Talk About It Today!! With Mo Stegall Featuring Sharon Quinn

Click here to listen to my interview about the modeling industry on Talk About It Today with Mo Stegall.....enjoy fam!

New Article in the January 2009 issue of Plus Model Magazine!!

Happy New Year Family!

My new article in the January 2009 issue of Plus Model Magazine is now available for your review. This month's cover features Plus Model Katie Reed.

This month's topic:

"A New Year and a New You!"

http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=431341926&page=0

(click on the link above to go directly to my article)

Enjoy family!

Continued success in the new year everybody and thanks as always for your continued support!

New Article in the November 2008 Issue of Plus Model Magazine

Greetings Family!

My new article in the November 2008 issue of Plus Model Magazine is now available for your review. This month's cover features cover girls, Casey & Bernadett

This month's topic:

What's in YOUR Model Bag?

http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=226261142

(click on the link above to go directly to my article)

Enjoy family and thanks as always for your continued support!

New Article in the Oct 08 Issue of Plus Model Magazine!!!

Happy Autumn Family!

The October 2008 Issue of Plus Model Magazine is now available for your review! This month's cover features green eyed beauty Wynnetka.

This month's topic: Fine Tuning Your Runway Strut!

Click on the link to go directly to the article - Enjoy!

http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=922461295

Thank you as always for your continued support family!

“I wanted to take something that's very intimidating and make it accessible, make it something every woman can relate to and be a part of, ... One of the reasons why I got very known as a model was because I used to work the runway with a lot of movement. I didn't just walk up and down unless the designer asked for that. So that's what you're going to see, women working the runway with a lot of oomph.”

New Article in the Sept 08 Issue of Plus Model Magazine

Happy First Day of School Family!

The September 2008 Issue of Plus Model Magazine is now available for your review!

This Month's Topic: Model Behavior Part 8 - Working It Out On A Local Level

Here is a direct link to this month's article....Enjoy!

http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=820486545

Thank you as always for your continued support!

"The mere sense of living is joy enough."

The Runway Diva in the Fall 08' Issue of Uptown Magazine

Good Morning Fam!

Make sure you go out and pick up the Fall 08' Issue of Uptown Magazine with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs on the cover....There's a photo and a quote from The Runway Diva! The article is entitled "A Fashionable Fete" and the story is located on pages 104-109.


I covered the event in an earlier blog..."Cocktails & Conversation with Cynthia Bailey" and I really had a great time at the dinner and I was eagerly anticipating the article....unfortunately they edited about 99% of my interview from the article (guess they didn't like what I had to say)...lol...but all press is good press I suppose......

Anyway, go out and get an issue family....it's sure to sell out quickly....Cuz...I'M IN IT!!!! lol....

Thanks for your continued support!

“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”

New Interview in Profile Magazine

Greetings Family!

Be sure to check out my new interview in the latest issue of Profile Magazine.

http://www.profilemagazine.net/id12.html

PROFILE is an new online magazine founded by Nicole M. Stevenson.

Thank you for your continued support!

"We just have to go at 100 miles an hour in all our businesses, be they television broadcasting, be they magazine publishing, be they subscription television, be they online, be they gaming. We just have to go at one hundred miles an hour.."

The Runway Diva in The Caribbean Life Newspaper!!

More good news from The Runway Diva Family!

Someone sent me an email containing a picture and accompanying story from the Caribbean Life newspaper. The article is about an preliminary registration for an upcoming event called "Real Men Cook", that I attended a few weeks ago in Harlem.

I thought I'd share it with you all!

Thanks for your continued support!!

I don't like gourmet cooking or "this" cooking or "that" cooking. I like good cooking.

New Interview with The Runway Diva at Glamour.com!!!

Hey Family!

Please check out my latest interview with Glamour Magazine's Kirk Shannon-Butts (available now for your reading pleasure) at Glamour.com

http://www.glamour.com/fashionbeauty/blogs/suze

Of course in the interest of space they edited down my responses to pretty much one sentence answers....I have taken the liberty of posting my FULL interview here....I hope you have moment to read it.

How did you get into the industry?

I actually began modeling in the mid 1980’s but personal issues forced me to put my career aside for several years. In the early 90’s I began doing club & local shows for a few years to build up my skills and I signed on with Wilhelmina in 1995 after winning a local modeling contest and my career took off shortly afterwards.

What has been your success in the industry?

I feel extremely blessed because I have had quite a few successes in the fashion industry. I got my first cover on the premiere issue of BELLE Magazine in 1995 right before I signed with Wilhelmina. But I consider my biggest successes to be my appearances on Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance and MTV’s MADE because of the impact (Both shows were the highest rated segments of their seasons) that these shows have had on the lives of plus sized women of all ages.


Tell me about the challenges you have faced in the Fashion industry?


