PLUS MODEL MAGAZINE October 2015, Love Your Body Issue | Page 138

Finish this sentence... The plus industry is:
… Changing the way beauty is defined. – For the past 9 years I have mentored
young girls and I have witnessed how the media has had a hand in sending
misleading, negative body messages to the impressionable minds of our youth. I
love when a mentee tells me she feels good about herself because she has seen
someone in the media being celebrated for their size and they are not an unhealthy
size 0. Some people are naturally skinny and healthy and that is fine. The problem
arises when images in the media are overly Photoshopped and then sold to our
youth as the definition of beauty.

Who are your favorite plus designers, models, bloggers and celebrities?
Where do I even begin? With the plus size industry exploding, my list of favorite plus
designers, models, bloggers and celebrities keeps growing every day. My top picks
as of today would be...

Designers: With plus size being the new thing it seems as if most designers are
expanding their lines to attract the curvy market. I am a ‘jeans kind of girl’ and there
is nothing like a great pair of jeans that embrace my curves. Leading my list are
Levis, CJ by Cookie Johnson and Mellissa McCarthy Jeans by Seven.

Models: Denise Bidot / Philomena Kwao – These ladies have a unique look that
demands power and I love it!

Bloggers: Farrah Estrella from Estrella Fashion Report - She is always up-to-date
on what’s going on in the fashion world internationally and locally. Plus I love the
down-to-earth feedback she gives her readers.