Exclusive Issue featuring Rosie Mercado and Washington Plus America Queens

mercado

skorchapril 2012

a true beauty on a mission to empower

rosiewoman to love themselves

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PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF \ Jessica KaneDIRECTOR OF PR \ Cali Ann LeeEXECUTIVE FASHION EDITOR \ Bella StylesSPECIAL PROJECTS CREATIVE DIRECTOR \ Jovanna ReyesNYC EDITOR-AT-LARGE \ Kellie BrownJR FASHION EDITOR \ Nicole AndersonEDITOR \ Mandy Allen

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EXCLUSIVE BONUS ISSUE FEATURING ROSIE MERCADO

image credits for entire issueOscar Picazo - Photographer

Rosie Mercado - Mua & Styling Lorena by Design - Hair

dress on cover is from igigi

APRIL 2012 EXCLUSIVE \ PG2 \ © SKORCHMAG.COM

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this special issue is brought to you in part by karen kane plus

JAN 2012 EXCLUSIVE \ PG4 \ © SKORCHMAG.COM

by jessica kaneeditor-in-chief

EdiTORiAl CREdiTS Model: Chearice VaughnClothing: QFd CóllectionShoes: dSWMakeup: Angela MichelleCreative director & Photographer: Jovanna Reyes Stylist: Jovanna ReyesJewelry: Ear Candy Accessories www.earcandyaccessories.com

Model is wearing a QFD Cóllection Dress


The first time i heard of Rosie Mercado was when she won the Face of Full Figured Fashion Week 2010 con-test. like most anyone who saw her pictures, i was blown away by not only her pure beauty, but also her skill as a makeup artist as Rosie does all of her own makeup for every beautiful picture you see.

She is a mother and entrepreneur, which is someone i completely relate to, and she is also one of the most genuine people i have ever met. Anyone who meets Rosie can feel her positive energy and pure passion to empower women and use herself as the example, so it’s no surprise she has had some of the most success-ful years of her life lately. And, she is adding another feather to her cap, it’s my great pleasure to announce Rosie as our new Celeb Editor-at-large! She will contin-ue contributing to daily Venus diva as well as her red carpet interviews with Gossip Meets Couture!

Rosie’s 2012 is shaping up quite beautifully and she has much more in store. i sat down with her to get the scoop and ask the questions you are all wondering about, so get to know the side of Rosie you may not know. We talk about her choice to lose weight, finding Mr. Right and more...

by jessica kaneeditor-in-chief

EdiTORiAl CREdiTS Model: Chearice VaughnClothing: QFd CóllectionShoes: dSWMakeup: Angela MichelleCreative director & Photographer: Jovanna Reyes Stylist: Jovanna ReyesJewelry: Ear Candy Accessories www.earcandyaccessories.com

truebeautyrosie mercado



truebeautyrosie mercado

rosietruebeauty

rosie APRIL 2012 EXCLUSIVE \ PG9 \ © SKORCHMAG.COM

I understand the struggles of weight loss and weight gain and there has to be a balance between mind, body and spirit to understand what and why you do what you do! “- rosie mercado

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q&aAPRIL 2012 EXCLUSIVE \ PG10 \ © SKORCHMAG.COM

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q&aCONTINUED >>


Skorch: Rosie, congrats on all you have going right now, you really are breaking down barriers as a fuller figured woman in the entertainment and modeling indus-tries. i am so proud to welcome you to team Skorch as our new Celeb Editor-at-large! So most will know you from being the Face of FFFWEEK, your work as a plus model, and starring in a reality show on NUVO called Curvy Girls, which seemed to be a hit, is it coming back? Anything you can tell us?

