Plus Modeling 101: “If at First You Don’t Succeed…”

Hey everyone it has certainly been a little while since we last talked and I am hoping that everyone of you curvy Venus Divas are doing fine.  I often share with you my journey towards becoming a working plus sized model.  My ultimate goal is to become an Ashley Stewart model.  Why?   The main reason is because their fashion and in-store banners featuring real plus sized women inspired me to step out on faith and see where it would take me.

I started off learning about modeling by visiting the Venus Diva Community and becoming inspired by multi-talented plus model Olga Gonzalez-Ramos, our Lifestyle Editor.  Believe it or not, I still have not met her in person and the friendship we formed over e-mails, phone calls and texts was almost instantaneous.  I was new to the game and didn’t know anything about modeling except that I loved it and the idea of actually becoming a plus model; she helped me in a lot of different areas.  I learned almost everything I now know by doing research online, reading every issue of Plus Model Magazine & reading all the information Venus Diva had to offer.  I also learned a lot by talking to other models.

Something that I have come to realize about myself along the way on this journey is how much I have changed and how much I am still changing for the better.  I am more confident in who I am and I know it is because I have discovered that I don’t have to be like anyone else.  I used to be extremely insecure about not only my weight gain but also my height.  It wasn’t easy for me to find plus sized fashions that were accommodating to my long arms and legs, which at times had me wearing some ill fitting clothing which added to insecurities that were already built up in my mind.  I wasn’t unhappy with who I was, just mainly unhappy with what fashion had to offer a big, tall girl like me.  It was either wear clothes that was too big or clothes that were too small.  For a long while I used to only wear men’s jeans because I needed a 36” inseam to fit me without looking like high waters, lol!  Ashley Stewart was actually introduced to me by my sister in law Angela who always dresses sharp.  She was one of those women in the church who always looked confident in what she wore and had the perfect combination of classy and sexy.  Every time that we would go shopping at the mall we would hit the Ashley Stewart’s first.  I often daydreamed of becoming one of those models plastered all over the walls encouraging other curvy women to shop and wear the latest fashions confidently.  It was the first place that actually fit my style and my shape and my confidence level had sky rocketed because of this.   I sometimes fuss here and there as I continue to learn what works for me but I feel good knowing that I too can find fashions that I like and fit my frame and shape.  No longer did I have to wish I looked like this or that to wear what I wanted and because of that I wanted to become an Ashley Stewart model.

After much hard work, I am happy to say that I was chosen as a Top 10 finalist in their 2010 model search.  Though I didn’t win, making it to the Top 10 only reassured me that if I keep on trying maybe one day I will reach this goal of becoming  an Ashley Stewart Model and after that I may stop plus modeling altogether, but we will see.  Though I love plus modeling, I am more interested in encouraging other women to dispel the stereotypes and limitations that the world puts on them.  That you don’t have to be rich and you don’t have to be skinny amongst other things to reach your goals and dreams.  I am just an average chick, a woman with a mission to share with others that with God all things are possible.  I do not know what the future holds for me or whether or not I will reach this goal but I believe it is possible.  And in the words of Aaliyah “If At First You Don’t Succeed, Dust Yourself off and try again, lol.

On Feb 25^th Ashley Stewart is holding their Coast to Coast Model Search in New York & LA.  I marked my calendar, have you?  Hope to see you in NY.  If you see me there, show some love and let’s take some pictures to share with the rest of the world that we are full figured, beautiful and confident.  Keep on thriving ladies!  Remember you can do anything you put your mind to so don’t be afraid to DREAM BIG. God Bless!