All language subtitles for A.Perfect.14.2018.720p.BluRay.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

Plus size modeling is like,

there's like this frame
of thought around it
you know, and like-

When I first started,
I thought like-- Okay
plus size modeling,

sometimes you think
like, oh, that section
in Walmart. You know, or--

I would like, oh my god
I'm in this wrong section
kind of thing, you know?

But like, I don't know.

Plus size modeling isn't what
it used to be or what it is
in a lot of people's minds.

If I tell people I'm a plus size
model some of them are
like, -ou're plus size?

The smaller end of curve,
which is I hate to say it, but
from like a UK size 10 to a 14.

And then a plus size model
here in Australia that works
the most, is a size 14.

No, no, no, no, we
start, well in French -
it's 40, so that means 10.

From a 14 upwards.

Size 10, size 12.

Then drop to a size 12.

We go until 15.

Now dropped to a size 10.

Now up to size 18, size 20.

17, uh 18 in US.

Uh, UK 18.

-US 12.
-Like 16 18.

14. 44, it's 14.

16 to 20,
10, 16, 12, 10, 18, 20, 18.

America, UK, 20, UK.

As an editor, I've never put
a plus sized model on the cover.

You mean curvier size?
Um, certainly Kim Kardashian.

We would often put Kate Winslet
on the cover for example who's
a little bit more voluptuous.

Kate Upton, Robyn
Lawley, Beyonc, the Kardashians
and you know they've got curves.

If you look at that pool
of women, there are big
name celebrities that are-

embody the sense of fun,
fearlessness that is synonymous
with the Cosmo brand

and are 18 to 35, there
aren't a hell of a lot
of women that are curvy.

[Kellie] The perfect girls,
unfortunately, sell better
than the plus size girls.

If we put X model on the cover,
it won't sell and that's my job.

I'm running a business.

So, I think people say
that they want to see this,

but the reality is they're
not going to buy it.

They're going to go
and buy the magazine
where the girl who's perfect

and she's airbrushed
within an inch of her life.

Why wouldn't you put a
random girl on the cover
who's curvy or whatever else?

And it's like, well, because
maybe that person's mother
would buy it and the relatives,

but if we're a mass magazine
trying to get a lot of women
to pick up and buy this

because ultimately,
we are a business and
we need to make money.

As we say here fit is the new
rich, it's you know people,
I think there is an element

of that that we are a magazine
that, you know, focuses
on the AB demographic.

So yeah that's the,
you know, educated
and wealthy individuals.

I think there is that desire
for perfection and still in
society sometimes perfection

means thin and trim and blonde
and blue-eyed and beautiful.

Hi Elly, my name is Jaclyn Sarka
and I'm one of the Founders of
JAG models in New York City.

Wanted to write you
and see if you have any
modeling representation

or if you're looking for some.

I'm not sure if you've ever
heard of us but myself and
my co-founder Gary Dakin

used to run the Plus
board at FORD Models
before it closed down.

If you have any interest
please email me back.

We would love for you to join
our JAG roster and family.

So yeah, they pretty much
just offered me the best
contract I could have hoped for

and honestly I haven't even
looked at it because I'm just,

I'm so excited that
I don't even want to
open up that book yet

because once I get
excited about something,

like, I can't get
my mind off of it.

So, I'm holding back a lot of
excitement to start this part of
my life and to go to New York

and to do those kind of photo
shoots will be insane

and it would be mental to
do something like it would be
beyond my wildest dreams.

...is worn by the ever
so elegant, Elly Mayday.

Elly is gracing the stage
in this smashing five-collection
satin and lace corset.

My name is Elly Mayday.

I am a plus size model.

That's the number one question I
get asked is "How did you begin?
How did you start out?" Right?

When I first started
out no one wanted me.

The agencies were like -Oh,
you're not that tall, you're not
too big, you're not too small.-

So, I just thought, okay,
I've got to build my portfolio.

And so, that's the first
thing I worked on.

And I looked on Craigslist and
found different photographers

that want to TFP which
I didn't know what that meant,
I had to like Google it.

Trade for Print means
that no one gets paid.

I approached clothing
companies because I was like,

-Who will take my photo
and pay me for it locally?-

I approached Cherry
Velvet Plus Clothing.

They used me for an ad at Save
on Meats downtown Vancouver.

That was pretty much my first
paid photo shoot, ever and
that was like pretty recently.

That was seven,
eight months ago now.

Seeing it in a magazine
was pretty cool too.

It's at the back, so I'm just
saying, I'm joking with everyone

that I'm working my way
to get on the cover.

That's my motivation, is
working from those back
ads that no one looks at

to the, the girl on the cover.

My name's Laura Wells and
I'm a full-time plus size model.

I'm also an environmental
scientist in my off time, but
full-time I work as a model.

Never.

I've never ever once thought
about being a model.

Because I never thought
I could be a model.

I always knew I was bigger.

I'd never ever heard
of plus size modeling

and I never used to see
pictures of girls that looked
like me in magazines.

When I was in high school and
my sister was around 12-13
years old, she became a model.

My body shape doesn't look
anything like hers, so there
was no way in hell that

I ever thought that
I could be a model.

My sister was seeing agents
in New York City at the time.

When I started getting
approached to be
a plus size model

I thought they were crazy.

Just thought everyone
was calling me fat and I
wasn't very happy. [chuckles]

But after that I got approached
in Sydney again, so Mum
took me to BGM Models

and she signed me
which was amazing.

About two weeks later, I got
a job and it was completely
incredible and mind-blowing.

I think it showed me, -Wow.
There, you know I can do this.-

Even though I was still
really uncomfortable.

So, I had this dilemma,
do I be scientist Laura
or do I be model Laura?

I thought, -Okay,
I'll give it one year.

I'm doing modeling
for one year, that's it.-

And I did it. I modeled
in Australia for one year
and I did quite well

and I was one of the only
full-time plus size models
in Australia at that stage.

I worked in Germany, I worked
in South Africa, I worked
in Spain and Scotland

and I get to go to all
these cool places and
meet all these cool people

and model for all these
companies that I've never heard
of before. This is unreal.

Like, who my age gets to travel
around the world and be
paid for it? That's amazing!

lf I'd have ditched modeling
altogether, and just gone
straight to science,

I would have been in a
completely different
position than I am now.

And I actually wouldn't have
realized what my passion was

if I had have gone into
a normal corporate
environmental science job.

I wouldn't have had that
availability to me it would have
been a lot harder to get there.

Now that I have got
that name for myself,

I have been able to combine
the science and the modeling
a little bit, which is awesome.

and I feel like a bit of a
Captain Planet type person,
joining my powers together.

My name's Kerosene Deluxe.

I am an alternative
plus size model.

Perfect.

And just bring that other
hand in a little bit more.

I was born in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

That was an awesome
shoot, thank you guys.

When I was in my mid-teens my
friends and I went out dancing.

Snuck into a club a
little bit too young.

We were dancing
and having a good time.

And suddenly a stranger decided
to grope my chest from the back.

Me being quite an angry
rebellious teenager at the time,

turned around without really
thinking and punched the guy
in the nose, incredibly hard.

That resulted in my friends,
kind of, teasing me about it
for the upcoming months,

saying that I was
flammable like kerosene.

When it was time for me to take
my modeling to the next level,

I was really looking
for a new stage name.

My friends were like well you
already have a nickname so
why don't you just use that?

So yeah, it became Kerosene
and I just kind of added the
Deluxe part to sound fancy.

I never, growing up,
thought about modeling.

I wanted to be an air
hostess or a mermaid.

I wanted to be a dolphin
trainer as well.

I would like, get towels and I
would wrap my legs in towels
and I would like make fake fins.

Then, I would call my grandma
-Grandma! Come into the room.-

And I would be sitting there
with like my towel tail.

-I'm a mermaid!-

I still want to be a mermaid.

I don't care if I'm 27,
I still want to be a mermaid.

Modeling for me
happened by accident.

One day I met a photographer
in Amsterdam who invited
me to do a photo shoot

and I was a little bit of a ham.

So, I was like, "Yeah, sure,
a photo shoot, fun." Modeling
can be so extremely harsh.

It's very critical
and judgmental.

But it's actually through
modeling that I found
my confidence.

I don't model for the
mainstream or for the industry.

I model to show other women
and even men that you don't have
to be perfect to be beautiful.

You can be imperfectly perfect
and that's a wonderful thing.

Perfect is boring anyway.

[Laura] When people tell I'm not
a size 14, I guess, sometimes,
I get a little bit pissed off.

When you tell a plus size model
she's not a plus size model,

it's probably a
little bit offensive.

You know, all I have
to do is say, -Look at
the size of my pants,

and you'll know
that I'm a size 14.

