For seventeen years my business partner (Valery Amador) and I have lived in service of the plus size industry.
Back then the plus size industry was not what it is today and models were certainly not seen as boldly and beautifully as they are today among advertising and marketing campaigns.
When I look back we entered unchartered waters with the hope that we could help create change and bring a much-needed voice to the industry. Not my particular voice, but the voice of the very people who work inside the industry. Through this experience I have met so many wonderful people, some of who are still devoted to the plus-size community and some have moved on to their next chapter.
Through the highs and lows of life and business, we have always maintained our commitment to supporting the plus-size fashion industry, the models, and the community we adore.
Through our presence in media such as Good Morning America, Extra, and countless other news and media segments we put plus-size bodies at the forefront and took the hits as they came. While there were many people who gasped at the thought of seeing plus-size models as “models” to be booked in campaigns outside of plus-size brands others applauded our efforts and joined our campaign for change.
What I’ve learned through this process is that the most important thing we could have is self-awareness so that we could move confidently into the world and when we face those challenging moments we will never lose our integrity.
We hope you will join us this month on all our social media channels @plusmodelmag as we celebrate 17 years of doing what we love… celebrating YOU!