When I first started out as a beginning plus sized model, I did a lot of local shows and I found that it was on the local level where I encountered most of the challenges. When I would show up at the call time with the standard size models, people always asked me if I were singing or they thought I was there to do makeup. Usually, I was the only plus sized model in these shows and many of the makeup artists were either reluctant or simply refused to do my face. Therefore I had to learn how to do my face as well or sometimes better than the pros. I always had to prove myself in order to inspire designers to dress me. However, once they (the designers) saw me do my thing on the runway and the way the audiences reacted to me, I no longer had a problem getting people to dress me or do my makeup for me, as a matter of fact many of the designers went on to create plus sized lines after seeing what I could do in their clothing. I rarely let the adversity get to me though and I learned quickly that preparation was the key and I made it my business to always be ready for any challenges that might come my way.


Statistics suggests that most American women are closer to a plus size rather the size 2 or 4 presented in runway shows and advertising campaigns, elaborate on this majority – minority?

Actually, statistics show that the average woman is a size 12 and over 2/3 of the population are women who are a size 14 or larger. Enough said.


Do you struggle with your weight?


Struggle? Well no, not really. Of course I would love to lose these pesky last 20 pounds, who wouldn’t? But I would only call it a struggle if I were actually doing everything I was supposed to be doing to lose weight with no results. THEN it becomes a struggle for me.


What shows and campaigns have you been in?

I have appeared in ad campaigns for The Avenue, Nordstrom’s, Ashley Stewart as well as commercials for Weight Watchers and Just My Size. My television & runway credits include The View, Rip The Runway, MADE, Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance, Entertainment Tonight, Curvations and I made history last year as the first plus sized model to appear in Guyana’s first ever Fashion Week festivities.


What are your style and fashion mantra?

Be who you are but, be who you are tastefully, always have a little class about yourself. My personal fashion mantra is to always try to be the one to SET the trends rather than following them. Less is definitely more for me, I believe that sexy is not about letting it all hang out but more about the way YOU feel about YOU…inside and out. When you love yourself and you feel good about you…it emanates from your pores and it changes the way you carry yourself and to me, that in itself is sexy. As for my personal style, I love clean lines and classic clothing with a burst of color thrown in the mix. I am drawn to bright colors and love clothing that fits well and makes me feel feminine and sexy, but still leaves something for the imagination.


What designers are getting it right for all women?

Hmmm…”Getting it right for ALL women”??? I am not sure that ANYONE is doing that at the moment. Wow, that’s a really interesting question right now because I was recently in a department store shopping and I saw a plus line by a major designer who’s big on both Seventh Avenue and Television. I was intrigued enough to try on a few things but the fit on the clothing was absolutely heinous. It all looked like clothing that orderlies would wear. I was puzzled that someone who is literally “setting the tones” on Seventh Avenue would put their name on a line for plus sized women that so little thought appeared to have gone into. Quite frankly I can only think of a few designers who are “getting it right” for ALL women. Innovative & fashion forward plus sized designers are relatively hard to find these days. On the other hand I do love the lines that both Anna Scholz and Isaac Mizrahi have created for plus sized women both past & present.

What advice do you have for getting into the model arena?


Be prepared. Be informed. Do you homework, get on your computer and do some research about the industry you want to be in BEFORE you just show up at an agency’s doorstep. There are way too many websites, including my own (www.sharonquinn.com), forums, clubs etc. that have the basic information about how to get started as a model, the basic requirements you must meet, etc., for ANYONE to show up at an open call without at least knowing how to prepare. Know what you are getting into before you get started, as the overhead for starting a career as a plus model can be quite costly at the start.


How is the fashion industry to plus sized models?

Quietly discriminatory unfortunately, I am seeing an alarming trend in the plus sized market; clients are reverting back to the 80’s practice of hiring much smaller sizes and then padding them up. If you look closely at some of the ads in the major plus size stores today, you can see that the clothing is often baggy and doesn’t quite fit properly on some of the models. I think nothing says more thoroughly about how the industry regards plus sized models than the glaring omission of plus sizes from the tents during fashion week and on television. No one seems to want the “stigma” of being associated with plus sizes but they understand that there is MUCH money to be made in this category, so a lot of people will put out quick, cheaply made, badly constructed clothing that the masses will buy because there are few alternatives for them. Stores like The Gap, Old Navy and others have quietly removed plus sizes from their stores, forcing us to purchase clothing on line, wait several days before it arrives and then often times having to send it back because it doesn’t fit properly. Shopping online completely takes away the joy of shopping from shopaholics, like me, who get pleasure from being able to walk into a store and see immediately how a garment looks and/or feels on my body, then being able to purchase it and perhaps wear it that same evening.


With all the discussion with model's weight, what is your opinion?

I believe that the idea behind fashion, be it small or plus sized has always been about selling a fantasy. Most manufacturers/designers assume that they know what their consumer/clientele wants and looks for and they think that they (the customer) don’t want to see a model that doesn’t look like a doll in their clothes. I don’t believe that fantasies or perfection stops at a size 10. I hope that someday manufacturers will accept the fact that the world is ready and willing to embrace a fantasy that looks closer to a real woman.