Technically, I am
not what the plus-size
community looks like.

But, in the modeling
world, I am what the
plus size models look like.

When I'm put next to a normal
sized model, then, you can
really see the difference

and it makes it very
clear I have way bigger
hips, way bigger chest.

Even though I have a small
waist, my waist is a lot bigger.

Mainstream media and
mainstream fashion are using
very skinny models in a majority

of editorials, in runway
parades, in advertising

and the plus size model
and the plus sized community

are quite left out from all
those mainstream media.

And perhaps, if we were
seen a lot more in editorials
and in advertising,

the distinction would be
made a little bit more clearer

and that community would also
be represented a lot more.

There's been
debate after debate
about the word plus size.

It started as purely an
industry-based terminology.

I'm talking twenty years ago
we didn't have plus size models.

There wasn't the word.

We don't want a size
six or eight, we want
a plus ten, maybe

a plus two or three sizes up.

So, you're not a straight
size but you're a plus size.

At the beginning, I think it
was used a lot, obviously,
because it was so new.

Oh, she's a model, but
obviously, she is different, so
you had to call her something.

And what do you do?
Oh, I'm a curve model
or I'm a plus model

and they sometimes
go -Oh you shouldn't
call yourself that.-

-Like it's a bad thing.
-Yeah. Like you've
offended yourself.

I always wanted to be a model,
and when, in my age 14, I
came to the model agency,

they call me plus
size model, and I was
absolutely okay with that.

Like okay, fine, am I
still a model?

Does the check clear?
It clears as a plus model.

My bills are paid
being a plus model.

I'm totally fine
being a plus model.

When you ask me -What's
your job?- I didn't say
a plus size model.

I said, -I'm a model.- Because
I'm doing the same job as
another girl that's skinnier.

We go to castings, we try
to get jobs, we fly around, we
go to hotels, we come back.

We don't say -Oh,
she's a brunette model.-

It may put other women down when
we're referred to as plus size.

Because plus size
in this industry does
range from a six to a 16.

Plus size is kind of seen
by some people as a negative
by using the word plus.

But no one actually uses the
word straight size or size zero

when they're talking
about regular models.

So that's the kind of
the problem that is.

It's like, why are you saying
that this girl is plus model
and this girl's just a model?

-Yeah, you can't win.
-You can't win either way.

[Clementine] I'm telling you I'm
a model. You see me, obviously,

you guess I'm not a straight
size model, but do we need
to talk about it? I don't know.

I don't think so. [chuckles]

To be honest, I've never
not done an interview where
they haven't asked me that.

It's always a question,
-What do you think
of the term plus size?-

And I know a lot of the plus
size models-- I don't even
want to call them plus,

I know a lot of the models have
jumped on board and have said

we shouldn't be called plus
size and they rally up about it.

it just needs to go away
and that question,
just, it's over, it's done.

It's overused.

Sorry.

I have a huge problem
with models

who want to dissociate
themselves from
the word plus size.

They chose to be called
plus size models

and they have built
huge careers around
being a plus size model.

So, you can't rise to fame
and money and even power
on a term and embrace it then

and then choose later on
to say -You know what? I don't
want that term anymore.-

It's in-- maybe it's true
that they're not plus size,

but it's insulting to
the women who have
supported you from day one.

Who have looked up to you, who
have supported your images,

who bought the clothing
that you've worn,

to then take back that word
and say you don't want
to be associated with it,

or you think it's
a negative term.

Until such time, where
I can look at anybody, and
say -I'm a plus size model-

and they react positively
or I can look at
somebody else and say

-I'm a model- and they can
get that I can be a model.

We haven't made
enough progress.

We still need that term.

Plus size. And we
should embrace it.

The last acceptable
prejudice in America
is against fat people.

And in the ad, he
has two pictures of women

who have a little extra
meat on their bones.

-A little? When did we
change the definition of little?

A group calling itself
Overweight Haters Limited

has been passing out fat shaming
business cards to passengers
on the London Underground.

New fat-shaming
problems for Donald Trump.

Listen to what he said about a
very pregnant Kim Kardashian.

She's gotten a little bit large.

I would say this, I don't
think you should dress
like you weigh 120 pounds.

Now they found that Americans
view overweight people as lazy,

unambitious and
lacking willpower.

Do they look dynamic? Do
they look disciplined? Do they
look highly efficient? Well, no.

You know speaking frankly
and therefore Jay wouldn't be
someone that I would employ.

After a person is exposed to ads
that promote body acceptance
using larger sized models,

people are more likely to
make unhealthier decisions.

The ads make it seem
more socially acceptable
to carry extra weight.

Having these plus size models,
could that be contributing
to obesity in society?

It seems to me that plus
size models and extolling them

and making it seem
normal to be obese,

I don't think she
looks incredible. I think
she looks unhealthy.

It's an effective way to fight
obesity, the epidemic,

is to shame people
into losing the weight.

The way that they shame
smokers into quitting.

That's another thing they say.

Fat shaming makes people fat.

When you junkie-shame me, it
just makes me do more heroin.

Yeah, I don't care.

Fuck it girls, go eat pizza.
Everybody be a plus size model.

I want to eat cookies
and still be a Sports
Illustrated swimsuit model.

Do you like cancer
and diabetes? If you
want fertility problems,

then plus size is beautiful.

To call yourself plus size is
simply a euphemism for being
fat, and who wants to be fat?

We live in a culture that
actively supports discrimination
against weight.

In fact, its prevalence
has been shown to be
equal to racial discrimination

and discrimination
based on gender.

17- of women in one particular
study said that if they were
feeling bad about their bodies

on a particular day, they would
probably skip going to a job
interview that was scheduled.

More often than
not, people will hearken
to this health issue

and they will totally speak
nothing about how people
feel about themselves.

And you can't talk about
health without talking
about mental health.

You know, it seems like there's
this whole idea out there

that shame is gonna
be effective at helping
people to change their lives.

And if people ever lost their
shame or felt like, or stopped
feeling like there was something

wrong with them,
they would lose their
motivation to do something.

I've literally had a trainer
sit with another girl who
was like -Oh, I just...-

you know, size whatever
girl, smaller girl saying
how she didn't feel good

about herself and then
he said, -Well, at least
you don't look like her.-

And I'm like...

I think that our medical
establishment has set it
up for all of us to believe

that there's something wrong
with being in a heavier body,

and that gives legitimacy
then to a popular culture

to insult people for not
having the right body.

I remember this experience
I had, with a black friend
of mine recently,

where we walked into a store and
the store keeper was following
her around everywhere we went.

And it was obvious
that the storekeeper was
expecting her to be shoplifting

and was watching for it.

My friend was really disturbed
by the experience

and I remember thinking, you
know, I've got options here
about what to tell her to do.

I could tell her that she could
bleach her skin and then maybe
she wouldn't experience that.

Or, I could show compassion
for how difficult it is to
live in a racist world

and acknowledge that that kind
of behavior is not okay,

and that the problem
isn't in her

the problem is in a
culture that tolerates
and encourages that.

And I think that we have to
start to apply that same lens
when working with weight.

That rather than telling
people to lose weight
and then you won't get,

you won't experience
discrimination

what we have to do is
name discrimination
as the problem.

Oh, my goodness, he's huge.

He's like, bigger than a horse.

My little brother's had
this pig for years now.

It's his pet.

It's funny, you actually
learn a lot about life and death
really quickly with animals,

like, living on a farm. Cause,
I don't know, things happen.

Life happens. Death happens.

This tree's a lot smaller now.

I used to think it
was a pretty good
feat, climbing up here.

Good spot, no one can--
I mean-- yeah, yeah,
I liked it up here.

I've thought about
a lot of stuff up here.

I was gonna be world
famous one day.

I made my mom take a photo
of me before a dance recital

and I decided that I
was gonna pose like
that and everything so.

And I hopped up there
they lift me up there
and struck my first pose.

Yeah. That's where it all began,
superstar in the making I think.

Yeah, very much the
centre of the show.

She was standing on the
trampoline with her
arms out like she was a-

I'm sure most girls
are like that, you know,
they want to be the star.

You know, -Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy! Look at me!
Look at me! Look at me!-

I'm telling ya!
That's the way it was.

You know I was
always posing, actually.

People always told me I was
really photogenic in high school
and even in elementary school.

I was always posing.

Maybe I was meant to be
a model? I don't know.

I have always been, like,
an outgoing person but,
It's just harder here.

It was harder to be that way.

But I needed more.

I've always had this urgency
for wanting more in life,
and experiencing more, and

yeah, it's nice to be back home,
I really miss my parents
and my family here.

I kind of made a choice
when I was younger,

to move away and to try
and make something of myself.

