Been a long time coming, this one.
Victoria’s Secret has finally hired its first plus-size model, Ali Tate-Cutler.
The model announced the news this week, stating that she is proud to be working with the brand alongside Bluebella for their latest lingerie collection.
She is the first ever size 14 model to be signed by Victoria’s Secret.
“At the launch today for @victoriassecret and @bluebella at their flagship store in NYC,” said Tate-Cutler on Instagram.
“I believe I’m the first size 14 on @victoriassecret? Regardless I’m pretty stoked to work with a brand I idolized when I was a teen.
“Great step in the right direction for bodies.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3NCeYLnuwV/
The VS x Bluebella collaboration was announced on Friday, however it was Tate-Cutler herself that revealed the news of her own signing.
She told E! News later that she was “over the moon” to be working with the brand.
“It felt surreal,” she said. “I never expected that I was going to see an image of myself on the wall next to these top supermodels that I have been looking up to since I was a little girl.”
“I do know that I am not the first plus size model, but I am the first 12-14 size model. Size 14 is actually the average size of women in America and I do think that we need to see more of it in media and fashion because most women are that size.”
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Tate-Cutler said that although it took the brand “awhile” to get this point, she is glad that the fashion industry is finally changing and representing more body types that the majority of people can relate to.
“We needed people to step up and be the whistle-blower of the fashion industry,” she said. “More than ever we are seeing all different shapes and sizes in fashion weeks around the world. They are heading in the right direction.”
“I am most excited about the fact that a young girl is going to walk into Victoria’s Secret who maybe looks like me and see a picture of me on the wall and be like, ‘oh dang, she’s beautiful and she’s my size and don’t need to change my size to be beautiful.’
“That’s my biggest dream.”
