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People have this conception of plus size models as girls who aren't fit or don't work out or don't really take care of their bodies.

The plus size movement is not just about fashion; it's about body image, and if we're doing a shoot, they won't retouch us at all. That's the cool thing: there's no retouching at all because we want to give girls the truth, not a fabrication.

Plus-sized women shouldn't think of themselves as a size. They should think of themselves as women with rich goals in life. Size doesn't mean, really, anything. You can carry your size with pride and dress in a way that you like.

It's taken me a long time to enjoy shopping. As a plus-size girl, you walk into a store, and it can sometimes be like a designer doesn't know you exist. It's become a fun treasure hunt.

We're fit, we're healthy, we eat right, we work out. 'Plus size model' does not mean that we're not healthy. Plus size is not glamourising obesity: it's about empowering. The message behind the fashion is feeling confident in whatever you're wearing.

I didn't even know I was considered plus-size until I was on the red carpet here in L.A. one day and a lady said, 'How do you feel about being a plus-sized girl in Hollywood?' I was like, 'What's she talking about?'

At the end of the day, it just means 'curvy.' That's why I think the word 'plus-size' in the industry is very different from people's mind view of what 'plus-size' really should mean.

Whoever's designing for plus-size doesn't get it. The entire garment needs to be reconceived. You can't just take a size 8 and make it larger.

With 'America's Next Top Model,' I've always cast girls who the industry might call 'plus size' but I like to call 'fiercely real.' That was always important to me.