You got to get out of--
you got to get out of the
small-town community

in order to make it big,
I think, you know.

And so, I moved to Vancouver
with that kind of dream

and that kind of mentality,
is that I was gonna do
something, do something big.

Currently, I am
not feeling too well.

I'm going in for surgery,
in about three weeks.

Nothing to be too concerned
about hopefully. But,

something's in my stomach
that needs to come out, so.

It's not a baby, don't worry.

But it's been growing, and
giving me a lot of difficulty.

So, I'm gonna be dealing with
that in the next little while.

So, unfortunately, you won't
be seeing too many photos
coming from my page.

But, hopefully, I have
enough on reserve that
you guys can enjoy.

Yeah. Just pains in my lower
stomach and I wouldn't--
I didn't think anything of it,

other than cysts,
because that's what
everyone told me that I had.

And it was -Oh, it's
just a cyst. It's nothing
to worry about.-

Ah, this video is unlike any
other video you have seen me do.

It's a little bit more intense
than anything else
I've talked about,

like, hair and makeup
and clothes.

This is um, this is a big one.

I had surgery a month
ago on the 14th of June,
and it was a biopsy.

So that was to figure out what
was going on my stomach.

The biopsy results came back
five days after, on June 19th

and I was called in
and diagnosed with a low
grade serous carcinoma,

which is ovarian cancer.

It's a rare, very rare
form of ovarian cancer.

That, yeah, you don't see
in twenty-five-year-old
girls, that's for sure.

Life, as I'm sure you
know, hands you some
pretty crazy things

and this is the first thing
I've really come upon
in my life to deal with.

Like this.

So, this is the one that--
this is the one that-- that my
family and I are dealing with.

My looks will change.

I will change as a person.

And I hope you guys
stick with me through this.

And I hope I can learn
something from you and that you
can learn something from me

and that I grow from this.

My brother said to me that
he found a quote that said,

-A person doesn't get cancer.
A family gets cancer.-
And I really believe that.

My parents have been
here, like, the whole time.

And it's been really
great having them.

My mom has looked after me.

You need your family and
your friends when you're going
through this and I feel so awful

for people that
never had anyone.

I couldn't imagine.

Yeah, everything stopped.

Yeah everything's
been put on hold.

Everything was like happening.

The same day that I was,
that I had the port surgery
go unsuccessful,

and find out that I still had
another tumor growing,

was the same day
I found out that I could
be going to New York.

Yeah, it sucks.

I met Shanah's mother,
when I was about 21 years old.

Shanah's mother was
working in the red-light
district as a prostitute.

I was a customer of hers,
but she did stop after
about three years.

And she wanted to have a child.

Growing up, I kind of went
in between homes a lot.

My parents were actually
in prison for the first
few years of my life.

So I was raised
by my grandmother.

Officially she lived with
her mother, but her mother,
which I heard afterwards,

her mother was often away for a
business and then leave her home
alone sometimes in the evening.

Kerosene kept strolling
to my place because
she was home alone.

I haven't spoken to her
since I was about 13.

There was a lot of
physical abuse, a lot
of psychological abuse.

There were instances where we
would have family meetings and

everyone got to eat whatever
and desserts and I would
be the only one left out.

She would say stuff
like, -Oh, you know- like

ridiculous stuff, like,
-If you eat this, you'll get
HIV.- And stuff like that.

lf she thought that Kerosene was

too heavy, she would
comment like, you know, "You
look like a pig" or something.

Yes, she would be
quite rude, I think.

I remember when I was
about five years old.

Five until about seven.

There was a person
in the family who was
considered like an uncle

and he sexually molested me.

Right smack in the middle
of big family gatherings
for example he would,

you know, do little things
like, grope my chest or

reach his hand down my
crotch and stuff like that.

I was also left alone
a lot in some of my
mother's establishments

which were brothels.

Just to hang out there
after school and he
would often be there.

I had expressed some
of the things that had
happened to my mother,

and she sort of
shrugged it off.

And was like, -Oh well,
you know it's probably
your fault- and stuff like that.

So, I guess that always
stuck with me.

She-- she told me,
to me, but that was many
years after that happened.

She told me, she once
told it to her mother.

It was at the time that
we broke up already, me
and Kerosene's mother.

And that her mother was
shouting at her about it.

The person who did that, he is,
he passed away already because
he jumped in front of a train.

Otherwise, I might
have pushed him.

I shouldn't say that on camera.

I was quite chubby my whole
life and always told
that I had pretty face.

And there's kind of nothing
worse than that.

I wish-- I kind of wish
that people just wouldn't
compliment me at all.

lf there just gonna say that
I have a pretty face, and
what, that my body is ugly?

Like, what-- what I
am as a whole is not
pretty enough for you

to give it an entire compliment?
Like, fuck that.

I was at a job and
I overheard the stylist
in the background say,

-Oh fat chick. I don't know
what to do with her.

How am I supposed
to dress a fat chick?-

And, this was when
I had first started
modeling and that-

it really got to
me at that time.

But I just sucked it up and
thought, well, -Screw you
lady. I'm gonna show you

that I can do a great job.-

And I did, and at the end
of it she, she had no idea that
I had overheard her saying that

and she actually congratulated
me on how much of a good job
I did during the shoot.

And I just thought, -Well, up
yours. Yeah, I showed you.-

I was doing a show with a
lot of their new models that
were really, really, skinny.

And I was the only plus
size model at the show.

And, I don't really
remember this at all.

But my mom was telling me
this story a few weeks ago.

And she said that I was so
upset, And I was crying and I
was, like, -I'm the fat model.

I'm the only fat girl.-

The worst I had was in 2011,
when this TV commercial
came out It was-

I got a lot of like, direct
attacks, like, on me personally

and like, it was pretty bad.

-You're not supposed
to be model.-

Or -you're too short, you're
too big, you're too thin.-

It's always like you're always
too much something.

Most of the feedback
I got from the H&M
campaign was very positive.

There was for every nine
really positive remarks,
there was always one,

where somehow, I was like,
ruining somebody's life

for being in a swimsuit
on the beach.

The people who are leaving the
comments after the articles,
they wasn't so kindly to me.

-Oh, this pig! Why she naked?-

Somebody said, -Oh, she looks
like she could use a salad.-

And I mean, well,
I really like salad.

There's a bunch of delivery
places around here that you can
custom make your own salad,

and they've got great tofu! So.

I was just feeling bad because,
by being haters to me,

they were being haters
to all the women
that looked like me.

I now have to take estrogen
for the rest of my life, but my
cancer is estrogen receptive.

There's still some left
on my diaphragm that I
will be going in for chemo

and losing my hair
within the end of the month.

So that'll be-- that'll be
definitely something
that I'll have to deal with

on an emotional
and physical level.

This way I'm kind of
choosing to lose my hair,
as opposed to just losing it.

Like, I've seen people
and it's like falling out
and that just really.

Yeah. It's kind of disturbing
and I don't want to lose it,

I want to take it
off, you know?

Oh, that's weird.

-You look so good.
-You do.

-I love it.
-I love it.

Nothing compares

I'm gonna stay with the
modeling as much as I
can as much as my energy

and my overall
outlook of life is.

Because, I don't know how
to take it I don't know
how to deal with this,

I've never known anyone
to go through cancer.

I don't know what to expect.

Yeah, here we go.

And, it's already set.

My lovely girlfriend
Nadine set my hair.

Looks good.

The lady at the wig store
said about four fingers.

-Yeah, that looks really cute.
-Does that look normal?
Is it on the ball? Like...

Yeah.

I haven't had time to
even watch a YouTube
on how to use a wig.

I seriously have absolutely no
time in the day, it feels like.

And then when
I do, I'm too tired.

I feel like it was fate that it
all kind of came down, that
I'd have this career roll out

just the same time that
I get diagnosed with a
pretty terrible disease.

You know stage 3
ovarian cancer.

That's pretty harsh for a lot
of people to have to experience.

It helps to do these
photo shoots, for like,
self-confidence.

You know, you feel amazing
when you're doing these things.

People are fawning over, making
sure your face looks perfect,

and making sure
your hair looks perfect.

There's no better feeling
in the world, probably.

So, I'm just a typical chick
and I have confidence.

That's the only difference
that makes me, um,
the person that I am.

I had chemo in the morning.

I didn't have to
get my blood test.

Thank God I had that on
Wednesday, and it went well.

So, my counts are good.

I had chemo, it was like
two and a half hours.

And Benadryl. Oh my god,
does it make you tired.

I don't know how to keep up
with it like my website and
just everything my fans,

and the demanding-- and the
demanding things are
coming my way, I just can't.

I'm feeling overwhelmed today.

And I've been feeling
overwhelmed the
past couple days.

I walked into the living
room and told my family
that I need therapy.

So, therapy is starting
on Wednes-- on Monday.

I just like, walked
into the living room,
they're all sitting there,

I just said, -I need therapy-
and I started crying.

People think that I've got
absolutely nothing wrong
and I look gorgeous

and that I'm just
fucking living the life
right now, but I'm not.

Like, I'm actually really
sad a lot of days.

Oh well. That's what--
and that's just
the way that this is.

I accept that what it is.
I knew getting into it.

I went off estrogen. I'm
going through menopause
full force right now at 25.

And they said it was gonna be
the hardest thing ever, to go
through chemo and menopause.

And it sure as hell
is. Like, it's hard.

While having fans
too, that criticize you.

Yeah, a guy posted
on my wall the other day
that uh-- I was using cancer.

I don't want to talk...

I was using cancer
as a platform.

Which I'm not, at all.

Those people have
nothing better to say...

Which is pretty awful, and
I knew that going in to this,

but I didn't know that people
could actually do that.

Anyone can hide behind...

I'm gonna wreck your makeup
now and you've worked so hard.

Someone would never
say that to me, I don't
think, like, in real life

because they realize
I'm an actual person.

I'm an emotional wreck, actually

underneath all of this makeup
and this fake hair and whatever.

I'm pretty emotionally
distraught, but I'll
get through it.

That's why I posted on my
page, the other day,
that I was upset and-

and then I had 60,000 people
try and lift me up. So,

basically this shoot
is because I have fans.

I wouldn't have been
doing this today,

if I didn't have some support
and all the love coming at me.

Because I read all my
comments from that.
That's what my plan was.

Post this photo, get-- get
them excited because then
they'll get excited for me.

Even though no big commercial
editorial agencies will have me.

Or, even though I probably
won't work with any
mainstream designers or stores.

That what I'm doing is
the right thing, and
what I'm doing matters.

When I first started modeling,
I really focused more
on the art aspect of it,

but once I got more
serious into the
modeling side of it,

I did try to go to a few
agencies and castings and
got really, really rejected.

I don't like to label myself
as -plus size model-

because being an industry
standard plus size models
has about as many restrictions

and requirements as
being a straight size model.

You have to be very
toned, tall, perfect
skin, perfect teeth.

So yeah, I definitely will
never be and don't need
be a plus size supermodel.

Because I am only five foot
three and I have tattoos.

I don't have perfect
features. But that's okay.

I'm totally cool with that.

Everyone was like, -You will
never get hired by anyone,

you're five foot three,
you're full-figured
and you have tattoos.-

That's like, the triple X!

But hey, it's, it's been over
a decade and I've worked
internationally for designers,

for magazines, music videos.

I really, honestly feel that
if you work hard and you're
passionate about something,

you can make stuff
happen for yourself.

So yeah.

Take that! Hm.

The absolute, ultimate
goal for me would probably-

do a really ridiculously
high-end couture runway
show, for someone really big.

Walking amongst all the
svelte, tall, six-foot,
size zero supermodels.

And then there's just like
me. Like, five foot three.

Like, all jiggly on the catwalk.

It would just be really funny,
because a lot of people would
make such a commotion about it.

Like what's this like, fat
tattooed person doing on
this cover or in this magazine,

you know, on this runway.

I would find that
really enjoyable.

Just like, -Haha,
you know. Take that!-

If someone can get me
on that runway for-- I
don't, I don't even care,

like Alexander McQueen,
Thierry Mugler, Vivienne
Westwood, Betsey Johnson.

Like Betsey Johnson,
come on girl.

That'd be awesome.

I'll work these little love
handles-- just strutting.

That would be awesome.

I would love that, oh my god!

The irony of the fact that the
fashion industry was meant
to celebrate women

and make them, you
know, feel their best and

give them an avenue to
express themselves, but only
if you're a size zero to eight.

Those designers are not
interested in the bigger women,
it's just as simple as that.

In their eyes, plus isn't
like, worthy of their design.

For them it's,
it's really not about
creating fashion for her

as much as-- as much as it is,

just creating pieces, that
them their-selves as a
designer are comfortable seeing.

So, I, I think
unfortunately, there's a
segment of the population

that's just constantly being
left out and, ironically, it's
really the largest segment.

It's ridiculous!

There is a perception that
having a sort of straight up and
down model as a coat hanger,

if you like, having an
androgynous look,

means that the focus is
a neutral look and the
focus is on the clothing.

Interestingly a lot of the
designers that I've worked with

and come in contact with
are very thin themselves.

I just noticed that, I
don't know if it's maybe
because they can't relate

to plus sizes or they've
never been plus size.

Because they haven't lived in
the body so they don't realize

-Oh yes, that thing
touches that thing.-

Or, that's fine until you
sit down or stand up
or whatever it might be.

In actual fact, if people were
to be more honest about
what society actually is

they would actually see that
designing for plus sizes

has huge economic benefits
for this kind of sixteen
billion dollar market

that Forbes has quoted
in the United States alone.

The problem comes
from designers you know we're
teaching fashion students

to make clothes
only in sample sizes.

and that's what
they learn how to do.

ln most design
schools and-- and also in ours,

we'll work on size eight
or ten, to make samples.

My idea was to make a plus
size collection for my
final project in school.

And I just went to the
directives and asked them
about their permission to-

to allow me to do this.

Hi there Doris, I have spoken
with the other faculty
members and unfortunately

you won't be able
to work with plus sized
models this time around.

Aside from needing a completely
different fit model, three
different additional models

would need to be hired for
the show which is incredibly
expensive, money.

This is extremely complicated
for even the most
experienced designer.

We would ask that you continue
making your current collection

but adapt it to the school's
standard blocks and models.

I really feel sad because
it was my, my dream,
like to do my first collection

about plus size women.

But when they reject me,
they rejected my idea.

So, I feel frustrated like,
I decided just to do what
they want me to do it

for now until I finish school.

And after that, I know
that I'm gonna be free
to do just whatever I want.

So even if the educational
system is not
teaching plus fashion.

I didn't learn plus fashion.

But I've been plus size
and I knew that that's
what I wanted to do.

So, I practiced.

But I do think that
it's unfortunate that so many
don't want to explore it.

And I think, actually, it has a
lot to do with they feel like it
would kind of mar their brand.

It's just-- it's a
dirty little game.

So, I've got something a little
odd that I keep in my model bag

and take with me to shoots, and
I don't always need to use it.

But on some occasions
the client will ask for me
to look a little bit bigger.

So, I carry with me a fat suit.

Or if I want to be politically
correct, padding.

So, so far, I've been able to
pad out my hips, my thighs
and my stomach section.

All through here.
So, I've added at least a
size and a half to my body.

And this will allow me to
wear bigger size clothing.

Especially the sample sizes,
if they don't come in a size
14 and they come in a size 16,

this will allow me to fill them
a lot more, true to the size,
instead of having to be pinned.

A few years ago, I started
working for ASOS curve division.

They had originally gone with
what their customers wanted.

Their customers wanted to
see girls that were a size
20, 22 modeling the clothes.

Because that was representative
of who the customers were
who were buying the clothes.

And none of the clothes sold.

They just weren't,
weren't selling.

And I moved to the UK and I
started working for ASOS and as
soon as they started using me,

as a size 16 UK, the
clothes started flying
off the shelves again.

Companies in America that
I've worked for Macy's, Kohl's,

Bloomingdale's where
we use padding,

when we work there and
it's not all girls and it's
not all areas of your body.

For me it's usually
just my mid area.

To fill me out there.

And that's why we have
plus size models that
are size 12, 14 and 16.

Because, that's what people
are showing they want
with their buying power.

No, I do have that moral
conscious of is it the right
reason that I'm doing it.

But at the end of the day, it
comes down to paying my bills

and if I have to
pad to get the job

to pay my bills to be able
to eat that week, then
that's what I'm going to do.

I think padding is the
industry's dirty little secret.

It's something that not many
people know of and even
when I turn up to jobs,

and I say -Oh, I've got
my padding here today.-

The stylists sometimes
look at me and laugh.

It's really funny to work
with straight size models

because, when you come
out with your padding on,

they can hardly
believe their eyes.

They're in an industry that
tells them to lose weight
to be as skinny as possible,

and then when a model
that they're working
side-by-side with comes out

in a padded suit, they just lose
it! They laugh and just think
-Wow, you've got it really easy.

I'm told to lose weight
constantly and here you are
pretending to be bigger.-

I'm so tired of that line
selling a dream because you're-

most of your customers
are, are never going to
achieve that dream.

It's like, 99%o of them.

And even those who do it's,
it's not a forever scenario.

