Welcome Change The The Standard Standard Size Size Model Model Industry Industry InIn 2017! 2017! My name is Amy Ellis. I am a single mother of two daughters from a small town near Notre Dame. I hope you all enjoy reading about such a taboo subject for women of all sizes, model industry standards, and embrace me on my journey with this editorial for Embrace Beauty Magazine and the owner Laylonna Hurley for embracing me and helping my dream of becoming a paid successful fashion runway model. Let’s embrace and empower other women and set a new standard of self-love in 2017! In 2013 models changed the industry and set a strict standard of beauty to an unrealistic standard for most women. So don't worry, because most women don't fit this standard. When other women ask me how I got in the industry and have questions like how tall you do need to be, what kind of body type is required, why should they have to ask these questions? Have confidence! If it is you dream, you want to pursue modeling as a hobby, or as career just go for it! If I wouldn't have had confidence, personality, mentoring, networking, style, the dream, the longing since the age of 4 I would have not made it to this point! Alessandra Ambrosio my all-time favorite Victoria Secret models, besides Tyra Banks was the perfect unrealistic image that women fought so hard for, even going as far as life or death measures to copy. I would love to find my place in the fashion industry! Fashion models generally are paid the highest wages. Being a successful model does take skill not anybody can have a tough skin and get the shots. Plus do hours of networking behind scenes getting contacts, mentors, researching quality photography, MUAH, and designers, creating and managing shoots, pages, and all their images! My photo shoot for this magazine was 12 hrs. long for an example of
the work a model puts in for an editorial plus a few hours writing my article. New York Fashion week last Feb was homogeneous and the "standard size" models. 3/4 of the models were white. This diversity problem goes beyond race, its body shaming as well and the other models and older designers photographers and MUAH are taking a risk to promote "plus size� If they continue the focus on beauty's one strict standard the chain will never have diversity or appreciate unique features in different healthy everyday women that I am taking a risk and taking a stand for beautiful everyday women with my unique characteristics. Like Ashley Graham, the first plus size women on the cover of Sports Illustrated 2016... She is going to be a judge on Americas Next Top Model next season. Although she is a smaller plus size woman the show will have models for her to choose from with no diversity. She is however, looking for a plus size beauty to take home the top prize! Whitney Cunningham was the only plus size model to take home the top prize in cycle 8. Tyra fully embraced this! Like Ashley, I would love to see all ethnicity represented on the runways and realistic different sizes of everyday women. Small business couture owners catering and designing to everyday women making them feel like models. This will be a huge growing marketing opportunity in the industry for photographers, stylists, and MUAH as well. We need to work together and embrace and empower new women in 2017! We are the diversity, the race, and the body shaming! May we be strong women, empower them, and raise them!
Model Debra Kanter
Photography By: R.Eric Dawson Studio Digital Salsa Indianapolis Indiana
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Model Antesha Prosser Photographer: Nuru Dorsey MUA: Shana Ford Gogoua Hair Stylist: Robrina Murhead
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Model Lakesshia Slughter Photography By Lewis Photos MUAH Krystal Towner Designer Platinum Threads
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"Trina is a woman who embodies intelligence, power, strength, beauty and passion. She is booked to do several shows at the upcoming New York Fashion Show this February. This rock star will be the first ever full-figured Pinay model to strut the runways of the fashion capital of the world. WATCH OUT, WORLD...HERE SHE COMES!" Lance Miller
Images by Lance Miller MUHA Shannon Ulufale Location: Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco Ca
Model Ole Reed
photographer: TrinityMuDesigns HMUA: Jeptha Lee Hair:Carla Campbell Retoucher: Angela Perez
Dixie Lea Roth Photographer: David Wingate DSW Photography Dress by:Catans bridal MUA: Chloe Scoular Location: Mayfield Ohio
Michael Watkins (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept) and his wife Chiquita Watkins (Director of 911)
Photographer: Abdul-Shaheed Aaron JusFam Photography
By Shannon Harris
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event page, vendors posted about their businesses. Jen Carmichael of R & B Photography, posted her boudoir photography business with samples of am a boudieholic. Ever since the first beautiful plus sized women in lingerie. I wanted to time I was photographed on a bed in a satin look like that. I wanted to be seen as sexy, alluring, magenta and black corset with matching gartered but I hid my body underneath large, loose clothes skirt, thigh highs with satin bows like the corset, or objects for pictures. I insisted the lights be off and patent leather stilettos with my hair in victory during my intimate time with my husband. curls with a black rose and pin-up make up. My However, these initial pictures moved me to heart thundered in my ears. I thought this whole inquire more. So Jen added me to her secret idea was insane. I tried to calm my panicked boudoir group. There I witnessed more beautiful breathing and relax. Jen, my photographer, told me photos even some of the plus sized women had to tilt my head, relax a leg, and chin up