Tell me about image and health and beauty.

The three go hand in hand. As a working model it’s all about your image and how it’s cultivated. Your image is what remains in a client’s memory long after you’re gone. So it would behoove you not to be the “drunken party girl” at the agency holiday party. Also, being a plus model does not afford you the luxury of running amok at the buffet or continue a steady diet of junk food. YOU are the product and you must maintain your working weight to keep consistent clients. Practice healthy eating habits and get regular exercise in addition to taking extra care to maintain clear and beautiful skin. A model with problem skin often has problems getting work.


Who are your Style Icons?

Plus sized style icons are fairly hard to come by, but I do admire Oprah Winfrey, She’s always stylish and classy NEVER trashy! I don’t know who is currently dressing Mary J Blige, but I totally love him/her at the moment. Mary is looking the best she has ever looked in her life! I am also a big fan of Roberto Cavalli and mark my words; he is going to create a magnificent outfit designed specifically for me one day. Just you watch me!


What is your website?

My official website is (www.sharonquinn.com), which features my personal blogs, a slide show of my works over the years, as well as an advice column called “The Runway Diva Says…” where I post monthly advice on the plus sized modeling industry. I am also the new “Industry Liaison” with Plus Model Magazine (www.plusmodelmag.com) where I contribute monthly features on plus modeling as well.

Let me know your thoughts when you have a moment fam!

Thanks as always for your continued support!!!

**MUAH!**

Q

"Patience and perserverence have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

Article in The St. American Paper about Qristyl Frazier & Rip The Runway 2008

STL homegirl Qristyl Frazier thinks big with plus-sized fashion

By Kenya Vaughn Of the St. Louis American

“Two years ago BET’S Rip The Runway said, ‘Oh, we heard that you make plus-sized clothes’ - and, honestly, I didn’t,” said fashion designer and St. Louis native Qristyl Frazier.

“I put that show together in 12 days, and it was a knockout. I came up with 10 pieces. We really just made it happen.”

It was baptism by fire that ultimately put Frazier on the map for making clothes for the ladies with a little something extra. After successfully staging her second appearance on Rip the Runway two months ago, she has obviously stumbled into something she loves and has a knack for. And based on the 150 emails she received in an hour the day after Rip the Runway 2008, there is a desire and need for her work on behalf of what she calls “Plus Sexy” women.

“The next day after the first Rip The Runway, I had over 150,000 hits on my website and everybody wanted to look at my stuff and take orders,” Frazier said. “It has taken me two years to get to that point.”

With her online boutique at www.qristylfrazierdesigns.com, ladies can have a virtual shopping experience with items for sale and quick tips on how to create an ensemble using a Qristyl Frazier design.

The bold colors that range from coral to lemon drop on her form-fitting tops, bottoms and dresses are the antithesis of the straight-up-and-down, oversized black uniforms that tend to make up the women’s world departments at most clothing stores.

“You’re not going to see these kind of clothes in the store, and that’s why there’s a market for me to slide in there,” Frazier said.

“I want the ladies to say, ‘My smaller fashionista sisters have clothes, but guess what. I can go on Qristyl Frazier Designs and see that she has some clothes for me and my body.’”

Frazier has used her own experiences with being top-heavy as inspiration for her designs.

Her career in fashion began with an overcrowded home economics class. Because there was no room, she had a choice between sewing and typing. That decision carried her from a youth in Laclede Town to Columbia, Mo., where she received a degree in Fashion Design from Stevens College, to New York City, where she is currently on the grind for Qristyl Frazier Designs.

“I put myself through school by sewing for other people,” Frazier said. “And over the years I learned how to sew for different body types.”

It was her ability to make clothes fit any form that ultimately led to Frazier’s relationship with BET.

Even after seeing her name on TV and having her inbox flooded with requests for more information about who she is and how she does what she does, Frazier admits her business has some serious growing to do.

“I can’t design everything that I want to design because I don’t have the money,” Frazier said.

“I want all women to have nice clothes, so I really need capital. I’m not an Ashley Stewart or Lane Bryant who can cut hundreds of thousands of units and ship all over the world and afford to do a $59 top or skirt.”

But Frazier is working on branding herself as the ultimate label for the Plus Sexy Woman.

While she promotes healthy living, Frazier was quick to point out the need for designs that are inclusive of all sizes.

“We all have a couple pounds to lose, but you still have to wear clothes now,” Frazier said.

“You may have to lose 40 or 50 pounds or more down the road, but you still need clothes that you can look and feel nice in today.”

For more information about Qristyl Frazier or to purchase an item from her “Plus Sexy” line, visit http://www.qristylfrazierdesigns.com/.

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.”

The Runway Diva on Plus Model Radio

Happy Sunday Morning Family!!

