PLUS Model Magazine» 18PLUS

PLUS Model Magazine Exclusive – Fluvia Lacerda Speaks To MODA Magazine “I value my body. I have no reason to hide it”

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 08:00:13 +0000

While the world is questioning why we call size 10 models “plus size”, and the plus size industry fights back by focusing on curvier models, Fluvia Lacerda continues to campaign for the real curvy woman.

During her time in Brazil, MODA magazine interviewed the “plus size Gisele” for an in depth interview about body image and how women can live a happy and fulfilled life at their size.

The opening text reads:

“The brazilian model Fluvia Lacerda opens the way for women who wont fit the tough requirements of the fashion world. Known as the “Plus size version of Gisele”, shes married, financially independent, has a very successfull career and is happy with her body. At our interview, Fluvia confirms that she finds herself “totally sexy” and reasures: ” My happiness has no association with the number on my jean tag”.

It’s especially refreshing for someone to be open and honest about their beliefs. Industry professionals, including models, so often take a vow of silence for fear of retribution by the very industry they represent, but Fluvia has become a household name in her homeland for being a voice for the thousands of “invisible” women that feel inadequate because of their size.

We would like to thank Fluvia Lacerda for giving us the Exclusive News and stay tuned as Fluvia returns to PLUS Model Magazine in the SHAPE issue this Fall.

Only one word describes it “HOT”!

For more on Fluvia, visit www.fluvialacerda.com.

Behind The Scenes At PLUS Model Magazine’s 18PLUS Editorial – Featuring Rosie Mercado

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:00:37 +0000

If you loved our 18PLUS editorial in the July 2010 Issue of PLUS Model Magazine, you will love this special treat.

We have an Exclusive behind the scenes video, just for you.

Click here as Rosie takes you through her day and the PLUS Model Magazine team prepared “Travel Trends”.

Special thanks to our talented team which consist of Kevin Bailey, Reah Norman, Artemis and our special guest model Rosie Mercado.

Enjoy!

PLUS Model Magazine Editorial “Utilitarian Desert Chic” Featuring Carla Triplett From The Biggest Loser

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:00:24 +0000

To view the entire editorial click here or visit www.plusmodelmag.com

Full Figured Fashion Week Begins With A Blast!

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:52:38 +0000

Club BLVD hosted the first evening of Full Figured Fashion week last night. The line to get in the door at seven pm was still down the block with stylishly dressed guest. As Reah Norman and I entered the venue, we were greeted by charming staff members who handed us gift bags, guided us to the step and repeat where our picture was taken, and given our passes for the evening.

Walking into the room I immediately noticed the runway, the Sonsi table and a rapidly increasing amount of women excited about the evenings events. The flat screen televisions listed the name of all the sponsors and the Sonsitini’s were flowing. What’s a “Sonsitini”? A drink made to celebrate the main sponsor for Full Figured Fashion Week, Sonsi.

I stood in-between a rush of photographers, bloggers and other media waiting for the show to begin and I could feel the anxiety building. Suddenly Gwen DeVoe, CEO of DeVoe Signature Events appeared wearing a two piece white ensemble, adorned with pearls by Corinthia Peoples. She greeted everyone with her usual humor and candor and began the show shortly after.

I was taking pictures so I was not able to write down the names of all the designers but I’m working on getting that list to you. Everything from denim to super edgy, trendy wear hit the runway. Among the designers were some curvy favorites like Kiyonna, Pure Energy (Target) and Just My Size. There was something for every curvy woman in the crowd. I was also impressed by the selection of the models, most of the models I recognized and have worked with at some point but there were a few I did not know that you may see in PLUS soon.

I was trying to Tweet in-between collections but my iphone froze and has not been working ever since. A trip to the mac store today is a MUST!!!!

After the show was over, those that had to work the next day made an exit, but those of us that could hang around absolutely did. The guests danced, took pictures, caught up on old times and made friends with new beautiful curvy women.

