Tess Holliday on “Plus-Size” and Why Models Should Embrace the Term

In the fashion industry, where samples are a size two and runway models are often prized for their thinness, the phrase "plus-size" can sound like a curse word. But not for Tess Holliday. Since bursting on the scene, the model has been busting boundaries and changing standards wherever she goes. And now, she's speaking up about the pressures of being a plus-size model in 2016, why visibility is so important, and also how being called "plus-size" isn't a bad thing.

In a recent interview with New York magazine, Holliday voices her frustration with models who get paid to be "plus", but then try to get rid of the term all together. "I don’t understand why it’s not okay to be plus-size," she says. "I don’t know why people hate that phrase. Many models have built their careers as plus-size women and then suddenly don’t want to be called that anymore. But you’re still cashing checks from plus-size designers."

She also explains how important it is for models of all sizes to be visible in the media—especially for the younger generation. "[W]hen young girls Google the term model, the first women that pop up are Gigi and Kendall," she tells the mag. "I think it’s really important for all young girls to see themselves represented in fashion so they don’t feel alone in the world.”

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More on body image:

1. Tess Holliday Calls Out Facebook for Body Shaming
2. Ashley Graham Stars in H&M Campaign—but There's a Catch

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Being a plus-size model—even an uber-confident one—is not all rainbows and roses, though. Even though Holliday says she doesn't usually see herself "as anything different" than other models, she admits that sometimes, the pressure gets to her. “I try my best to distance myself from the pressure, but it’s a lot," she says. "I recently attended a Refinery29 event and I was reminded that I’m still the biggest person in the room." This is especially the case since she just had a baby—her son, Bowie Juniper Holliday—this past June. It's something every woman, regardless of size, can relate to. The pressure to "bounce back" is rough, and Holliday's candor can really help other people who are struggling with body image.

Holliday, who has modeled in campaigns for H&M, Torrid and Benefit Cosmetics, to name a few, hopes her success will help to shape the future of the fashion industry. "Many companies and publications don’t understand what it means to be body positive or what it means to be plus-size,” she explains. “They’re just trying to capitalize on the term because it’s a hot topic.... I think these companies and publications are doing us a disservice by not giving body positivity the respect it deserves.”

Amen to that. Here's to Tess Holliday—the fearless model of the future.

Now, learn more about curvy model Paloma Elsesser: