Chelsea Settles Blog

We have notices that a lot of you are Chelsea Settles fans. As are we. So we are happy to announce that she now has her own blog-

Dream Big; Never Settle

Photo care of US magazine

Go check her out and tell her we sent you!

PMM Bodies Photo Shoot Interviews

Find out more about the people that made it. View interviews with the crew that made the Plus Model Magazine Bodies pictorial possible. Here.

ABC News Features Plus Model Mag's Shocking Article

Our post yesterday about Plus Model Mag's article about the gap between the average woman and the average fashion model is discussed on ABC News. View the story below.

Size Matters

In their latest issue, Plus Model Magazine, "the premiere virtual magazine celebrating the plus size fashion, beauty and plus size modeling industries" has put a very bright spotlight on the disparity between mainstream models and "real" women.

In this article depicting an average model with a plus size model shockingly shows the differences in what the mainstream fashion industry preaches as beauty and what most women in the U.S. actually look more like.

Each photo is accompanied with powerful statistics that shows not only the change in the fashion industry as a whole but in the average woman's dissatisfied view of that industry. Change must be made.

The ongoing debate between health and body size is a hot topic in fashion and continues to provoke opinions on what is to some the very future of the industry. In this writers opinion, it is not for the industry to dictate health but to reflect the needs of the consumer. As the consumer changes so must fashion.

The photos by Victoria Janashvili featuring Katya Zharkova and an average sized model are provocative but bring home the point that the plus size world has been talking about for some time. Beauty is not a size.

Even though we endorse the plus size fashion industry and women with curves, we here at Curvaceous K™ know that all women are beautiful and that embracing your body no matter what your size is the key to your fashion success.

Please be aware, these photos may be shocking. That is the point. They are thought provoking. We hope that you will let us know your thoughts on this subject.

Photos by ©Victoria Janashvili/Plus Model Magazine

Plus Size Celebrities

On occasion we will feature a Plus-Size Celebrity or Model on our New Feature Page.

Some you may know. Others you may not. We feel it is important to let you know that there are women out there that are plus-sized and being seen.

Chelsea Settles

This one may seem obvious. Chelsea has been very popular not only on this site but in the media in general.

Chelsea is best known for being MTV's newest Reality Television star. The most notable distinction about this show was that Chelsea was a plus size young woman that was looking forward to a career in the fashion industry.

The show followed her from her home in Pennsylvania to Los Angeles. Documenting her search for a job and her struggle with her weight.

It was amazing to see the transformation of this young woman from the shy, self-conscience child we first meet, to a confident, self-reliant, successful woman.

She continues to work on herself and stays in contact with her fans on Twitter and interviews like this one from the Wendy Williams Show.

Chelsea is an inspiration not only to plus-size women but to her MTV generation. I hope to see more of her in the future.

A Surprising Hero

Many of us in the fashion world have watched Project Runway. And if you are like me, you think that Tim Gunn is fabulous. Now he is even more so.

When you think of main stream fashion, you rarely think of plus-size. And you would definitely not think that someone so iconic as Tim Gunn would be such a supporter of the troubles faced by plus-sized fashionistas.

In this interview with Marie Claire, Tim gives his opinion on plus-size fashion.

"It's so difficult. Have you seen most of the plus-size sections out there? It's horrifying. Whoever's designing for plus-size doesn't get it. The entire garment needs to be reconceived [sic]. You can't just take a size 8 and make it larger."

He goes further to say, "In my travels, I've been an advocate for larger women. I've been talking to designers, but only a half-dozen make an effort. Most say, "I don't want a woman who's a size 10 or 11 wearing my clothes." Well, shame on you! It's not realistic. We need to address real women with real needs. At Parsons, we had fit models that ranged in size from 2 to 10. We've got to reconceive [sic] clothes for all sizes. Sometimes I say, "I'm going to do a clothing line!" I'd love nothing more to respond to those designers who refuse to address it."

Tim was on the faculty of Parsons The New School of Design beginning in 1982 through 2007. He joined Project Runway the first season in 2004.

His new show, The Revolution, premiers January 16th and follows one woman's life transformation over a 5 month time period.

I would be excited to see him design his own line. Especially if it includes plus sizes. We will keep our eyes and ears open for more news.

Our New Feature Page!

We are excited to bring you a new page to our blog! Featured Plus Size Celebrity. We hope to bring to you from time to time a little information about plus sized celebrities and who they are. Whether they be known to you or are new to all of us.

Today's Celebrity is Chelsea Settles.

It is important to remember that there are women and men who are not ashamed of their size and we hope to celebrate that.

Your size does not define you or your style. Your attitude does. Always remember that.

K