PLUS MODEL MAGAZINE December 2015 Holiday issue | Page 110

To all the inspiring models who are reading this, please understand that it is not as easy as it looks! It’s a lot of sacrifice, time and travel. It’s a real job! And you should treat it like a job. Yes, it’s fun but it’s still a business and hard work. You will also have to invest your own money on a lot of things to further your career. What would you like your career to look like 5 years from now? What are your goals? I would love to do more work overseas. Also, I’d love to write a book about embracing who you are, flaws and all… being true to yourself and loving yourself. I’d also love to work on fashion collaborations and a plus size lingerie plusmodelmag.com 12.15 #plusmodelmag inspiration + style line. The sky’s the limit! Diversity in the plus size modeling industry is a hot topic we have been discussing all year. Do you feel like certain doors are still closed to you because companies are still not open to working with non-Caucasian models? I am bi-racial so I totally understand the importance of showcasing different skin tones and racial backgrounds in the industry. I do see a lack of it on the runways and more high-fashion stories. I love the diversity in catalog work, though. It shows that the industry is warming up to it. We need to break boundaries and include different skin tones and races in not just only catalog work but all aspects of the industry. Also, different body shapes, heights and sizes since plus size women do come in all shapes and sizes.