Our industry is sort of
built on sand castles
because, none of this is real.

Fashion photography
is not realistic.

And it's, it's about a dream.
And it's about perfection.

And it's about you know,
looking at something
that's really beautiful

and it's a piece of art.

So, on the one hand you
have people seeing these
images as images

of beauty, aesthetic objects.

But on the other hand, people
kind of see these images
as images of oppression and

of evidence of a kind
power, power imbalance.

So, there is always, I think, an
aspirational aspect of beauty

and you see that within fashion

and I think that as we evolve
as people, we can open
that and broaden it.

But media doesn't
necessarily want to do that
because by making-

honing that into a very
small group of, of really
inaccessible forms of beauty

it allows for people to buy
things to, you know, get Kim
Kardashian's ass and to get,

you know, J Lo's face,
but you know, I mean,
it's driven by capitalism.

So, the less we can be
inclusive, the more we're gonna
drive people to purchase things

to make them look a certain way.

If something is always
unattainable the desire
will never cease.

And so, you'll always be-

be spending money.

lf you look
at advertising for food,
even the food is retouched.

So, it's really part of the
culture, the marketing culture,

that when we sell something
it has to be perfect.

Yeah, it's-- it's-- I mean we
have to I suppose, present
perfection every month

and that's what we do.

You know, it's yeah.

-That's what they want.
-Yeah, that's what they want.

I mean she's talked to
me about, you know,
not retouching images.

I can't do that as
Harper's Bazaar.

It's like, you know,
it's not my job to do it.

No, no! I'd lose my job.

Yeah.

You often don't see plus
size models in beauty campaigns,

and you know, jewelry
campaigns and

you know, watches
and lifestyle and we're
breaking into a fashion

area of the industry but,
there's so many places
where models are used where

plus size models
aren't featured.

It's hard being a model.

Then put a plus model
on top of that.

It's even harder
to be a plus model.

Then put

this-- that I can't change, but
I love so much, my skin color,
my heritage, African-American.

Proud African-American.

Put that on there.

That's a whole other layer.

And guess what? That makes
it a hundred times harder.

One of our male models,
many years ago, one of our
really great black male model

that we represented,
and he said,

-You know, do you ever
noticed that black people
don't eat cereal?

Black people don't drink beer?-
And I was like "What are
you talking about?"

He goes, "Do you ever see
that on TV commercials?
Do you ever get an audition

for me to go out and do
that?" And I thought,
-You are so right.-

That's what you see you see
those people, who society
push out, -Yo! Boom!

You want a new Mercedes?
You gotta look like George.

George is sexy.

George has a six-pack.

George drives a Mercedes.-

You know.

-You want to be like Phil?
Phil drives a minivan.

He's a dad, he has six kids.

He has a job that
he doesn't care for.

Oh! He has a beer belly.-

Okay, thanks for
that stereotype.

Um, but no it's not like
that. Like, yo, why can't I,

why can't I be the guy
who drives the Mercedes?

At the end of the day, everyone
wants to dream and everyone
wants to be inspired and

feel like they're working
towards something.

And I think plus size fashion
still needs that, you know,
you still want to go

into a plus size store and feel
that the clothes are beautiful.

You know you want to go in and
feel that they're still trying
to sell you some kind of dream.

You know, it doesn't have
to be a size 0 dream.

So, I do a lot of vintage
store shopping, usually.

I love it, it's kind of
like-- it's kind of
always been my style.

Oh, my goodness!
I have absolutely no real
concept of my body yet

cause I've dropped
40 pounds. So, I dropped
from 187 to 141 just I-

I weighed myself yesterday.

About 45 pounds difference.
So, that's quite a bit.

So, I don't know how to really
shop yet, I don't know how to-

I just feel different when I
model and I can-- different
angles don't look as good.

Kinda got a grampa
bum right now.

I don't know if I feel very
confident without my weight.

I know that sounds really
weird, but I, I feel different
without-- with my weight gone.

Oh yeah! First, we'll get to
New York we'll be buying some,
won't be no $7.99 shirts there,

I don't think.

That's the plan is
to go to New York as
soon as I'm recovered.

I want to get on that plane.

I'm so excited I've just
got to get through it. So-

Yeah! Be patient.

Yeah.

Ooh, that's a nice
purse!

It's pretty wonderful that
I'm going from pretty much

well driving an '87
Volkswagen that doesn't start,
to modeling in New York City.

Hopefully. So, it'll be
incredible and I hope
that it all works out well.

But they seem to be
pretty excited for me.

They say that they're watching
me and I just got another email
of them checking in on me and

seeing, seeing if I'm
ready and I'm still game.

But I feel like I'm
locked up, right now.

I feel like I'm in a jail.

It's-- it's hard to push
onward sometimes.

But you have to remember the
end goal and the end mission.

And just, kind of, I got to
keep my eyes on the prize.

And not worry
about everyone else,

and the emotions that come with
this and what I'm dealing with.

Because in the end,
I want to be successful.

And happy.

And I want to instill a lot
of confidence in people

because that was my
goal in the start. So.

Yeah.

A Vancouver woman battling
a rare form of ovarian
cancer is sharing her story

in a rather unconventional way.

Despite chemotherapy
and surgeries, she's kept
working as a fashion model.

She's hoping to change
the way her industry
thinks about beauty.

There's one shot that
is at the Forever Yours store,

and it's the shot
with the sports bra?

Looking at that
just-- I can't believe it!
It's such a beautiful photo,

of what needs to be
represented in this world.

At one point,
Mayday died her hair teal.

The color of ovarian
cancer awareness,
before shaving it off.

She has another major surgery
scheduled for next week.

After that she has plans
to go to New York.

I will be going in for a surgery
on Monday, um, that
will be very invasive.

It will consist of-

uh, chemo during the treatment
about an hour and a half

They don't even do this
procedure in BC, yet.

This is just a new thing
that they've been doing.

So, hopefully it's--
it's the one that gets me
to the, to the finish line.

And not that finish line.

You know? Yeah.

So today, Graden and I are
going to go out and go shopping

and see what is
available for plus sizes.

Let's see what's the biggest
size they have? I think an 8.

I don't think they'd have
anything past a size 14 though.

Well, so far, it's been 12

Yeah.

I think everything is just
a size 12. Oh! Size 12.

That's it. I think they
have like a tall section,

a petite section, but no--
nothing past a size 12.

I can't get it past
my upper arm!

It's a ten! It's maternity.

It won't go past my arm.

Hey, did you know, you can only
be, like, pregnant up to a size
12 too? You can't get bigger.

That's cute.

But you would never wear it?

I would wear that.

Up to what size
does it go? Large?

My love, I have a
question for you.

Up to what size does this go?

It depends. lf you've
got extra-large or
double extra-large.

-Do they make them
in those sizes?
-No.

-They didn't even have
anything past a size 8 there.
-No.

Haven't seen anything all day
that's past a size 12 or large.

-No, it kind of looks
like the 12 is...
-Yeah.

-That seems to be the cutoff.
-Yeah.

Mm-mm.

Even in maternity!
Even in maternity.

-Just stop growing.
-Yes.

They literally divide you up
based, based on your size
when you go shopping.

I've been in stores, you
know, department stores
where I would say,

-Oh, can you tell me where
the dresses are?" "Umm, for you,
it would be on the third floor.-

For me?

Twice, last week, I walked
into a store only to be told
by the salesgirl that the,

the extra-large was gone.

Because the shipment
only comes with one.

I mean, how does that make me
feel? I'm one of the package?

And I'm just an extra-large,
for god sakes.

It's just because it looks
prettier on the rack to
have a zero to twelve.

Why would you have plus size?
You don't want to associate
with girls that are,

I don't know, maybe
200 or 300 pounds.

They don't want
to associate with that.

No there's no elitism, there's
just pure ignorance,
and willful ignorance.

Because, it's like
you're literally leaving
dollars on the table.

Her average dollar per spend
is more than double what
a straight size shopper is.

She's going to share on social
media more than her straight
size sister is going to.

These are things and elements
that add to the bottom dollar.

And if you're in a business,
in retail at the end of the
day, it's all about the dollar.

So even from a marketing,
retail, business space
it makes no sense.

They decide to sell or not,
plus size clothing according
to the location of the store.

In Milan, I'm sure that some
H&M store sells, for sure,

plus size clothes but not the
one in Coso Buenos Aires.

Because it is very, very
popular street, you know,

and they don't want to deal
with a certain target of people.

I can't wake up and say,
-Okay, today, I'm going
shopping in Paris.-

Because I just can't.
There isn't my size anywhere.

Now if in this day and
age, if there were signs
in a store that said,

-Blacks shop in the back.-

People would be outraged.

That wouldn't-- no one
would allow that.