Rosie: i loved filming Curvy Girls and loved the people i met, including the people with a different opinion of what i do, but in the end, i am passionate about my dreams and this is a reality show on what i do to obtain my goals! Curvy Girls is coming back and it will be in NYC. i will be on some of the episodes, which is excit-ing, and i think it’s a great opportunity because women really understand the reality of this industry and sometimes it’s not that pretty! it comes down to money as i was told! i think you get to see hard work, success, rejection, competition and friends come together as we pursue our dreams! For myself, Curvy Girls is an opportunity to break barriers, voice my opinions and fight for my dreams! Make sure and follow me on twitter and like my page on facebook to see updates on the show on Nuvo Tv!

Skorch: Now in the show, you were work-ing hard on your fitness to get your body to a place where you felt more comfort-able in your skin, how is that going?

Rosie: i felt comfortable in my skin even though i was rejected at times and also celebrated at times! (smiling) it was a real-

ity check to understand that at the end of the day even though it’s my passion, it’s also a business and the weight has to come down. i want to keep pursuing my dreams but my ideal size at this point is a size 18-20, no smaller! i love being plus size and i never had a problem with it sometimes you need to take a different road to get to your destination and i am enjoying it all the way!

On the show i weighed 340, a couple weeks later went up to 350 and decided to go about losing weight by eating right and exercise. i wake up at 5 a.m. Monday through Saturday and work out for 1 hour and i walk two miles and i do light weights with some Zumba and i learned to enjoy it! My current weight is 285 pounds and i feel great! i understand the struggles of weight loss and weight gain and there has to be a balance between mind, body and spirit to understand what and why you do what you do! in the end, i added medita-tion by deepak Chopra to focus on what i am grateful for and what i want to attract into my life! i understand my purpose and this is just the journey i want to take to reach my dreams!

Skorch: Tell us about Miss Bellisima and how it came to be. How long did it take you to launch it and how is it doing today?

Rosie: Miss Bellisima came to be because i wanted to get into the entertainment industry and this was as close as i could get because the opportunities were not yet there for me. i love fashion and make up and bringing out the best of beauty in women! it’s such a pleasure to see women look into the mirror and say OMG i feel beautiful and i never thought i would




CONTINUED >>


ever look this way! Bellisima is Beauti-ful! i love giving back to women who have not found their beauty and purpose! i love what i do and creating Miss Bellisima was the perfect opportunity to do that and combine a great cosmetic for women who are looking to bring out there natural beauty through minerals and educate and empower at the same time! if opportuni-ties are not there one must create them and never give up! Thanks to Miss Belli-sima and of course Miss Plus America this opened a door to my modeling career and my passion for entertainment news!

Skorch: Speaking of entertainment news, i’ve been seeing you get some major red carpet celebrity interviews! How do you do it? What’s it like for a curvy girl report-er on the carpet?

Rosie: Red carpets have been part of my life since i was 16 years old. i used to be a radio personality in las Vegas, from there i worked with Telemundo and Univision do-ing red carpets for latino celebrities and i was taught by a great friend. i learned to do voiceovers and had so much fun with my own show and i just new that i was passionate about entertainment news radio interviews, the glamour and the people i met forever changed me in this industry! i think as of now i am the only plus size girl doing red carpet interviews, i have not seen another curvy girl on the red carpet hustling her way through the crowd to get sound bytes or interviews. You have to have tough skin and know who you are talking to and be quick so you don’t miss your opportunity! i love working the red carpets and meeting the paparazzi that attend and just love that i am there! it’s in my blood!!!!! i am going to make it big and i have great support and great crew with me! Great opportuni-ties are coming and i am so excited that i will be a Skorch red carpet celeb corre-spondent! Never forget size doesn’t deter-mine my potential or my worth! i love my

life and i am grateful for the opportunities i am given to demonstrate my talents and voice my thoughts! i choose to live with passion!

Skorch: So it seems on the outside that passion has changed from modeling to red carpet reporting, is this true? And if yes, why? Are there enough doors/opportuni-ties for larger plus size models like your-self?