Sorry for the last minute notice here. But tune in tomorrow night to listen to Plus Model Radio on Monday, April 14 / 6:00pm PST, 9:00pm EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/plusmodelradio

Scheduled Guests include:

Susan Barone CEO of Always For Me.com

Erin Tinsley April Cover Model

And ME!!!!

Sharon Quinn The Original Runway Diva and PLUS Industry Liaison

PLUS Model Magazine Brings You a New On-line Talk Show, PLUS Model Radio!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/plusmodelradio

Hosted by plus size model and actress Chenese Lewis, PLUS Model Radio covers everything for curvy women. Each show will inform and educate our listeners about the plus modeling and fashion industry, spotlight industry professionals as well as promote upcoming events and projects for curves.

Listeners around the world will be able to tune in live though a real-time, on-line broadcast.

The show will be interactive with listeners having the ability to call in.

Immediately following the show, it will be available to download in MP3 and Podcast formats.

"If anything is certain, it is that change is certain. The world we are planning for today will not exist in this form tomorrow."

The Runway Diva in the May 08 Issue of Sister 2 Sister Magazine

More good news from The ORIGINAL Runway Diva Family!!!!

Be sure to pick up the May 2008 issue of Sister 2 Sister Magazine with Ashanti on the cover

and turn to pages 30-32 where I am featured in an article for "The Beauty Place" Column. It's a nice article and I am really proud of it....I hope you all get a moment to check it out.

On a special note: The photo credits in the article are incorrect....The photo on page 32 is incorrectly credited to Fadil Berisha. The correct credit should go to Luke Jones for Lucaspictures.

The photo that SHOULD be credited to Fadil Berisha is in the Table of Contents located on page 4 of the issue.

Apologies for the confusion.

Thanks as always family for your continued support!

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.”

The Runway Diva in Sophisticate's Black Hair Mag & Plus Model Mag -Jan 08 issues

Happy New Year Family! Apologies to all of my readers! I have been lazy mode for the last couple weeks, just sort of "chillin" and enjoying what was left of the holidays. I have managed to pick up 10 lbs on my hiatus....so a sista HAS to get back up and running now! Soooooooooo.......needless to say:

I'M BACK!!!!! (lol)
(Did you miss me?)

Happy New Year Family!

I hope that every one's 2008 is off to a rip roaring start!!!! Here's the latest on The ORIGINAL Runway Diva! Please check out my "blurb" in the latest issue (Feb 08) of Sophisticate's Black Hair Magazine, located in the "beauty currents" section on page 18.

Also, check out the editorial feature that I wrote about "Mannequin Modeling" in the latest (January 2008) issue of Plus Model Magazine :

( http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=431295165 )

Thanks for all of your love and continued support. Much success to you all in 2008!

Peace & Blessings!

Q

Miss Sharon Quinn

The ORIGINAL RunwayDiva!

http://www.sharonquinn.com/

http://www.myspace.com/sharonquinn

Don't forget to check out Runway Diva TV at:

http://www.youtube.com/runwaydiva"

Live your life with arms wide open

Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten"

- Natasha Bedingfield

"Every new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution.

I challenge you to just be yourself."

New Article By The Runway Diva in the Jan 08 Issue of Plus Model Magazine

Greetings Family!

When you get a moment free from your busy schedules, please check out my article in the Jan 08 Issue of Plus Model Magazine:

This Month's Article is titled - "Mannequin Modeling"

Here's a direct link to my article:

http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=431295165

Please enjoy and thanks as always for your continued support!

“Acting allows me to tell a lot of stories, you know start at the beginning, finish at the end, and tell everything in between. Modeling is just an image.”

New Interview in the Dec 07 issue of Plus Model Magazine

Happy Holidays Family!!

More good news from The ORIGINAL Runway Diva Family!!!!

Be sure to check out the December 2007 issue of Plus Model Magazine featuring the beautiful and talented Chenese Lewis on the cover.

The "Exclusive" interview I gave to Madeline Figueroa-Jones is all about my MTV "Made" experience and is chock full of advice to aspiring plus sized models everywhere.

Click on the link below to read RIGHT NOW!!!

http://www.plusmodelmag.com/General/plus-model-magazine-article-detail.asp?article-id=928918393

Thanks as always for your continued support family!

“Mentor: Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight”

Finally! An article About Guyana Fashion Week 2007

Okay family!

If you TRULY know me then you must know that I "google" myself to see what (if anything) folks are writing about me. I was dismayed at the lack of coverage on Guyana Fashion Week, So I kept "Googling" for the last few months and actually managed to find a flattering article WITH a photo! lol...you KNOW I put the paragraph about Moi in BOLD LETTERING!

Enjoy!

GWF final night: Graceful, cute, daring, sizzling
By Iana Seales
Saturday, September 1st 2007



Like a cool breeze blowing on a hot August evening, the graceful designs of Pat Coates kicked off what was a glamorous and statement-filled finale of the inaugural Guyana Fashion Weekend (GFW).

Willowy models floated across the catwalk in pieces so heavenly it set the tone for an evening of timeless displays, although not all the collections could claim that blissful appeal.

If fashion is defined as sexy, daring and wickedly stylish, then the opening night set the tone, with designers such as Olympia Small-Sonaram and Vashti Harlequin feeding us designs so tasty it made the food at Buddy's International Hotel seem less appetizing. But in keeping with traditions everywhere, they saved the best for last, which made the finale a night of triumphs.

Sticking to her established territory and obvious obsession with light colours, Coates opened with a series of chic shirts and skirts, offering a fresh new taste in short, long and cuff sleeves, as well as slender dresses that accentuate curves and compliment a figure that has very few. Known for minor details in cuts, she delivered many well-tailored pieces that all looked as though they belonged in the glossy pages of a top fashion magazine. It would be a sweeter reality, however, if the designer challenged Guyanese women to start a fashion purity craze by stepping out in her pieces.

There was one off-white shirt-skirt in particular that looked like a mixture of silk and linen and just stood out. It was the perfect fit on the petite model, but was so good that maybe it would look just as perfect on any woman. If one word sums up Coates's collection it's quality, because that is exactly what she dished out in her collection of cream, gold, white and off-white pieces.



But shortly after taking us into a dream, compliments of Coates, the organizers changed the atmosphere and shifted gears to a steaming hot, bewitching collection from Nadine and Nikisha Telford who were the break-out designers of the event - new, but gifted and certainly up and coming. With a touch of sex appeal and gothic flavour mixed with some innocence, the sisters spiced up the rather ordinary looking runway.

Cute and daring

Under their Climax label, they offered cute little puff pants, daring corset tops, pencil skirts and midriff jackets, in addition to playful jersey dresses and hooded tunics. And as if the clothes were not hot enough, they stacked up on big platform shoes, wedge slippers and chunks and chunks of accessories. A few of the models working it for the Telford sisters sported huge handbags and stylish clutch purses. At first it seemed like a music video shoot for one of the US rappers, maybe 50 cent or Ludacris, but as the pieces kept coming it got more interesting and the feel of something greater started to emerge.

Climax had a sort of Baby Phat/ Rockawear appeal to it, but with a Caribbean flava with richer colours and cooler fabrics. The pieces which can be considered hip were mainly spandex and silk. It will probably take a few more showings and additional exposure for the Telford sisters to stamp their approval as the youngest, hottest, hippest designers out of Guyana, but they are on their way. Shabeau Magazine presented them with an award for best new designers and have committed to featuring their line offering them an entire year of free advertising, which means the Caribbean is about to get a little hotter with every new Shabeau issue.

Sizzling collection

By the time the programme was nearing an end, Dereck Moore's sizzling collection of silk and georgette dresses, shirts and blouses had claimed bragging rights on the catwalk, and Sonia Noel was preparing to set off a finale so big and breathtaking that tongues were wagging long after the show had wrapped up. Moore who continues to re-invent himself with chic pieces that celebrate femininity in the way it should be - loud and proud, went for a mature look and revealed his take on how a classy woman who is fashion conscious dresses.

His collection was a mix of black, fuchsia, azure and white, often fused into one. Moore's plus-sized pieces made big look hot, something many designers who do not often venture to cut pieces beyond a size six cannot do. What was particularly good about his collection was the classic touch it had, and the potential to survive scrutiny from critics locally, regionally and we dare say, internationally.

Ruffles and roses

Who begins showing a collection with a chic two-piece, tailored white pants suit that looks like it has been ripped off the back of a model in a Parisian fashion show? Why Sonia Noel of course. And from the minute her first piece hit the stage the tempo was set for a grand finale. It started off with a parade of gorgeous white pieces, pants, skirts and dresses that carried her signature look of ruffles and roses. Then Noel mixed things up with tangerine, cream, black and gold pieces - some cascading off curves with the splendour of water tumbling down falls. And she also gave us sexy, 'in,' daring new looks that combined tube dresses and body-hugging skirts.

Noel incorporated matching hats and handbags into her collection of linen, spandex, cotton and silk pieces. Every look she presented had a sense of totality to it - a particular skill of hers that sets her apart from the crowd. Her designs showed class, an eye for detail, some amount of boldness and a creative flair that stands out every time.


Plus-sizes and sexy bald-headed models

As the night progressed and the designs kept coming some amount of boredom stepped in given that some of the pieces on show failed to ignite interest, but during such moments the audience was able to see who has modelling in their blood and who was merely walking the catwalk, because when the clothes are not interesting, the models at least should be.

Sharon Quinn, a hot plus-sized model out of New York literally stole the show every time she took the stage. Whether it was her playful smile or inviting stare or the sexy sway of her hips, Quinn worked it. The crowd couldn't get enough of her and the designers recognizing as much used her for nearly every collection.

Another face that kept showing up on the catwalk was that of the reigning Miss Guyana Universe, Melessa Payne who was rocking a sexy bald-headed style with three long braids. Payne whose height, slender frame and well-toned complexion resembles that of former international model, Alec Wek, had a presence very few of the models could boast of. There was something simple yet appealing about her, and she stood out in every piece she strutted down the catwalk in.

Sensual and hand-painted designs

Sanola Forte and Rhonda Dunbar were among the new names on the big stage, and of the two, Forte made quite a statement with her Bumblee collection of flowing, knee and ankle-length dresses mixed with skirts and blouses. Using silk, drill and cotton the young designer focused on a more sensual look and pulled it off. Dunbar, on the other hand, showed a mostly grey collection that had a dated look and the styles all seemed overly emphasized. But she also showed promise which means that by this time next year she is likely to mature into a classier designer.

Undeniably Lou-Ann Jackson and Andrea Braithwaite rocked the stage with their signature hand-painted pieces that showed originality in its truest form. They offered form-fitting pants and skirt-suits to dresses and flowing tunics. The natural fabrics used by both women gave their designs appeal, and their clothing has come to embody the essence of cool, classy and comfortable. Jackson treated us to quite a feast when she outfitted the male models in stylish pants and shirts that left uncovered some of those interesting body parts they are allowed to show on stage.

The overseas designers, Donna Dove and Dominique Laroche brought a different kind of fashion that revealed their passion for unconventional clothing - mostly hand-painted designs of male pants and shirts as well as dresses and skirts. It is as if Laroche's collection said, 'Wearable Art.' Both collections were impressive and beautiful with Laroche going for a more strange stage presentation outfitting his models in black net veils.

Guyana Fashion Weekend 2008 has quite a name to live up to, but given the pool of talent locally it promises to be one heck of a show.

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.

New Article on The Runway Diva at TheIndustryCosign.com!!!

And the movement continues family........

Check out coverage on The ORIGINAL Runway Diva on TheIndustryCosign.com!

http://theindustrycosign.com/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=6989

Okay...so I was trying to insert an ACTUAL LINK above so you could just go directly TO the article...but for whatever reason...I can't get it to work here...lol.

So just copy and paste the link and it will work fine!

Thanks as always for your continued support!

Q

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

Plus Model Mag - 20 Questions with Rasha Spindel-Chapman

I did my first interview for Plus Model Magazine and my interviewee (is that a word???) was the lovely Rasha Spindel-Chapman of "The Biggest Loser - Couples Edition" fame. The original article was too lengthy to run in it's entirety for print...but it is such an interesting Q&A that PMM has given me permission to run the full article here on my site for your reading pleasure!

It's a really great read....Enjoy all! And as always...please feel free to leave a comment or two.

Q


20 QUESTIONS with The ORIGINAL Runway Diva & Rasha Spindel-Chapman

1) When did you originally begin your career as a plus sized model and what agency were you signed with then?

I started my plus size modeling career in January 2003 in Portland, Oregon, when I signed with Q6 Model & Artist Management.. A few months later I signed with Seattle Models Guild. They are the two top fashion agencies in the Pacific Northwest. My sister, Yvette, a (size 2) model took me to her agent (Q6) in Portland, and they wanted to represent me within my first few weeks of moving back to Portland from L.A. and Honolulu. I had no luck finding an agent in L.A. and Honolulu, after being told that I was too big for the Plus market in those cities. - It was the exact opposite in Portland & Seattle.

2) What kind of success did you have when you first began your career as a plus sized model?

My very first job was a runway show for Nordstrom, and it was a blast! It was an all-plus-model show, and it felt so amazing to be around so many beautiful, and curvy women. I soon began working consistently for many clients like Nordstrom (Runway), Fred Meyer (Print), Macy's (Runway), and BAUXAL (Print). I was one of the only Plus-Sized Blondes in the market, so I got all of the work that was out there for a specialty size. Soon, the clients would start requesting me through Q6, and I started to build a solid client base.

3) How did you meet your husband, Edwin Chapman?

I actually met Edwin the first time I moved to Portland from my hometown of Honolulu in 1997. It was my senior year of high school, and I met him at a small get-together of a mutual friend. We dated for a few months when I was 18 years old, and he was even my Prom Date!!! Edwin knew from the start that we were supposed to be together, even telling me, "I am going to marry you one day!" That freaked me out, so I ended up breaking his heart, and moving to Los Angles. A few years later I was bored one day at work (this was before I became a Plus-Size Model - I was working in Sales at the beautiful Renaissance Hollywood Hotel @ Hollywood & Highland and I googled "Edwin Chapman" - and I found him! Over 4 years after we had dated! He just happened to be coming to L.A. for a business trip, and the rest is history. We did the long distance thing for a few months, were engaged right away, and I decided to move back to Portland to be with him, and honestly because I was so happy to have the opportunity to be a Plus-Size Model. While I lived in L.A., I went on 1 Casting Call in all 4 years I was there!!! Edwin and I were engaged for over 3 years (we postponed the wedding to film "The Biggest Loser").

4) One of the biggest misconceptions about being a plus sized model is that you have free pass to eat whatever you like. Now you and I both know that’s not true at all…Can you describe the “unhealthy lifestyle” that you mentioned living in your bio?

When I first became a Plus-Size Model, I did eat whatever I wanted, and Edwin did right along with me. I thought that I had free range to do so, because I was selling "big & beautiful". We ate any and everything, and never worked out, other than my playing softball. I became so lazy playing ball that I would hit home runs so that I didn't have to run around the bases. It was that bad. I just felt lethargic from eating too much junk, and not being active enough.

5) What was the turning point for you? Can you remember the exact moment you decided to change your unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy one?

I honestly remember watching the first season of "The Biggest Loser", and identifying with every single cast member on that show. I had been hiding behind "my plus-sized-beauty" for so long. I remember breaking down into tears, and realizing that I wanted to change my life. I didn't want to be skinny (I never have been), I wanted to be healthy. The exact moment that made me decide to send the audition tape in was when I saw Bob Harper (my soon-to-be Blue Team trainer) on the show, telling Mo that anything was possible, and Mo was well-over 400 pounds! It was the first time I had seen people like me on TV (Fat Chance hadn't aired yet).

6) What was life like for you growing up as a plus sized child in Hawaii?

First of all, I already stood out, because, despite my melting pot of different nationalities in my background, I am the lightest in my family. Standing at 5 foot 8 was a giant in Hawai‘i, and then to add on the fact that I had friends who came from mostly Asian backgrounds, I looked enormous next to them. My sister and I are as physically different as possible - and although she was always the skinny one, it was my sister who always kept my spirits up by recognizing my beauty. -But I always stuck out. My boyfriends were always darker, and so much smaller than me. I know I got started with dating early, because I thought that by dating lots of guys meant that I was beautiful, and it gave me self-worth (I know now that was ridiculous!)

7) Aside from your family, what kind of positive role models were there for you to look up to growing up?

I've wanted to be a Superstar as long as I can remember, but I never really had anyone that I truly identified with as a celebrity. No one really even remotely looked like me. -That's why my role-model was my sister.

8) I see that you have dreams of becoming the next “plus sized supermodel”, I have heard this phrase before – can you tell who YOU think the last “Plus Sized Supermodel” was/is?
The last one? - Hmmmm, I'd say Emme, Kate Dillon, or Mia Tyler. Where has Emme been???

9) What size were you at the beginning of the show?

I was a size 18

10) What size did you get down to by the show’s end?

Size 10/12

Cool Slideshows

11) What size are you currently?

14/16 (and I am sooooooooo much happier)

12) In what way would you say the “media interest’ in your career has helped you? Or has it hurt you?

The media interest, without a doubt, has helped me. Once people found out that I was a Plus-Size Model (for whatever reasons, producers decided to not broadcast that fact when the show initially aired), the media started to love the fact that I wasn't going after an unrealistic goal of being the next skinny girl. I just wanted to be healthy, happy, and above all else, sexy in my own skin. I actually lost too much weight after the show for my liking, and my clients' liking (even after gaining back a few pounds, I still have not done any Runway, only Print - I was told by Macy's a few weeks ago that I was too small - HOW CRAZY IS THAT!!!) I feel happy in my own skin now. NBC is now very proud of the fact that I am a Plus-Size Model, and they are always looking out for media outlets for me.


13) As a reality show alumnus myself, I very am curious as to how “Overnight Celebrity” has changed your life?

I remember one of the creators of the show taking me aside before we started taping and said to me, "Rasha, your life will forever be 'before The Biggest Loser, and after The Biggest Loser, it will never be the same” -and boy, was he right! People come up to me every day, and ask me, "weren't you on 'The Biggest Loser?", and I love it, because, like "Fat Chance", you and I have inspired people. At first when I had gained back some weight, I was afraid of what the public might think, and then I realized how "real" it is. I am beautiful just the way I am, but most importantly, I am happy. The best part about the Celebrity Status is that when I go home to Hawai'i, I am embraced with open arms wherever I go. They are very proud that I am a Hawaiian girl. I am even on the list of "Famous Hawaiians", right next to Bette Midler. :)

14) History has shown us that as quickly as the media can “make” your career, they can “break” it twice as fast. Since you lost a considerable amount of weight, do you find the media and/or your fans either consciously or unconsciously trying to monitor every morsel of food you put in your mouth these days?

Everyone always watches what I eat, and especially what I put into my shopping cart at the grocery store. If they catch me having a cheat day, I tell them that I am human, and that I am going to work it off the next day. I am not about depriving myself. One of my good friends, Devin Alexander, who co-authored "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" that came out a few weeks ago (Edwin and I have recipes in her book as well) has been helping me with making healthier versions of the "bad foods" I love - like cupcakes. :)

15) Please explain how the media has taken a “special interest” in your career?
I think I have been focused on more than many of the other stars of the show because even as a model, I represent so many women (and men) out there that are not a size 2, and I still consider myself beautiful. I was taught by my multi-cultural family at a very young age to accept everyone for who they are, no matter what color, what sex, what sexual preference they have, what religion they are, or even what size they are. I feel that being a Plus-Size Model breaks down so many stereo types. No one can look at me, and read me like a book. I am unique, and I love that! :)

16) What kind of clients and/or work have you gotten with your newfound plus sized celebrity model status?

IGIGI (the most amazing clothes ever - so sexy!) has been so good to me, I've started shooting lots of editorial work in Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and I am constantly doing press for "The Biggest Loser" as it airs in different countries (I did over 10 hours of phone interviews with all of the Australian Media Outlets a few weeks ago), and all of them primarily focused on my career as a Plus-Size Model. I have been on lots of TV Shows, like "The Tyra Banks Show", "The Today Show", "Inside Edition" (they filmed our wedding in Honolulu), "AM Northwest", and many other shows, and it's all about the modeling. :) - and who can forget about booking the cover of Plus Model Magazine right now?! ;)

17) As an Olympic worthy athlete, you HAD to have been in awesome shape! Was it an injury that caused you to forgo working out? Or was it something else?

That's the funny part, I wasn't in awesome shape, but I was a phenomenal softball player. My speed (or lack there of) was my only downfall. I trained with a celebrity trainer in L.A., but tore all the ligaments in my ankle before my final try-out for the Olympic Softball Team, and I just gave up. -But I am a firm believer that "everything happens for a reason", and I soon found Edwin again after my injury, and became a Plus-Size Model, and did the show, etc., etc., etc....


18) Are you still pursuing a career as an entertainer, as well as a model?

Yes. I just completed filming my first (very small) movie role opposite Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, and Selma Blair in "The Feast of Love" playing a softball player - what a stretch, huh? I am picking back up with theater as well, and I will be going into the recording studio to record with my Dad in Honolulu. I have been singing since I could breathe. -But, honestly, my bheart, and soul is being a Plus-Size Model. I love that it is my stepping stone for so much more. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world. I want to inspire people from all walks of life, and tell them that DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!!!

19) What’s the best part of your new found celebrity for you?

I am SO PROUD to say that I am a Plus-Size Model. I am proud to say that I accomplishing my dreams. I am proud to represent my beautiful home of Hawai'i by spreading aloha (love). The best part is touching peoples' lives. Just a few weeks ago, I was recognized by a beautiful plus-size woman working in the Coach Store. I was just in a tank top, and black pants, with cute sandals on. I had no make-up on (I rarely wear it when I'm not working), and just felt like it was a casual day. She told me that I was beautiful, and that I had just inspired her to show her arms, and she hadn't done so in years. I know it's small, but it felt so good. I told her that she was gorgeous, and that she should OWN IT!!!

20) What’s up next for Rasha?

It looks like I will be traveling non-stop for the next few months. I've been back-and-forth to Honolulu, L.A. and San Francisco, and will be on my way to New York soon. I am in talks to sign with Wilhelmina NY (fingers crossed), and if that doesn't happen, I will conquer the world another way. I have been approached to go to Germany to model there. My goal is to sign deals with big clients, like Lane Bryant, Just My Size, Torrid, anyone with a positive message. On the home front, I have promised my family that I will sing more, and write more (maybe a book?), and I need to sneak in a few extra kisses for my husband, since I haven't seen him a whole bunch since my career has started to blossom. We're newlyweds, so we have a puppy named Stitch, and maybe we'll have a pup, or two of our own in a few years. Whatever happens, I know my life has only just begun.

It takes a small beginning to make a successful or great future.

Miss Sharon Quinn

See & Hear The Runway Diva on Nation of Size!!!

Greetings Family!

My new showcase/video with new plus sized company "Nation of Size" is ready for viewing! Please take a moment from your busy schedules to check me out! You get to hear a some words of wisdom from "The Runway Diva" as well as interviews from a few of my close friends AND you get to hear me sing a few tunes as well!

I am not sure if you have to join their mailing list to view the video, I think you do though and it literally takes a few seconds and the best part is that they will NOT hit you with loads of spam after you sign up....YAY!!!!!

So please click here To See & Hear The Runway Diva! on Nation of Size and enjoy!

And please DO feel free to leave a comment on the Nation of Size site and let them know what you thought of my showcase.

Much Love As Always!

Q

A Woman on The Move

I just did an online interview with a brand new site called Fabwoman.net. It's a nice site and they did a very nice job with the interview....Check it out when you have a moment! http://www.fabwoman.net/onthemove.htm