But for plus-sizes, it's like,
-Oh, yeah, you guys go
and shop in the back.

Shop downstairs-
or wherever it is.

And it's like, -Why is--
why is that okay?-

Because that's what
these brands do when they either
don't put us in their stores

or put us all the way in
the corner and in the dark.

Like that's what they do.

That's what they make us feel
like, third class citizens.

Plus size models
aren't given the opportunity as
much to make great money.

The availability to work
at a high end of the fashion
industry just isn't there.

So, the plus size models
don't get that opportunity
to make that kind of money.

And I love it when people
say to me, -Oh, wow.

You're in eight pages
of Cosmo this month.

You must be killing it.
You must be so rich.- Well,
actually guys I'm not rich.

I got paid a hundred
dollars for that shoot.

I worked seven hours.

My agency fees come out of that.

My tax comes out of that.

My parking comes out of that.

And after a seven-hour
day, I've made about $40.

For doing eight pages of a
national, well known magazine.

The biggest selling
magazine in the world.

So that's why we
do the other shoots.

That's why we do the catalog
shoots and shoots where we
have to wear fat suits, because

they're the jobs that
actually pay the money.

Because there are more plus
size brands out there now,

across the world there
is a lot more work.

And there is that opportunity
to make a very steady income.

lf you can work
every day, amazing.

But often, you might only
have one shoot a week,
or two shoots a week.

Generally, a pay day for
a day shoot is usually a
couple of thousand dollars.

You know, that's
fantastic money.

But earnings aren't consistent.

The jobs aren't there every day
and they just don't have that
availability to work every day.

So, they need to have a second
job to support themselves.

Some girls actually spend
money trying to be a
model and get in debt.

They go overseas,
they rack up bills and
they don't get any work.

And then they go back to
their home country in a
whole lot of debt because

all they wanted to do
is be a model.

And they never got there.

It's different from everyone.

There's the extreme of very
little money to the extreme
of making amazing money.

And there's definitely plus
size models out there
making amazing money.

But it's not everyone.

This was a big blow for
Elly and for her family
and for her friends.

So, I thought, if we
put an event together,

I think that will give her
a night to actually have fun.

But also give her kind
of, like, one last hurrah
before she's in the hospital.

Hey, do you ever look good.

-I love you
-I love you too. What's up?

-So, I have a surprise for you.
-Okay?

And
I just wanted you to have
a night before you went in.

And just something
to like-- I'm sorry.

I don't want to cry, but like,
I just want you to know
how much I love you

and how much we all
think you're amazing.

And so, I have a
surprise for you.

Oh yeah?

-Okay? You need a minute?
-I'm already crying! Thank you.

It'll be lovely.

-Okay.
-It'll be lovely.

-You okay?
-Yeah.

-Do I look okay?
-You look beautiful.

This is kind of a big deal.

I'm so glad I didn't
wear my sweats.

What in fucking--
that's pretty cool.

Oh my god!

So, everyone's here
tonight for you.

And we all just wanted tell you
how much we love you, and
we're putting on a fashion show.

-Really?
-Yes.

Do I have to work?

No.

So, this is a big surprise?

This is an amazing
surprise, yeah.

Really opens my eyes to all the
kindness that has been shown
to my daughter and my family.

No, I had no idea
until, like, just driving here.

It was going to be a night out
with whoever showed up.

But it turned out to be a
night out of me being able
to see everyone I love,

and everyone that's
supported me through this,
and kind of given me a-

a good, um, almost a sayonara
to me going off to New York
as soon as I'm recovered.

So, surgery's on Monday
and everyone wanted
to see me and, ah yeah.

It's been pretty nice.

I have such a good feeling
that she is going to go
through the surgery.

She's gonna do well.

She's gonna beat this and
she's gonna take over the world.

Like honestly, she's going
to be the plus size model

that's gonna make
everybody feel amazing.

It's a foggy old Monday.

Yeah.

I didn't write a
journal for cancer like
everyone else does.

I posted on Facebook to try to
inspire people and to try to do
something good in this world

because maybe that
was my last chance,

and if that was my last
chance then I think I spent
it well. It was well spent.

Okay, yeah. This is it, guys.

When I return, I'll hopefully--
I will be a cancer-free,

young woman ready
to take on the world.

New York, here
I come.

I think at the moment it's--
it's a really weird industry

and that's what so many
consumers don't understand

and everyone kind of
blames each other.

You know, the magazines
are saying, -Well, actually, if
designer samples were bigger,

we'd have to use bigger models.-

It's just this vicious circle
of the modeling agencies
then say, -Well, hang on,

we're only meeting the demands
of the fashion editors

that are asking for
the size eight to ten.-

But the only reason the
fashion editors are asking
for size eight to ten,

it's because the sample
sizes come in that.

But then you've got the
designers and retailers
say -Well, hang on,

the only reason we're
creating-- you know,
we're creating that size

is because it's really
costly to create another
block on a larger size.-

So, it's a vicious circle
that nobody wants to
take sole responsibility,

but actually, it's
everyone's responsibility.

So, everyone needs to take
a slice of that pie and own it.

I don't even begin to say
we're not the bad guys.

I think there's an element
that we are the bad guys,
but so are the retailers,

the designers, the modeling
agencies, the consumers.

Like, we're all, we all
have got to take a bit
of blame on our shoulders.

And we've all got to act to
make that change, you know.

So, there is a lot more
we can be doing in Cosmo.

Likewise, consumers need
to stand up and have a voice,

and have their say
and vote with their wallet.

Designers need to look
at, well, is it time to start
investing in bigger blocks

and cutting, you know,
larger sizes that fit women,
and sell more garments.

You know and-- if
everyone can just lift
and do that little bit extra.

I'm not-- I'm not sitting here
saying, -Oh, we're not the
bad guy. Don't blame us.-

Because there is-- like,
you know, as a mother,
I've got two daughters

and I don't want my
children growing up-

I don't want those girls growing
up with bad body image.

I don't want them looking
at magazines going, -I feel
terrible about my body.

I'm not skinny enough,
I'm not fit enough, I'm
not fashionable enough,

I'm not whatever enough.-

You know, so, we certainly
have a responsibility,

and I don't shrug that and think
-Oh, we're doing, what we're
doing, so don't blame us,

go and blame somebody
else.- You know,

I'm putting my hand up to take
some of that blame, but we're
trying to do something about it.

You know, and-- and it's, it's
walking that fine line between,
being business and making money,

but also having that ethical,
moral, social responsibility.

This revolution is carried
out by people, not
the fashion industry.

And since people are the
real protagonists of this
movement, of this phenomenon,

social media very useful
to, to achieve our goals
because they are the only,

the only means,
the only way to let

bigger and bigger number
of people know that
plus sized women count.

We have to keep encouraging
brands to include more
plus size models.

I mean, we're the public.

We're the ones
spending money on clothing.

We're the ones pushing
the industry, so we
need to push it forward.

We need to create the momentum
that'll bring in more diversity,
bring in more plus size models

of different shapes,
different heights that
we can all relate to.

I am absolutely amazed and
shocked this year
at how much traction

the movement has
gotten because it really
has been grassroots.

And in some ways now, I feel
like the media, mainstream media
is almost trying to latch itself

onto it and you know,
make it this cool thing.

And it's like, -Just so
you know, you didn't
make this happen.

You're late to the game,
we made this shit happen.-

We've created our
own celebrities.

It's because there is
nobody to look up to.

And then you have girls
like Gaby Fresh, and
the Curvy Fashionista,

and Nadia Aboulhosn and like all
these girls down in the States
that have just gone huge.

I love my fans. I do.

They are so sweet and,

you know, they post on
my Facebook wall with um,

you know, little stories
about their lives and
how I've inspired them.

And I find it like really
touching and it really inspires
me to keep doing what I'm doing.

I think that sometimes
I keep going in this
career as a plus model

because I know that
they're watching me.

I know that I inspire them.

I know that they want to be--
they think when they see me, -If
Liris can do it, I can do it.-

Yeah, I think this is very
important because growing up I
had no one that looked like me

to look up to, like no one.

So, I'm so glad when
I get messages from
young girls that say,

-Oh my god, you look like
me, so cool, like.- And I felt
like, this is like the best gift

of the work, is like,
inspiring younger girls and
tell them it's okay to be you.

And this is, yeah, the most
rewarding part of everything.

It's, it's this.

It's being a part of this
revolution, being a
part of the change.

Yeah, that's amazing.

I don't like hospitals.

It was, it wasn't fun being
here, but it was like I had,
nice nurses and everything.

It wasn't, it wasn't too
smooth a sail in there,
the first couple of days.

No, it was, yeah it was
eight and a half hours long.

Four surgeons total, and
five anesthesiologists,
bunch of nurses.

Yeah, the nurses were so nice.

I gave them one of my calendars
here for-- so tried to maybe
spread the story a little bit

to a couple of people,
but I didn't really
want to deal with any

Elly Mayday crap
this week, you know.

People that were helping me
weren't really helping me.

They didn't understand that
I didn't want as much media.

I don't want a bunch of media
coverage over my sickness.

I want to be healthy.

So, um, yeah, when I-- when
I do all this media coverage,
I wanted to be ready to go

and like looking decent
normal and stuff.

And so, it kind of took off a
little bit sooner than I wanted
it to and so that really sucks.

I'm not known for cancer and
that's my one thing, it's like.

I don't want to be
known for cancer.

I wanna be known
for being strong.

This wasn't a cancer
story, this is a-- this
is just part of my life.

This is a cancer bump.

You know, like what I've
said along this whole time.

So, I didn't write a journal,
like-- I feel like people who
are gonna die, write a journal.

I know that sounds really
silly, but in my mind, I always
thought, like if I write out

how this all went then
there's, there's a reason
for it to end, you know.

If I don't, if I have
kept this story then
He has to let me tell it.

It's too good.

So, that's kind of
what I held on to.

Yeah.

And we saw a big shift
in the market with a
lot of body positivity

A lot of, like,
anti-airbrushing and a lot
of wanting to see real people.

So, we've collaborated
or we've purchased a
lot of designer clothes.

So, names like William Rast,
DKNY, Levi's, Parasuco.

So, these are all lines
that weren't previously
offered to plus.

We're just so happy to, to
be a part of the changeover

especially for curvier sized
women that that's no
longer the mentality.

That we're no longer women
crying in the dressing rooms

or wearing giant T-shirts
to the beach.

Everything that we can do to
make sure that every woman,

you know, looks and
feels beautiful when
they're in a swimsuit.

And if you look at the
size of the population,

50% of women in Europe
are what, what would
be considered plus size.

Europe represents a 10
billion Euro opportunity.

Once people recognize just how
big an opportunity that this is,
they're going to go after it.

You know the market
is opening up slowly
and continuously.

I think some of the higher
end media are using plus size
models from time to time,

you know, in the high-end
fashion publications.

I think through social media
women, bigger women especially

have become a much stronger
voice about what they want and
how they want to be portrayed.

It's a cycle of the public
and bloggers kind of
feeding that information

back into companies
and companies delivering.

Forever 21 is doing something
incredible because they're
being really inclusionary.

Especially if you go to their
Times Square store, they have
a huge plus size section.

I think the store's something
like three or four stories.

It's a lot of clothes in there.

Larger brand stores like
Big W, K-Mart, Target

are rebranding their
sectors, changing them.

It's really kind of exciting.

We're in a really good
transition period right now
which is really positive.

Bigger women haven't
had an opportunity to get used
to investing in themselves,

in spending money, they've
only ever had cheaper choices.

So, it takes a while for
everyone to sort of get used to
the idea that you're worth it,

you can spend the
money on yourself.

I think we're changing the
path now with plus size
models, labels, media

that it is something
to be excited about.

It's not that sort of
shadowy word that no
one mentions anymore.

It's plus size, be proud of it.

Yeah, um.

I'm excited and nervous.

I'm so-- I'm nervous.

-Good morning.
I cannot believe we're finally
going to get to meet you.

When you find
out a date or even a
timeframe let us know,

we will definitely make
ourselves available.

I can't tell you how happy
it makes me to hear
you're getting your life back.

Please stay in New
York City a little longer.

We need as much time with
you as we can possibly get.

So much is happening and
it's exciting knowing you
will be will be a part of it.-

So that's just like right there
it's like, "Uh, yeah!- Yeah.

So, I'm pretty stoked
to go and meet them.

So, when I started modeling,
I weighed about 187 pounds.

Today I weigh 134.

I started gaining weight in
about grade seven, grade eight,
about the time when it matters

what you look like and
I've always been bigger.

The most I've ever
weighed was 197.

I posted a photo last week
of-- and I was pretty hesitant
on doing the selfies again.

And I see exactly why I
was-- I was holding back
because the reaction was

a lot of women said to me like,
I can no longer follow you.

You're, you're not aware
of the curves and
all this kind of stuff.

It's hard to be an advocate of
something when you're not it,

when you're not
representing it, at the time.

So, I think girls don't think
I really know what it's like
to be bigger, you know.

I don't feel like I can give
advice to girls that are
bigger as much now,

unless I have my photos with me,
or you can say like, you know,
no I just lost a lot of weight.

Yeah, it's a weird mix
of emotions for me
regarding my weight loss.

I still want to be a lingerie
model even though I have a
ginormous scar on my stomach.

It's part of me

and I'm only gonna work
with people that are willing
to work with people like me.

People that are embracing
exactly who they are.

I want to be a model for
positivity and a model
that people can look up to

whether you're going through
cancer, whether you're
going through bulimia.

Whatever you're going through,
whatever your trials and
tribulations of your life,

you need someone to look up to.

It's weird to be
able to see future.

I was like, so focused
on this life-threatening
disease for this past year,

it's really weird to be
out of the storm now.

You know and to have doctors
be like, -Well, we took all
the cancer out of you.-

So, it goes from thinking
you're losing your life into
now what are you gonna do?

It'll be fun to go off to New
York and make it big, hopefully,

and be on the covers of
some major magazines and
share my story with women.

Over
the past few years,

I have been doing public
talks on body positivity
and self-empowerment.

I definitely think
my public talks are a
little bit of an extension

of the work I've
done in the past.

Like I've been an advice
columnist for magazines.

I've offered a lot of online,
kind of mentoring and advice
to not just aspiring models

but also anyone in general.

I've always been a very
open book with people.

So, for me to be able
to go into my community

and have these
public talks, it's just
a way to connect.

I'm not ashamed
of my battle and if you
find yourself struggling

remember that the
road is hardly ever...

I think we underestimate
the value and the importance
of sharing our story,

and I'm always happy to
share my story with people.

So, here she
is, Kerosene Deluxe!

Thanks so much,
everyone, for coming.

It's really awesome
for everyone to be here.

I've been doing modeling
for about 15 years now and

it's progressed a lot
from just kind of being
like a rebellious act.

Sometimes it just takes that one
thing that someone needs to hear
that might ignite that spark

or get that ball rolling
for them to be like,
-Hey, you know what?

I am allowed to love myself
and I am worthy of love.-

I'm personally not ashamed
at all of my battle
and if any of you here

find yourself struggling
just remember that
your road to recovery is,

it's hardly ever linear, it's
very often super bumpy and
it's definitely okay to stumble.

And it's, it's okay to
not be okay sometimes.

I think by uniting in an
event like this and seeing
the people around you

and how different they are it,
kind of, makes you realize that,

"Hey, I'm not alone
with this issue.

The person next to me who
I might consider to look
perfect because they're,

you know, tall and slender
or they have a nice ass

or whatever like they could
still have issues as well."

And I think it's important
to understand that we
all have those little things

about ourselves that we wish
were different and that's okay.

People's insecurities
create billion-dollar industries

and there's no price on
your self-worth and it can't
be measured on a scale.

You are then, now, and
you're always enough.

So, that is all I really had
to share with you guys.

Aww, thanks.

I love being able to talk
to people after my talks

and what they-- what they
what they got from it.

It's very touching to hear
other people's stories as well

because it's not really
just about my story,

it's as much as about
their story as well.

[Laura] Yeah, so this
is my first cover and
I'm super excited.

It's a regular fashion magazine.

I think that's even more
important in fact that
they're putting a plus size girl

on the cover and for
the editorial because
they are wanting

to celebrate diversity
and show that, you know,
the plus size models

give it just as good as
the regular size models do.

I'm a size 14, so that is
classified as plus size,

in the modeling industry
anyway, not in reality, yeah?

See you. Thanks, bye.

We're doing an editorial as
well as the cover today
at this amazing house.

You know, it means a lot and it
means that people are actually
seeing my photos and who I am

and what plus size modeling
means to larger society.

Women and men want to
see women of all different-

and men of all
different sizes in the
media and in magazines.

So, it's-- it's great. It's
super positive to be here.

This month is pretty
amazing for me because
I'm in four magazines in

one news agency all
around Australia, which
is pretty incredible and

ne of my favorite ones is Slink
agazine from the UK that's
newly come to Australia

and I'm on the front cover
of it and on an editorial
in the inside as well.

So, it's pretty cool that
you know, I can come
into one news agency

and see myself
in four magazines.

Women's Weekly did a body
issue this month, and myself
and four other plus size models

were able to do
an editorial piece and
talking about our bodies.