to elongate bared it all. If they could do it, why shouldn’t I try my neck and hide my double chin. The poses made it? I wouldn’t go nude, but I could put together me feel silly. I’d frown. Jen told me to smile. I felt some cute, somewhat concealing lingerie. If the sweat threatening to ruin my make-up. Jen anything Jen could post them to the group and asked me to pose on my stomach. I finally relaxed maybe the group would offer supportive and caring because I hid my god-awful stomach. She teased to comments like they did for each other. use my arm to push “my girls” up more. I genuinely Many of the women discussed how their shoots giggled. Click. Jen’s sneak peeks eased my nerves. were for their significant others. The thought I switched to a black lace and light purple corset sadden me because I knew I was not fit to show any with black lacy panties. Jen posed me in front of a such pictures to my husband. I knew I wasn’t what large window with my hands against the cool glass. he considered to be gorgeous, but after seeing the Anyone looking up could see me in lingerie. I posted comments and videos of their significant didn’t get to think about it as Jen would say, “You others’ responses upon receiving and viewing their look beautiful. Now look at me. Gorgeous.” The pictures, I started to think it might be worth a try. best pictures came from when I posed but was After several conversations, Jen convinced me to more candid. I left with a confidence that I had do a mini-shoot, but I was leery about wasting lacked for a long time. When I returned home, my money that would leave me feeling like a joke. camera-loving daughter snapped some candid Somewhere within a few days or so after my first shots of me to hold onto that moment. I had never session, Jen sent some pictures for my permission felt so beautiful. to post to the group. I was floored by the images I have always battled with low self-esteem and and approved them. The praises from the group even lower self-worth. I hit a particular low just a lifted my spirits. About two weeks later, I received few years before and wanted a way to break the my full gallery. I was anxious, yet excited to see funk. My answer came from an event themed on what awaited me. I flipped through the album. the movie release of Fifty Shades of Grey. On the
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ome photos I despised after my inner critic ripped them apart. Some were okay, but several were beautiful, wonderful pictures that couldn’t be deemed anything but gorgeous. For the first time in years, I found my excess weight and myself appealing. I was the sexy vixen in those pictures. It was an internal high that I never wanted to come down from. About a month later, the opportunity arose again. I was a brave little boudie girl, who picked another satin corset with black and white pinstripe with a ruffled layered skirt and a long satin and lace gown to warm up into the session. After the first few shots, I became more confident. One of my all-time favorite pictures is of me with a black push-up bra, black boy shorts, and an open black button up shirt with a replica of Christian Grey’s tie. When I received the album from that session, I found some I didn’t like, some I liked, but even more that I loved. My addiction was ramped. I was hungry for more. About this time, I gave my husband my little black book of photos for Valentine’s Day. He flipped through it. His face was deadpan. He tossed the book aside. Nothing like what the other women had posted. I was let down, and it stung. His reaction was rejection because I wasn’t beautiful to him just as I had thought. The confidence was a lie. I hid the book, printed images, and all my lingerie into my boudie box in the garage. Later, I struggled between graduate school complications, substitute teaching, and family issues. I was losing my identity. My self-esteem and self-worth took a big hit. I contacted Jen for another session to either boost my mood or deepen my depression. I went armed with black and red fancy bras and tulle skirts and the plan to use Jen’s satin sheets. The bras and skirts offered more opportunities to show my stomach and offer better boob shots. The sheet was my favorite, so much that I ordered a large canvas of it. I felt vulnerable but so beautiful. I wanted an outdoor session and to finally bare it all to embrace my beauty. I managed a double session where I wore nude colored bras and panties with see through shirts and butterfly wings outside, and dark pajama pants and bras, spiked heels, and a rhinestone crop while reading Pride and Prejudice. I liked my creativity and willingness to take a chance with this session. I did these my way. This session made me realize that my
sessions were for me. I needed to stop worrying about other people’s opinions, including my husband, at least on this. What I didn’t know was this session was to prepare me for what was to come.
In November, a severe accident left me injured and vulnerable. I took my necessary nudity without being completely uncomfortable. It prepared me that where once there was lace now has scars. I would have to find beauty in those scars for they show another chapter of my story. Unfortunately, that part isn’t finished as I remain in recovery, but I have already made plans to incorporate my scars in a future session.
Image courtesy of: Jenn Carmichael
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Photography By: Hawke Taylor Designer:KPSGLAM
Chauntae Gee, KoKo Brownlow Brittany Brookins
Images by Abdul-Shaheed Aaron JusFam Photography
Images by Abdul-Shaheed Aaron JusFam Photography
Chauntae Gee, KoKo Brownlow Brittany Brookins
Model :Haley Brabant Hair: Christy Perdue Photo by Micael Matzko Photography http://michaelmatzko.com https://facebook.com/MichaelMatzkoPhotography Twitter: @michaelmatzko