Rosie: All i can say is i am not giving up modeling, i am choosing to pursue all opportunities that will open doors in different directions. i am not just a plus size model and my life should not just be classified by my weight! There are so many things that i do and i think women need to reach their full potential and use all their God given talents for a reason. i love doing so many things that i am not passing up opportunities on what i love from modeling to acting to radio and voi-ceovers! like i said before, sometimes you have to be willing to take a different road that will get you to a greater destination and enjoy every minute! if you want to learn to be successful, i recommend edu-cating yourself by reading as much as you can and always giving out what you want most in life. To accomplish your goals, others must accomplish theirs too, and if you can open the door to amazing oppor-tunities for yourself and others don’t think twice...remember what leaves your hand never leaves your life! if you hand others business opportunities, those will come back to you and as they grow so will you, it’s a WiN WiN!

Skorch: That’s the same advice i live by and hope others hear you and practice, it really is true how it comes back to you. i love how you support body empower-ment initiatives with such passion, is this something you want to do more of in the future? if so, what’s your dream project or partner?


Rosie: i have my dream project coming up, so stay tuned!!!!! i would love to partner up with OWN Network because it’s all about inspiration and to live an inspired life, that is the greatest accomplishment one can have because it creates change in so many ways and unites people and brings light to others and teaches you so many lessons like appre-ciation and contribution and most of all the importance of life itself. People i would love to work on projects with include Oprah, deepak Chopra, Anthony Robbins and dr dyer. My life has changed in the last couple of months with so much clarity and i choose to live a life of purpose, inspiration and gratitude, all through the teachings they have provided!

Skorch: do you think being a mother has changed the way you do business and decide what projects to be sort of?

Rosie: Being a mother opens up your eyes and it pushes you to do the best..... you have little eyes watching you and my kids are so impor-tant to me, i want them to grow up under-standing the importance of values in all that they do. The importance of gratitude when working with other people and respect when looking for opportunities and when establish-ing relationships the importance and integrity. i want them to understand their dharma and for them to learn to have those values. i must live that life as well! Be happy make happy .... i can’t teach them something i don’t do myself and in business what you sow you shall reap. When choosing a project, i always ask the question, what message is behind it and does it go with my values? Who will it impact and will it be an opportunity that will create change and inspiration?

Skorch: i know that the women you effect are close to your heart too. Through everything you are doing, what is it you’re trying to ac-complish with them? What is your underlying mission with the women you empower daily?

Rosie: i want to inspire women who are scared to pursue their dreams, you can overcome the rejection of being overweight, a single mother or just afraid of the unknown. i want to create change and prove that at every size there are opportunities, and sometimes accomplishing the goals takes tons of work and investment of time and patience, but it pays off! i have been a size 16 and a size 32 and i have worked at all sizes but i never took no for an answer. i want to empower women to pursue their dreams and to take action stand up for what they believe in. life will have great moments and moments that you question why know that everything happens for a reason and ev-eryone has a purpose a story to tell. i want to leave a message of beauty, love and empow-erment behind and to create a huge impact where ever we go, it takes a team of powerful women to do this. i want to contribute to cre-ating lasting change in this industry like it has never been seen before!

Skorch: So, after you create the change and impact you seek, and i know you will!! in the end, is there room for love? i know you are a romantic who believes in true love, but there are only so many hours in the day. inquiring minds want to know :)...is Mr. right near?

Rosie: i am in love with love and Mr. Right is out there...i am just not ready for him right now. i am focused on my kids, health and ca-reer and when i do something, i do it 100%! i am single and love it and the best part is that i am happy with being single and i have learned so much about myself! Mr. Right will be here in the future, as for love there’s always roman-tic movies to watch.....


connect withrosie mercadowww.twitter.com/rosie mercado

www.facebook.com/msrosiemercadowww.facebook.com/missbellisima

www.rosiemercado.comwww.missbellisima.com

www.youtube.com/missrosiemercado

rosie mercado

CCB Custom Dresses Misses & Plus Sizes 2-28Free Shipping In USA & Canada

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a new kind ofroyaltyBy Jessica Kane, Editor-in-Chief

it’s only fitting that this next feature story be on the newly crowned Miss Plus America Queens for Washington State, afterall, Rosie credits her start in the plus industry to her participating in the MPA system. latasha Raines, the Executive director of Washington Plus America, asked me to be an overall judge for the 2012 pageant. i was beyond thrilled and honored, but never did i imagine a weekend with the queens would have so dramatically changed my life.

The Miss Plus America pageant was beyond words. NEVER have i expe-rienced so much positivity and empowerment in one place in my life, this is the kind of movement we try to evoke daily online, but noth-ing can match the power of human spirit in one spot. After two intense days of judging 26 women who worked SO hard to not only be a queen, but SHOW us they are the entire package.....powerful, smart, beauti-ful and graceful. Eventually, the time came where the women stood on a stage waiting to hear their fate. One by one the finalists were called and one by one my tears fell. i was so proud and so wished we could give everyone a crown, because they All deserved it just for getting up on a stage and putting themselves in front of the brightest spotlight for all to judge them....all while having a smile and being so graceful. What i do on this blog is NO WHERE near the level of those women, and i just bow to them. it was MY honor to judge and stand and applaud and cry with them, now meet the new queens as interviewed by Mandy Allen!

The overall judges and the newly crowned queens (I’m far left wearing Torrid).

royalty




maranda zucatiplatform: teen suicide/bullying

SKORCH: If you could have a super power what would it be?

I would like to have the super power of being able to hear what people are thinking which would allow me to help them before they may even realize the help they need themselves.

SKORCH: Do you think parents should take an active role in monitoring their teen's social media accounts, in order to spot bul-lying early, and help stop it?

Absolutely! It has helped that my mother has played an active roll on mine and my sisters social media. It is very important for parents to play an active roll in every aspect of our teen years. A lot of changes happen fast through out our teens. With trying to figure out who we are our selves to experiencing more intense relationships. Bulling happens everywhere; Home/Neigh-borhood, Social media, Cell phones/texting, sending of pictures, internet/You tube. With the technology of today news travels fast and can ruin a person in minutes. The sad-dest of this is how blind people can be to a situation and quick to throw judgement as well as thinking its a normal teenage thing expecting the victim to figure it out which in return leaves the victim feeling alone, unloved and feels no body would miss them or even notice if they are gone.

SKORCH: What do you say to people who think Beauty Pageants are demeaning to woman, and focus too much on beauty and not enough on brains?

I tell them to check out the WPA pageant, its about Real Women, Real Bodies, Mak-ing a Real Difference who have beauty and brains.There is nothing demeaning with this pageant.Participating in this pageant has been an amazing experience. I competed against some incredible teens that have a lot to offer. I had no expectations. I was happy and satisfied with the experience, the con-fidence I gained, the new friends I have made and just knowing I did something that I never thought I would have the opportu-nity to do.Who can make a judgement like that tell they experience it for them-self?

SKORCH: Competing in your first pageant was a pretty big challenge, what's the next challenge you'd like to set for yourself?

Oh Boy, I haven't thought much about that. Since I have been crowned with the Wash-ington title and preparing for Nationals everyday has brought new opportunities which brings new challenges as well. I am excited to continue to see what each day has in store for me and with what I have gained for my self by stepping out of my comfort zone as I did by entering the WPA pageant made me stronger and helped me grow so I am ready for any challenge that may come my way.

Add Maranda on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Washington-Plus-America-Teen/261995270542317

interview by mandy allen



kristin woodplatform: childhood obesity


I would want my super power to be the ability to read minds. I don’t like being lied to and being able to read people’s minds would prevent that. It would help in so many life decisions and even bigger deci-sions.

SKORCH: Do you think gaming systems like the Nintendo Wii and Play Station Kinect are a good tool for helping children get active?

I absolutely think gaming systems for the Nintendo Wii and Kinect are good tools for helping get children active. I would not say they are the best tool but they are helpful. In this day in age, video games are one of the first activities that kids and even adults choose. With these systems, it allows the kids to still play the video games and yet it helps them be active at the same time. I have a younger sister who is 13 and she likes to watch tv and play video games and even though she is not incredibly excited when it comes to being active, she has a kinect and can play it for hours! Getting the family to be active is helpful when getting kids active because you are showing and example of being healthy and connecting as a family at the same time. The support from a family in being and staying active are helpful in the success of keeping the children active.

SKORCH: What do you say to people who

think Beauty Pageants are demeaning to woman, and focus too much on beauty and not enough on brains?

I would say they are wrong. Yes it comes across that the focus is on beauty, I mean the title is “beauty pageant,” however, the people who say it focuses too much on beauty have never competed in a pageant or know what happens behind the scenes. When you are preparing and competing in a pageant, yes there is a lot of hair and makeup, tanning and waxing, but pag-eants are not only about showing the outer beauty but also the inner beauty. Pageants are looking at beauty as a whole. I think that when people hear the word beauty they simply think of outer beauty and not inner beauty. Everyone is beautiful both inside and out and the key is to have the confidence to show the world both types of beauty as a whole.

SKORCH: Competing in your first pageant was a pretty big challenge, what’s the next challenge you’d like to set for yourself?

The next big challenge I would like to set for myself is competing in the national competition. That is a big challenge and will be bigger than the pageant I already competed in. It is going to tougher and more preparations, but I am ready for the challenge!

Connect with Kristin on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Miss-Washing-ton-Plus-America/387983834549296.




makela steward platform: Quality Educational Access for All Students


I would love to have the ability to travel through time. I enjoy the era we live in, but would love to experience the past and the future. I think we have a lot to learn from the past and even more to prepare for in our future. As an educa-tor it would be awesome to really know what’s coming down the lines in educa-tion and the world and be able to ad-equately prepare my students.

SKORCH: What is the number one change you’d like to see school boards make in order to achieve better access to quality educational resources for all students?

I would love to see all schools funded properly according to need and not stu-dent number. National, state and local educational budgets are at a critical low which in turn means that the schools with activePTA’s, community resources and high student counts have the best technology, books, low student teacher ratio. This is not fair, every child is entitled to qual-ity education and should have access to technology, up to date books, additional community resources and low student teacher ratios.

SKORCH: What do you say to people who think Beauty Pageants are demean-ing to woman, and focus too much on beauty and not enough on brains?

I too was a skeptic, then I entered and it changed my mind totally. I would share my story with someone and let them know that being a part of a beauty pageant has been a very positive ex-perience for me. Not only was it an awesome overall experience, I gained confidence, took steps to improve my public speaking skills, and met some pretty amazing new people. Pageants give woman a platform to promote a cause that is close to their heart. They also allow woman to travel and pay for higher education. Pageants are looking for the total package and not just beau-ty. Beauty alone or brains alone will not win the crown.

SKORCH: Competing in your first pag-eant was a pretty big challenge, what’s the next challenge you’d like to set for yourself?

I plan to launch my own educational consultant firm. I have been in educa-tion for ten years and I feel like I have a lot of offer to the field. This is a big step because I have been employed since I was 16 years old. Being self employed during this time is a major faith walk but I am ready and willing to take that journey.

Connect with Makela on face-book at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ms-Washington-Plus-America/278687735536031.




kim hopenplatform: Moms against Bullying


Teleportation- There is so much of the world I would love to see and hav-ing this power would allow me to visit anywhere! Plus, I wouldn’t have to be at the airport 3 hours early for interna-tional flights!

SKORCH: Do you think bullying is a more serious problem now, than you were a child? I definitely think bullying is a more serious problem now. Partially due to technology. Social media, email, etc. has made it so easy for kids to not only be bullied, but to be the bully as well. More commonly known as “cyber-bul-lying”

SKORCH: What do you say to people who think Beauty Pageants are demean-ing to woman, and focus too much on beauty and not enough on brains?

As the saying goes “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. I would challenge this person by asking first if they were aware of the intensive interview pro-cess that contestants go thru. My guess would be that they are making their

judgments based on what they only see on stage or over the top television shows. I would inform them that beauty pageant contestants as a whole must possess intelligence, poise, profession-alism, courage and confidence. These are skills and requirements for many things in life....like a job interview. The “beauty” portion to me is a woman who can put on an outfit or a gown, put herself together and then have the cour-age to get on a stage and present herself with grace and poise. Who wouldn’t want to have those qualities?

SKORCH: Competing in your first pag-eant was a pretty big challenge, what’s the next challenge you’d like to set for yourself?

Nationals! I have heard that this will be pageantry on another level! I want to overcome my personal insecurities and prove to myself that I can go out there and give it 110%!

Connect with Kim on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mrs-Washington-Plus-America/364718910213168.



latasha rainesexecutive director for or & wa miss plus america


Telepathy! If I had the ability to read minds and know what others are thinking, it would help me to be a better leader and better dis-cern how I should approach and communi-cate with people. People’s perception is truly their reality and because of this fact, if I knew how people perceive any given situa-tion or action, I could better accommodate them and handle it! This power would also enable me to know who my real friends and supporters are.

SKORCH: You recently created “Pacific Pageants Magazine”, what was your motiva-tion behind this new project?

I started PACIFICPageants because pageant-ry has enhanced my life in a way no other industry could. I have been involved in the modeling and entertainment industries and pageantry’s influence superseded the others. Pageantry gives girls, teens and women a “voice” and requires that you think of others and serve. My experience has shown me that pageantry is not just about the garment, but the person wearing the garment. It’s about building and equipping confident leaders and opening doors for them to use what they have learned. In my short five years within this industry I have been exposed to every aspect of it! From judging, volunteering, competing, losing, winning, being an emcee, coordinating to now directing I have found that I don’t just like pageantry, I LOVE it! The mission of PACIFICPageants is to make pageantry BIG in the northwest and to put pageantry in our region on the map. Our

magazine will exclusively highlight every aspect of the pageant industry within the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. We seek to create a resource for those con-sidering and are already immersed in this industry as well as a hot spot for the latest fashions, tips and news that only reflects pageant impacting businesses within OUR own states!

SKORCH: What do you say to people who think Beauty Pageants are demeaning to woman, and focus too much on beauty and not enough on brains?

First, I would educate them on the his-tory of pageantry. Pageantry began in the 20’s, and initially it was to raise the moral of men fighting in the war, to give them hope and remind them of their families and who they were fighting for. Many of today’s great pub-lic figures were groomed through pageantry such as Oprah! She was “discov-ered” because of a title she one back in the 60’s. Pageant-ry also provides over 60% of academic scholar-ships to women in America. In particular, my pageant system, the Washington Plus America system bases 50% of the score on interview and onstage question. This means that our system heav-ily values a woman’s ability


to articulate and know what she is talking about. There are some pageant systems that are clearly typical beauty pageants, but how is that different than any other industry? The entertainment industry gains most of its stories based on how “good” someone looks! The top headlines are bombarded with who lost weight and who gained weight, what he or she wore on the red carpet. We live in a superficially based society. How are women who pay to compete in pageants any worse than the celebrities who are paid to set the beauty standards? Difference is, pageant participants are learning confidence, poise, interview skills and usually earning substan-tial opportunities that could change their life!

SKORCH: What’s the next challenge you’d like to set for yourself?

I launched the Oregon Plus America pag-eant!! Our region needs this opportunity for women of size and I am passionate about the northwest. My hope is that the Oregon State pageant will be just as successful if not more than the WA pageant. I learned a lot of what to do and what not to do in my first year, so I believe that my Oregon pageant will benefit greatly from that!

Connect with Latasha on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LatashaMAE81.

Latasha (Middle) pictured with her newly crowned WA Plus America Queens.

project inspirationPhotography & Concept by Jovanna Reyes Special Project Creative Director

Hair by Ameera Bacote



project inspirationfeaturing Lorin


project inspiration

featuring Bria



project inspiration

featuring Nina



project inspiration

featuring Chearice


project inspiration

inspiration meet Nina pictured leftNina Taylor is a native of Washington dC. in May 2006 she completed her bachelors degree in Psychology in Pittsburgh, PA, december of 2009 she went on to complete her Master's degree in Human Resource development focusing on edu-cation and training. Full time, Nina has a career in medical education in the field of Oncology and Virology (Cancer, HiV and Hepatitis.) Nina is widely known as an accomplished Editorial and Beauty Plus Size model and was the 2011 cover girl for Full Figured Fashion Week in New York. She is also a beauty writer, host and keynote speaker. Nina's newest venture is the co-founder of NJC Modeling Agency a plus size boutique modeling agency in the Washington dC area.

When did you start modeling? i started modeling about 4 years ago, i was on set working as a make up artist and the photographer wanted to test lights and asked me on set. He shot a few frames and told me i belong in front of the

camera not behind it. it wasn't something i ever thought i would be capable of doing, but once i started i grew to love it.

How did you attain the confidence needed to start out? it was gradual, i just jumped in to modeling and i became comfortable with my body and my abil-ity through every casting and photoshoot. instead of people telling me i was good, i started to feel great about my work.

What do you feel about the plus size industry? What do you feel is needed? i love the plus size industry, it is filled with talent-ed and empowering women and men. Collectively we've made so much progress and the straight size industry has no choice but to take notice of the movement. i still feel that we need more body types represented, more designers and more curvy girls in the media.

meet Chearice pictured right

Chearice’s very first show was a runway com-petition in Baltimore and she came in a modest eighth place. “i networked with some of the other models there and began to learn from them how to walk, turn, pose, and give confidence and at-titude on the runway”, she says. Several months later, Chearice ran away with 2nd place in the Full Figured and Fabulous Runway Competition spon-sored by deVoe Signature Events.

Chearice has graced the runway at Full Figured Fashion Week in New York City for two years and was recently featured on the cover of the January 2012 issue of Skorch Magazine. Skorch is proud to say that after seeing her on the cover, the designer of Qristyl Frazier designs, insisted on Chearice be-ing a featured model in her new collection and in BET’s Rip the Runway. When did you start modeling? i started modeling in June 2005. i’ll never forget it. i’d heard about a plus size runway competition to be held in Baltimore. So i participated and came in eighth place. i had no experience at the time, i didn’t really know what i was doing, but i felt like with practice, i could be great at it.

How did you attain the confidence needed to start out? i think starting out i just wanted to try something that i always wanted to do. So i wouldn’t have any regrets about it. As i learned more about modeling and got more experience doing fashion shows, my confidence grew leaps and bounds. How do you feel about the plus size industry? What is needed? The plus size industry is really a family of men and women fighting for size acceptance. From that family came magazines, clothing lines and fashion weeks all catered to the plus size community. Now we have more clothing retailers that have begun to market to the plus size community. We have magazines like Skorch Magazine and Plus Model Magazine that are giving us a voice. You have Full Figured Fashion Week in New York City for the last four years and it’s just getting bigger and big-ger. Yet, there are still so many more barriers to break and we’re just getting started! We deserve fashionable clothing, to be featured on the cover of major magazines, to grace the runways in New York, Paris, and Milan, to be looked at as simply beautiful women.

thank you forreadingThank you to team Skorch for making this exclusive issue happen! And, to our amazing sponsors.

We are always on the look out for new style talent, so if you would like to join the SKORCH Blogger Network and our global team of editors, visit us at www.skorchmag.com!

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