And what we love
about our bodies.

How we feel confident or
what made us feel unconfident
especially when we were younger.

I was lucky enough to get
a piece in the front of
Women's Weekly Health,

an article about myself being
a role model for people

with body confidence issues
and being a positive
body advocator.

And finally, this month, I'm
also in Cosmopolitan Australia.

It's an eight-page editorial
on denim and they don't tell
anyone it's a plus size model.

They don't say,
-This is Laura Wells.
She's a plus size model.-

They just say
-model Laura Wells.-

We shouldn't have to put
labels on plus size models.

We should just be able
to call them models because
that's what we are.

Getting a cover and an
editorial for an overseas
magazine is really a big thing

in the plus industry because
as plus sized women we-

and plus size models,
we don't get it that often.

So, it was a huge opportunity
and I feel really privileged

to have been chosen
to be here today.

I think we're doing-- I
think we're doing really
wonderful right now.

I think that we're progressing
at a really, really rapid pace.

I couldn't have predicted
that we'd be here now,

so I couldn't imagine
what's gonna be in five years.

I know I'm not a fortune teller.

But I would tell you that
I can just picture us in
billboards in Times Square

and in every runway show
and mixed with, you know,
the straight size brands.

I think we have no idea what
we're gonna go to, but I think
it's gonna be beautiful

no matter where we end up
cause we're already so far.

Oh god.

It's gonna be fun.

I can't wait to see it.

Hi.

New York, New York

I'm excited,
nervous, pretty tired.

But it should be good.
It was a full flight so.

When I was younger,
smaller trips and stuff.

I've been down to the States,
but uh, nothing like New York.

Been to Las Vegas.

And yeah, just like short
little ones, but yeah, this will
definitely be the longest time

I've ever spent in the States.

Hopefully, it'll not
be the only time.

-Thank you very much.
Nice to, nice to meet you.
-Have a good one.

Thank you very much.

I'm here, I made it.

Ugh, nice to be finally here.

Well, it'll be interesting to
see what tomorrow brings.

Of course, my skin gets
really bad the day before
I meet an agency.

It's my first night in New York.

I'm ready for bed
cause I'm quite tired.

But yeah, get a good sleep in
and be fresh-faced for tomorrow.

Ugh, I'm really annoyed that
my skin's terrible right now,

but there's nothing
I can do about that.

Hopefully, it'll just go away.

The lighting's, like, really
terrible, um, maybe
I can do it out here.

I think just like meeting
them will be good, to
start everything out.

I signed a contract with
these people for three years,
for the next three years.

So, hopefully they like
what they picked.

Just gonna be myself

and hopefully
that's good enough.

Now, I know they're gonna
make me take my wig
off, obviously, but

I think they'd like it
a lot better short so.

I'm just gonna wear it there.

-Hello! Hi, how are you?
-Hi, nice to meet you.

-I'm Gary, so nice to meet you.
So welcome, this is JAG.
-Nice.

Still in the works, we've
been in two weeks and
yeah, it's going really well.

-Good.
-Really, really well.

What size are you
wearing currently?

I think I'm a ten right now.

-Yeah. Ten to twelve.
-ln our market you're
going to be a little bit bigger.

So, like a 42 to 44
is going to be a 12-14.

-I think that's probably
where the hip is.
-Yeah.

-So, you're pretty
much a perfect 14.
-Okay.

-Hah, I see what you did there.

Can't believe
you're finally here.

I know, it feels like I just
talked about it forever.

I know. I know, right?

So, I'll probably stand out
on your board here with all the
girls that have such long hair.

-Yes.
-Like if I do go
short, you know.

Should I get my hair cut
before tomorrow or not?

Let me see again?

Like, it's pretty messy.

-I don't think she should
cut it. I like it messy.
-Like it messy?

Do you think you'll be able
to line up jobs at all this
next two weeks or not?

It depends on you.

-Yeah.
-Depends on how
you do in the testing.

It depends on how you do when
we send you out on castings.

Um, because you're
so new to this market,
it could go either way.

-And you had never
been here before?
-No, no.

-So, what do you want to
see while you're here?
-Uh, everything.

Everything?

I'm in the fashion capital of
the world, so I kind of need to
reinvent myself at this point.

I'm excited for what's
to come next.

I don't really know,
but I guess that's the
adventure of life isn't it?

All the paperwork's done
by JAG. So, it's great.

I just kind of show up,
do the shoot and tra-la-la.

So, it's, that's part of it I
guess, it's like an everyday job
whereas, I've taken it from

it being just my, my
creativity and my fun
thing to do on the side,

it's turned into what could
potentially be a full-time
position as a model.

Just working and just feeling
like I'm moving forward in life

is really what I
was excited for, so.

I'm happy to be here, finally.

Well, I'm scared of remaining
sick and not becoming
cancer-free basically.

I don't if that's gonna
hold me back, or if my
scar's gonna hold me back,

but I'm gonna do it anyways.

Yeah, I guess that's like
the scariest thing is people
rejecting me because of

the scar I have on my body.

It's still not really, I'm
still not really realizing it
that I'm a signed model.

It doesn't feel real yet.

Maybe when I start traveling
full-time and all that.

This is one of the most
important moments in my life,

coming to New York and
experiencing the big city.

It's really crazy to
be here in New York.

I think life is always teaching
us new lessons of appreciation
and what we are meant to do

on this planet to appreciate
just what you've been through

and to know that
you can go anywhere.

Superstar.

This morning women's clothing
company, Lane Bryant is
chiming in on the conversation

about beauty and body image
with a new marketing campaign.

Lane Bryant introducing a
new body loving campaign
called I'm No Angel.

imnoangel.

-an] I'm No Angel.
-I'm No Angel.

I'm No Angel.

It features
plus sized models and
says the campaign

is designed to teach women to
love every part of themselves.

reporter]The models who appear
n this new commercial believe
it more closely reflects

the average American
woman who is a size 14.

It was like I wanted to
scream it from a mountaintop,

but I couldn't because I
couldn't tell anyone, right?

Like to keep everything
under wrap for so long

and to be a part of the
-I'm No Angel- campaign
was pretty surreal.

It was just like a smile on
the inside permanently for a
couple of months. [chuckles]

They had a full double-decker
bus with our photos on the side.

The video was playing
on the other side.
It was wrapped in us.

I modeled with Victoria Lee,
Marquita Pring, Candice Huffine,

Ashley Graham
and Justine Legault.

So, it was cool meeting
them because I'd seen
them in magazines

and seen them before, so.

I had no idea who I was gonna
be modeling with and then all
of a sudden after having seen

so many photos of them and just
being like I'm sitting next to
you in a photo is, it's a trip.

It was crazy to, to be there,
to be next to them and actually
be considered an equal

because these women are-

Poof, poof!

And here's me, trying to
climb the ladder, but I'll
get there, it's just, I'm new.

My agents at JAG were, um,
I shouldn't say shocked because
I think they believe in me,

but they were surprised,
delightfully surprised
that you know,

I'd get in, I'd get on the
roster and only be two months
in and then book that like that.

To see how in a year, you
know, to think that I'm gonna
die and then all of a sudden,

I'm all better and I'm
doing something that people
would dream of doing

forever, I couldn't
even imagine.

You want to meet
my girls? One word.

Sexy.

I think it's in my eyes.

It's something
that looks like this.

Beautiful.

I'm no angel.

-I'm no angel.
-I'm no angel.

Here I am, on a commercial,
going across the
States on buses,

on trains, on subways,
on billboards.

It's nuts, like, I had my
fans send in photos from
whenever they would see me.

They'd see me on TV, they'd
see me on commercials,
Hulu, all over the Internet.

It was on TMZ.

It was on Entertainment Tonight.

It was all over.

Yeah, it went-- it went viral.

It was pretty trippy. I'd had
people like, -I saw you on this.

I saw you on this.- You know,
and it was great having my
fans like so excited for me

because they'd seen
what I'd went through
to get to that point.

Seeing myself in Times
Square? It was-- I don't
know how to explain it really.

It was unbelievable.

I'm really proud of myself and
like that I actually was able to
make it through everything and,

and get to that point where
I can say like, there I am,

in front of, you know, thousands
and thousands of people.

Yeah, it was, pretty shocking.

[man[ There's Elly,
there you go.

Go Elly.

There it is! It's my ad! New
York City! Times Square.

Pretty awesome.

Recognize me! Recognize me!

I had always thought, you
know, that'd be amazing,
but I always had doubts.

I mean, how many people
can say, like, coming
from a town of 50 people

and working my way up to
like, actually living in New
York and working as a model

it doesn't happen
every day and I think
this is my opportunity

to make that kind
of dream come true.