Plus Size Models: New Super Models are overweight and Sign “Golden” Contracts

In a recent post on her personal Instagram account, Hunter McGrady, the plus-size model photographed in a swimsuit for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, encourages her followers to love their bodies, the way they are shaped ( and spoiled for most) due to the quarantine.

So, last month through a selfie in her underwear, the 27-year-old American shared her thoughts with her 654,000 followers, saying that “I’ve seen a lot of negative self-talk during quarantine, especially about our bodies. Because no one was prepared to experience this unprecedented situation and pressure, I ask that you be kind to your body, take care of it, love it, respect it, and above all be proud of it.” The photo, in fact, managed to gather 42,000 likes.

As she communicated after the prompting of plus-size photographer Anastasia Garcia, with this movement she tried to put an end to the guilt and shame created for women with extra pounds, urging them to love themselves and their bodies, even in times of crisis.

The “biggest number” ever photographed for Sports Illustrated

McGrady continues for the fourth year in a row to be photographed in a swimsuit for Sports Illustrated, while she is the “biggest size” (size 16) ever to grace the cover of the magazine. As she told Fox News, “the editor-in-chief of the magazine understands the need for diversity in the media.”

It is worth mentioning that in 2015 Sports Illustrated was the first to host the now famous plus-size model Ashley Graham on its cover, overturning the previous standards and opening new horizons. So with this cover, the magazine managed to promote a new philosophy to its 60 million readers, while Graham introduced plus-size models to the world and the fashion industry. “Everyone has a need to see different bodies. We need to see different races, heights, and shapes. To have a variety of people in what the media is showing,” McGrady explained to Fox News.

The Fashion Industry and Plus Size Models

Something that seems to have been noticed by the fashion industry for some years. In 2011, the Italian “Vogue” surprised everyone with the cover with plus size models – a work of the renowned American photographer Steven Meisel-, to follow three years ago the cover of Ashley Graham in “Vogue” and her dozens of appearances in New York Fashion Week in 2018, in order to open the way and the doors of the fashion industry to the rest of the plus size models.

After Graham’s dynamic presence on the scene, models who are not a size 2 (like for example the “little angels” of Victoria’s Secret), have gained popularity all over the world. Chloe Marshall was the first plus size woman to take part in a beauty pageant and made it all the way to the final of Miss England, while Australian model Jessica Leahy rose to fame walking the catwalk at New York Fashion Week.

Several international houses have begun to approach plus-size models, both for their campaigns and for the catwalk, while there are not a few stores that are expanding the plus-size categories or focusing exclusively on them. Although the most famous modeling agencies in America (Ford Models and IMG Models), along with Victoria’s Secret, are accused to this day of encouraging their models to diet hard to fit into size 2 clothes, in order to attract more commercial public interest, there are agencies that “embrace” plus size models, with women and men signing with leading companies in the field.

Some of the most famous plus size models in the area

The most famous representative of the field is undoubtedly Graham, who from the first moment of her appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated, does not miss an opportunity wherever she stands and wherever she is to talk about how important it is to promote diversity in terms of body types and female body weight. She belongs to one of the most famous American modeling agencies and redeems her reputation with “golden” contracts for the campaigns of international brands.

Also, a very famous representative of the field is the 29-year-old Australian Robyn Lawley, the first model to appear in a Ralph Lauren campaign, while she has also been photographed for some of the biggest fashion magazines in the world.

However, as diversity and diversity make their presence felt in the fashion world, more and more models are gaining fame and becoming widely known in the field.

One such example is the 24-year-old model Tess Holliday, who joined the MiLK agency two years ago. An agency that not only prefers plus size models, but has also hired plus size women as influencers. In fact, the managers of the office are of the belief that “no two models should look alike”.

The voluptuous size 22 redhead, with 1.5 million Instagram followers, is now one of the most dynamic presences in the space, and her deal with the agency was a major milestone for the fashion industry as she was the first model of her size to secure representation by a professional modeling agency.

Andy Garcia’s 28-year-old daughter Alessandra Garcia-Lorido is another shining example of the space, having walked the runway for Dolce & Gabbana, appeared alongside Emily Ratajkowski in a campaign to promote the latter’s personal swimwear line and beachwear, and has also starred in Gap jeans campaigns in fall 2019.

Million dollar profits

These are women who not only have millions of fans on social media, but appear on catwalks, pose on the red carpet, are photographed on the covers of international women’s magazines, and are also the faces of popular brand campaigns.

As for their earnings? These are redeemed based on their fame, with Graham being the highest paid of all, earning $5.5 million in 2017! An amount that included her in tenth place on Forbes’ list of the highest paid models in the world.

For Graham, however, there is still a long way to go before plus size models are treated on equal terms with the rest. And this will happen when the reference to their person will be made only by name, without the designation “plus size”.

Characteristic, in fact, of the growth of the plus size modeling industry is the fact that it reaches 21 billion dollars, with future forecasts for the next few years even speaking of 100 billion dollars. Combined with the fact that 68% of the purchasing power in America today consists of plus size women, it is enough to conclude that the “plus size” version of women is the norm, not the exception.