Robyn Lawley broke ground as one of three models who wore dresses bigger than size 10 on the cover of Vogue Italia in 2011. That same year she made headlines again, as the first size 14 model photographed for Vogue Australia. Then, last year, there was another milestone: she became the first model to appear in Sports Illustrated that was the size of the average Australian woman. All of those achievements were reported as ‘plus sized’ firsts, but that term isn’t one Robyn believes in.
“I find it kind of degrading,” she explained in a recent interview. “If the national average is a size 14, then we shouldn’t be segregating people of that size. I feel healthy and natural.” Robyn joins a chorus of other voices in the industry calling for the end of the term.
Robyn has an ally in another Australian model, Stefania Ferrario, who spearheaded the #DropThePlus movement last year, after an Instagram post she penned went viral. “I am a model FULL STOP,” Stefania wrote. “Unfortunately in the modelling industry if you’re above a US size 4 you are considered plus size… I do NOT find this empowering.”
New York beauty Barbara Ferreira feels similarly. In conversation with i-D, she explained “the Drop the Plus is a great movement that urges the fashion industry to represent more types of beauty.” She continued, “I know plus size models with the most gorgeous bodies and faces that would make me want to buy clothes because I can relate to them, but most people don’t give them the chance.” Here’s to that!
Credits
Image via @RobynLowley