SPOTLIGHT: "Plus Size" Models in the Fashion Industry **Paying Hommage**

 Recently I saw on MTO, pictures of Lisa Raye’s beautiful daughter Ms. Kai Morae, a gorgeous young lady who has the potential to be a very successful model. What upset me is how commenter’s bashed her because of her weight. We all know in the fashion industry “thin is in”, but look at the average consumer, the average size of a woman in the United States is 14 (my size J) yet when you look at the runways, the advertisements, and other media outlets these women are stick thin- size negative 0. I understand that a lot of females are not “thick”, we all come in all shapes and sizes and  we deserve just as much advertisements geared to those shapes and sizes, but come on, it’s one sided. So I’ve dedicated this post to those “Plus Size” models, I’m happy to be the lovely THICK size that I am, and while yes I do want to lose a few pounds and tone up, I feel as though we need more shine, we need more clothes that FIT. As a gender if we embrace our sizes, whatever they may be and start complaining to these “designers” to make QUALITY, FITTED clothes maybe they’ll hear us and get on their job.

Toccara Jones from Dayton, Ohio, is an American fashion model, occasional actress and television personality. Jones was a contestant on the third season of the UPN series America's Next Top Model, where she finished in seventh place.

Agency: Wilhelmina Models

Mia Abagale Tallarico (born in December 22, 1978), better known as Mia Tyler, is an American actress, plus-size model, public speaker and advocate. She is the daugther of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler

Valerie Lefkowitz

Natalie Laughlin was the first plus-size model to have an advertisement feature on a billboard in New York's Times Square, an honor repeated four times by client Liz Claiborne. Laughlin was also the first plus-size model to appear in the U.S. edition of Glamour magazine.

Ashley Graham (born c. 1988) is a plus-size model from Lincoln, Nebraska. Graham attended Scott Middle School from 1999 to 2002 and attended Lincoln Southwest High School from 2002 to 2005. She is best known as a lingerie model for the plus-size clothing store Lane Bryant. She has also appeared in fashion magazines such as Vogue and Latina.[1][2] On May 31, 2010 she appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to address the controversy over an edited commercial.

Crystal Renn (born June 18, 1986 in Miami, Florida) is an American fashion model and author

Measurements (cm) 96.5-76-106.5 (in) 38C-30-42

Dress size (US) 12 ; (EU) 42 ; (UK) 16

Agency: Ford Models

Melissa Aronson, better known as Emme (born 1963), is a plus-size model, and is largely recognized as the leading model in the profession, as well as its highest earner.