspire everyone to love themselves and the skin they’re in.
Website – Official: http://www.felicityhayward.com/
Website – SelfLoveBringsBeauty: https://www.selflovebringsbeauty.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felicityhayward
#6: Callie Thorpe – Blogger, Public Speaker and Podcast Host at The Confidence Corner
Ironically, Thorpe started her blog in 2012 to detail her weight loss journey and share what she wanted to change about her appearance. After becoming obsessed with numbers on the scale and writing negative things about herself, she started to seek out plus size fashion blogs online and that inspired her to change her mindset and start over.
She set up a new blog to document her journey to confidence and never looked back. Eight years later, she is now known as the “Queen of Confidence” by her massive social media audience and has created a platform that inspires others to be more confident. We love that idea of paying it forward with confidence.
Thorpe has since been featured in major campaigns for brands such as Nike, Anthropologie, Simply Be, Etsy UK, River Island and Clinique. And she now has a podcast called The Confidence Corner.
We can’t wait to see what’s next for Thorpe and her platform of having confidence while on a journey to loving your body unapologetically.
Website: https://www.calliethorpe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calliethorpe/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-confidence-corner/id1474661889
#7: Arlinda McIntosh – Creative director and Founder of Sofistafunk
McIntosh runs her label Sofistafunk -The Skirt Co., a slow lifestyle fashion brand that strives for zero waste. She wanted to create a clothing line that was bold and empowering; twenty years later, it’s evident that her brand is that and more. Her pieces are standouts that are effortless and so versatile. She is known for her voluminous, picturesque and whimsical skirt collections, which always sell out fast.
In the 90s, she designed pieces for major music artists and celebrities including Mary J. Blige, Lauren Hill and Queen Latifah. After launching her Sofistafunk brand with her daughter-in-law Cheshire in 2000, McIntosh has evolved her business to truly be a movement for all women to embrace who they are through their style. To McIntosh, it doesn’t matter what size or age you are, her clothing will make everyone live out their own fairytale and feel powerful while doing so.
Website: https://sofistafunk.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofistafunktheskirtco/
#8: Velvet d’Amour – plus size photographer and former model
d’Amour is simply an icon. Starting out as a successful size-26 model who most notably walked the runway in Jean-Paul Gaultier’s 2007 Spring/Summer prêt-à-porter show in Paris in October 2006 that earned her a feature in Vogue France, she has become a renowned photographer that owns Vol·Up·2 Magazine.
She creates art with every single person who shoots and is a sought-after photographer for that very reason. d’Amour uses her photography as a way to showcase ALL bodies and show their beauty. Her work sets out to defy those beauty standard stereotypes that society has pushed upon us.
It’s as if her photography is a form of activism and it not only showcases the model’s beauty, strength and power but empowers others to see themselves in a more positive light. And she uses her magazine as an outlet to promote diversity on all fronts.
Website: https://www.volup2.com/
Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/volup2/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VOLUP2
#9: Mirna Valerio – Plus size athlete, public speaker and author
When Valerio started her blog Fat Girl Running in 2011, it was simply to document her journey of being a plus size woman who runs. Nine years later, The Mirnavator is not just running marathons but empowering others to be active at any size.
She told Buzzfeed in 2017:
“My body shape and size is not an asset for fast running, but the fat that I have on my body is definitely helpful in terms of endurance — I can run, bike, and walk forever. I’ve faced some criticism, but it’s usually from people who are negative about everything; the sport is largely very inclusive. If you look at any race, you’ll see a range of bodies: tall, short, big, small, fat, whatever. Those bodies are out there doing their thing, and even if you don’t have what’s considered a typical ‘runner’s body,’ you can do it too.”
Here’s just a few of the amazing things she has done to spread her message of being active at any size… She has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson show (here), was featured in a Calvin Klein campaign done in conjunction with Women’s Health talking to the “Love Yourself” fitness movement, has worked with REI as a brand ambassador and was chosen as a 2018 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.
In 2017, her book A Beautiful Work In Progress hit the shelves, a memoir detailing her journey from first-time racer to ultramarathoner.
She currently runs the FATGIRLRUNNING Group on Facebook, a community of nearly 15k athletes in bigger bodies who focus on being fit, not losing weight. Valerio’s commitment to supporting other runners shows. She flew all the way to Washington state to meet a group member in real life and run her first 50K with her.
Valerio continues to inspire a new generation of athletes of different sizes, shapes and ages with the message that you can do anything you set your mind to.
Website: https://themirnavator.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themirnavator
You can purchase A Beautiful Work in Progress here.
#10: Nadia Boujarwah – CEO & Co-Founder, Dia&Co
Boujarwah co-founded Dia&Co in 2015 because as a plus size woman herself, she struggled to find clothing in her size that she loved. Dia&Co has now become a brand known for talking to fashion and style from a body positive standpoint while offering customers style boxes tailored to their needs and wants.
She calls Dia&Co a place where everyone can explore all the incredible things that style can really do. Boujarwah truly believes that style is self-expression and that clothes should resonate with who you are. That mission statement is what has truly propelled Dia&Co to be one of the key successful leaders in the plus size apparel business.
“We believe you should never settle because style is how we celebrate ourselves. And when you never settle, you become unstoppable.”
Boujarwah is about celebrating ALL women and Dia’s blog and social media channels reflect that. She has inspired so many women to embrace their style, get out of their comfort zone and dress their bodies confidently. She is definitely a major advocate and ally for ALL women.
Website: https://www.dia.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaandco/
Who are some of the women pushing for change in the plus size industry that you admire? Follow us on social media and let us know: @plusmodelmag: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter