Plus-Size Model Crystal Renn (23) just released a book about her journey in the modeling world, a journey from size 0 to size 12: “Hungry - A Young Model’s Story: Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves”.
Here’s her summarized story: At age 14, Crystal told that she had to lose 9 inches from her hips in order to be a succesful model. As a result, Crystal went from 175 lbs to 95 lbs in just 2 years. At 16, Crystal dealt with anorexia and was a size 0(US). But then, there was a turning point:
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At 17 my body completely rebelled. I couldn’t loose more weight and I realized I was going to die for a job. The next day I was completely chastised by my agency for my size and one agent pulled me aside and said, “There’s an option for you. You can either go plus-size or do commercial work.” And I asked, “What’s plus-size modeling? I’ve never heard of that.” And she said, “Well it means you can be whatever size you want and model.” But she said it was for old women! But for whatever reason, everything made sense and I knew this was the route I had to take. I went and had a salad with salmon and walnuts and olive oil. I gave into what my body needed. I could be healthy and happy and still model., says Crystal.
… and so, she was inspired to share her story in a book:
“I’d like to see everyone take on the attitude that there are women of all different shapes and sizes as `the beauty ideal,’ and that it’s not one type or another. There are women who are naturally a size 2 — you can’t forget them, and that’s discrimination the other way,” Renn said. “All women bring something different to the table and we have to appreciate them all.”
Some in the fashion, modeling and magazine industries have been receptive to the idea, she said, noting that she’s still working with her fuller figure in Vogue, Glamour, on the runway with Jean Paul Gaultier and in ads for Dolce & Gabbana. ”I believe there is a cycle to everything — Wall Street, the housing market, and modeling, too. Back in the Victorian days, it was all about a full figure, in the ’50s, it was about the boobs, in the ’80s it was shoulders and in the ’90s it was waifs,” she said. “It can only go up from here.”, says Crystal.
http://www.skinnyvscurvy.com
2 comments:
Thats so true many ppl seem to not realize that life can go in a number of different ways.Its the path taken that determines the outcome.
It's not the death of a modelling career to gain weight! There's a whole website called RunwayRevolution.com that shows only models over a size 10, and it's packed with post after post of beautiful pictures.
It's interesting to see just how much high-quality work exists outside of the narrow view of the weight/body/celebrity-obsessed US media. There's whole campaigns, runway and music videos and interviews showing a wide variety of sizes and shapes.
If you know of someone struggling with their body, who needs to see proof to believe that skinny =/= beauty, then send them to check out this site. They'll thank you for it!
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