Australian swimsuit model Robyn Lawley has spoken out about her feelings on being labelled a ‘plus- size’ model.
Last year Lawley became the first ever ‘plus-size’ model to be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine, but at a size 12 she doesn’t think the term is appropriate, reports Elite Daily.
In fact, in an interview with E! News earlier this week – given as she got ready for the Sports Illustrated annual Swimsuit Issue party – she revealed she thinks the label should be completely abandoned.
Lawley explains that she feels it was an honour for her to be the first of her body type to be featured in the magazine but:
[The plus-size label] was given to me because models are literally half my size.
Compared to regular models, who are incredibly skinny, I look plus to them. But to the average everyday person, I’m just like them. So it’s a tag we don’t really need.
Quite rightly she insists her size is ‘quite common’ outside of the modelling industry, but that curvy women tend to be underrepresented, because the industry is ‘so stuck’ on the idea that thin bodies are better.
She thinks the fashion world needs a reality check:
You know, I’m a regular size 12 and that’s quite a common size. That’s a size that sells out usually the most. My swimwear line that’s out, it’s one of the highest selling sizes.
She goes on to say that being unfairly labelled as plus-size can be frustrating or discouraging, but that it’s important for everyone to be able to accept their natural body weight and ‘work with what you have’.
This is a sentiment that the fashion industry does seem to be taking on board – slowly – after France passed a law banning ‘excessively thin’ models‘ in December.