Model sightings Nicole Lebris, Maggie Brown and PLUS Model Magazine’s current cover model Bernadett. Also attending the fashion showcase was celebrity stylist Susan Moses, Marcy from the Marcy Minute and plus industry veterans Michele Weston and Catherine Schueller.

I spoke with Gwen briefly to congratulate her on a great show and she responded, “This is nothing baby!” Seems like we are in for a finale event like we have never seen before.

Tonight I will be attending The Full Figured and Fabulous Model Competition. Follow us on twitter as we bring you to the runway throughout Full Figured Fashion Week.

Lastly, I would like to thank Lane Bryant for providing me with clothing, as I join the panel of the State Of The Curvy Community on Friday afternoon at 4pm and my outfit for the Finale on Saturday evening.

Don’t forget to follow us on twitter and check out further reviews and pictures at www.insidecurve.lanebryant.com

Twitter:

PLUS Model Magazine @plusmodelmag

Lane Bryant #lanebryant

Rosie Mercado In PLUS Model Magazine’s 18PLUS Editorial – July 2010

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:35:47 +0000

When we first unveiled 18PLUS earlier this year; there was a mixed response from both our readers and industry leaders. Needless to say our readers were thrilled; leaving some industry leaders to say that it would bring PLUS Model Magazines’s level of validity into question.

After discussing with some of the staff members, we decided that 18PLUS was a feature that showed our passion and the true disconnect in the plus size industry. Little did we know, we would have such an amazing opportunity to work with a very talented, vivacious and beautiful 18PLUS model that would bring such inspiration to the plus size community just a few short month’s later.

In the July Issue of PLUS Model Magazine, we feature Rosie Mercado who is currently the Face of Full Figured Fashion Week 2010. Her “Vacation” themed editorial is nothing short of exhilarating as she takes us from one trendy outfit to the next. Yes, big girls can be trendy!

West Coast Style Editor, Reah Norman sat down with Rosie after the photo shoot to speak about Full Figured Fashion Week, stepping on the other side of the camera (Rosie is a makeup artist) and what’s in store for her.

We hope that you enjoy this sneak peak into the July issue of PLUS Model Magazine. Click here to view Rosie and Reah on set.

www.plusmodelmag.com

www.reahnorman.com

www.missbellisima.com

My Fabulous Body! – Win $1,000 American Express Gift Card!

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:24:42 +0000

The Swimsuits for All “My Fabulous Body” Swimsuit Contest Celebrates Confidently Beautiful Plus Sized Women

MILDRED, PA (May 24, 2010) Swimsuits for All thinks it is about time that plus size women have a vote and a voice in asserting their own unique and confident beauty.

The Swimsuits for All “My Fabulous Body” Swimsuit Contest will run for twelve weeks from May 24 until August 24, 2010. Each week a winner will be chosen. Contestants can log-on to the contest website, register, and upload a photo of themselves in their favorite swimsuit, or tell us a story about how their favorite swimsuit makes them feel confident and beautiful. Each winner will be given a gift card and will be automatically entered into the Grand Prize contest to win a $1,000 American Express gift card. If an applicant has not been selected as a winner, then she may re-post her photo and/or story the following week(s).

WHO: Can Enter: Swimsuit-loving, beautifully confident plus size women!
WHAT: My Fabulous Body Contest being sponsored by Swimsuits for All
WHEN: Beginning May 24 and ends August 24, 2010
WHERE: Contestants can log-on to www.swimsuitsforallcontest.com
WHY: Contest gives plus-size women a voice to express what they love about their bodies and their favorite swimsuits

Swimsuits for All is a company which wants its customers to feel beautiful both in and out of the pool. That is why Swimsuits for All is stepping out to sponsor what many major magazines like Vogue and Glamour say has become a sort of “Year of the Plus Size Model” swimsuit contest. Vote for your favorite story to help our Fit and Flatter team select the Grand Prize winner!

Contact Information
Swimsuits for All

The Mattern Building

7406 Rt. 487

PO Box 368

Mildred, PA 18632
Phone: 1-888-241-SWIM

Email: help@swimsuitsforall.com

“We Are The Majority, Not The Minority!” – Part I Of The Lane Bryant Blogger Conference

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:50:14 +0000

It’s been a few days since I’ve been back from the Lane Bryant Blogger Conference in Columbus Ohio and yet I’m still feeling the buzz over what we were able to experience.

First, I must say that I’m honored to have been asked to attend this historic event alongside such amazing women. With me, the bloggers in attendance were:

www.bombshellbeauty.blogspot.com

www.thebudgetfashionista.com

www.curvygirlchic.blogspot.com

www.fabfindsunder50.com

www.fatchic.net

www.socialmediadelivered.com

www.madisonplus.com

www.thecampusinc.com

www.tminustplus.blogspot.com

www.thecurvyfashionista.mariedenee.com

www.venusvision.com

My all-expenses-paid trip began with me having to rebook my flight at the airport because of the amount of time it took me to get to the airport. Yes, I missed my flight. Once I was re-booked, I was told the flight was delayed. My two hour flight turned into a six hour ordeal! But all of this took a back seat once I arrived at my spacious, beautiful hotel room and right on top of the desk was a bag from Lane Bryant with our itinerary, bio’s of all the bloggers and people we would be meeting throughout the day and goodies like pads, pens and measuring tape.

It was clear we had a very full day ahead so I settled in and went to bed and enjoyed my four hours of sleep.

On Thursday, June 3^rd I awoke ready to experience whatever the day had to offer. My first bit of joy was when Marie, The Curvyfashionista, came to my room and greeted me with a big hug. It’s sisterhood that I believe I enjoy most of all about this community.

We went into the main dining area of the hotel and began to introduce ourselves to the beautiful women we recognized from their bios. It was also a pleasure to finally meet Heather McGarry, Marketing Coordinator for Lane Bryant and Andrea Slesinski, Media Relations Specialist at MediaSource.

Our first stop was the Easton Lane Bryant store where we were treated to breakfast and a wonderful shopping experience.

My personal relationship with Lane Bryant spans nearly 20 years. I can remember going with my mother to Lane Bryant, before it became THIS Lane Bryant. The options for plus size bodies were VERY limited back then and she would take me there to get us both outfits for church. Gasp!

Fast forward to the last six years, it has been touch and go. When they decided to no longer carry Venezia jeans I was really disappointed, but the styles began to change and eventually got better. When the Right Fit Jeans came, again I felt lost but they would then improve with something else like the expansion of the Cacique bras. I did not leave the relationship, I thought it was a work in progress like most relationships women have had in their lifetimes.

For these reasons and more, I made it a personal challenge to find an outfit that I would really enjoy and would take me out of my personal comfort zone. After having my first child 19 month’s ago I have not lost the “baby weight” and I have been wearing comfort clothing that I can put on, get dirty and toss into the hamper at the end of the day.

I chose two outfits with denim since finding good fitting jeans is always a problem for me. I think I chose the best look for me; Seven7 embellished denim jeans, colorful sleeveless tunic, fuchsia shrug, steel grey high heeled shoes, new Cacique bra and topped it off with a few fresh bracelets.

During our shopping experience I met the staff of the Lane Bryant store, as well as Robert Rutkauskas, Senior Designer (and Lane Bryant’s own Tim Gunn), Linda Lewis, Senior Buyer/ Bras and begin to form a dialogue with some of the other bloggers that were present.

Once our clothing was packed up, our next stop was the Lane Bryant corporate headquarters. As we waited for the entire group to gather, those of us there Tweeted about our experiences so far and added each other to our lists of Facebook friends. Jay Dunn, the Vice President of Marketing, greeted us inside a beautifully decorated lobby of mannequins wearing the most current styles, and brought us to the conference room where most of us made a beeline for the coffee! Shortly after, we noticed a handsome white-haired gentleman who came over to us and introduced himself as the President of Lane Bryant. (Not part of the itinerary people!!! WOW!)

We were brought to the conference room where most of us made a beeline for the coffee. Shortly after, we noticed a handsome white-haired gentleman who came over to us and introduced himself as Brian Woolf, the President of Lane Bryant. (Not part of the itinerary people!!! WOW!)

We all sat and spoke about the controversy concerning the Cacique commercial. Was it a hoax? No. Was it a publicity stunt like some people thought? No. It was a genuine attempt to market the Cacique line and when they were censored, Lane Bryant fought back. I know many women who do not stand up for themselves yet we had a major retailer stand up for us. Impressive!

Once we were alone with Jay Dunn, we learned about his passion to really get to know and reach out to this woman via his social platform, Inside Curve.

Who is “this woman?” She is ageless, she is stylish, she is a college student, a mom, an aunt, a working woman, a stay at home mom… In short, she is all of us! We discussed Inside Curve and the ways that it will be changed and the perks it will have for its members. But we will get back to that later on.

The things that impress me often times, do not impress other people, but I will share my key points just the same.

- Inside Curve’s original concept was to build a conduit between us (the customers) and the brand (Lane Bryant).

- The new American woman is over a size 14… “YOU are the majority, not the minority!” (Quote from Jay Dunn)

- Another great quote from Jay, “…it’s about influence over reach!”… this is not a popularity contest.

I warned you… it would not be what you thought would be most impressive. I guess having my own company and being on the lips of so many people has made me appreciate the original conceptual ideas for reaching out to a community of women who are made to feel invisible while we are the majority in this society.

Jay Dunn get’s our two thumbs up!

Robert Rutkauskas, Senior Designer and David Albow, Senior Design Director or Sportswear brought to the floor where the magic happens. I can’t go into too much detail about it now but we were able to see how the collections begin: ideas, concepts, inspiration, storyboards, textures, color palettes and clothing samples. It was like being inside of Trumps vault. All I can say is hold on to your seats ladies because the fall and holiday collections will be bringing a lot more variety for your curves.

Stay tuned … tomorrow I take you to the next phase of our day . I will be answering your questions on Facebook and Twitter along with much more…

Oprah’s Search For The Next TV Star – Vote for Chenese Lewis!!

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:08:51 +0000

Chenese Lewis, host of PLUS Model Radio (www.plusmodelradio.com) has entered the Oprah’s Search For The Next TV Star and we need your votes to make Chenese Lewis the winner of this wonderful opportunity. Always one to stand up for the forgotten woman, Chenese is looking to further her career and bring her brand to her personal idol Oprah Winfrey. Wouldnt it be wonderful to see a curvy diva representing for real women out there?

If you feel like we do, cast your vote daily until July 3rd. There is no limitation to how many times you can vote so please help us bring Chenese Lewis to the top of the casting poll.

To view Chenese’s video entry and to vote click here.

Plus-Size MALE Models In Fantastic Man Magazine

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 18:09:09 +0000

Will plus size MALE models be the next envelope to be pushed?

View the pictures and article here.

PLUS Model Magazine – Adequate Representation For Bigger Models?

Editor, Madeline Figueroa-Jones — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:59:43 +0000

Every day, PLUS Model Magazine receives numerous emails from aspiring models with questions about the modeling industry. This month the question refers to Adequate Representation For Bigger Models and our very own Industry Editor, Larissa Laurel brings you all the information you need.

[Reader Question] I just want to know what agencies there are for women 250 pounds and larger? I’m 359 pounds and 22 years old. I see pictures of women who are big like me on the Internet, magazines and television. How do I apply?

[Larissa] I actually have some friends who do what you are talking about. These friends of mine are actresses who do commercials and commercial print. Even when I go to casting calls for ads, like diet drugs, all the people who are called in are over 200 lbs. and all are professional actors. There is no agency that I know of who caters to people over 250 lbs., but most agencies have divisions that utilize character actors. However, there are agencies that are dedicated to talent that has a “real people” look or novelty characters. Most movie production companies contact these agencies for background work on movie sets. Also, advertisers deal with those types of agencies when they are looking for a commercial campaign. to read the rest of the answer click here.