Adwoa Aboah Quotes

My visibility may have gotten Hollywood to redefine what's attractive.

My first shoot was on a rooftop in swimsuits with two plus-size models who were curvy and voluptuous and beautiful, and they taught me so much about being beautiful in any shape or size.

I'm 5'3'', and not often you get to see that in a magazine. I think that what is so cool about 'Sports Illustrated' is it's all different body shapes, all difference sizes. You have actresses, sports figures, musicians, so it's all about skin deep beauty sort of radiating to the outside, and that's what's so special.

One cabbie chastened me by saying that the fashion industry was doing harm to young people, who are trying to live up to an unrealistic ideal. It prompted me to make body image and diversity key issues on 'The Business of Fashion.'

I am not my skin. I am a model with a skin condition.

Some people say there's a reason that Victoria's Secret wouldn't put me or any woman who doesn't fit within a certain spectrum on the runway.

Once I realized, when I became a plus-size model, that there were more women like me, my confidence immediately shot through the roof.

Beauty doesn't have to be confined to one tiny singular tiny frame and I've always really enjoyed standing up for women and representing different shapes within the industry.

Victoria's Secret should highlight real women that actually purchase their clothing. I would love for them to start featuring more real bodies and diverse women. Victoria's Secret has the ability to tell people, 'It's okay,' when they wake up in the morning. They have the ability to change lives.

Part of the reason I wanted to model was to push the boundaries and challenge the perceptions of what a beautiful body is supposed to look like. Why should I feel any differently about looking good than anyone else?

I've never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines. I represent the majority of women and I'm very proud of that.

There are great slender models, great tall models, Amazonian models, great busty models - my point is models of all shapes and sizes, age, ethnic background should be embraced and celebrated.

I like to refer to myself as 'The George Clooney of the Lane Bryant set.'

No one wants to see curvy women.

The funny thing is, when I ask people with dark skin if they would change their color, they tell me no, and when I ask women if they would rather be men, they tell me no, and I get the same response when I ask people with unusual anatomies if they would take a magic pill to erase their unusual features.

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.

To me, I always felt like I was carrying a torch for women of any size to be themselves - it doesn't matter whether you're a size 2 or a 22, just be who you are.

Eve wasn't a size 6 and neither am I.

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.

Fashion is quite inclusive and good at embracing different things and different forms of beauty. It's a very liberal industry. You can be yourself. Just not overweight.

We need to be more supportive with everything. With body images, especially with women, showing that all sizes are beautiful. And I'm talking about in magazines, advertisement in regard to what's sexy and what's not sexy. We all need to be a little more supportive of each other.

I don't care what color you are, what size you are, where you're from. It is disturbing that there's an idea that only tall, thin, willowy, size 0 women are attractive - even for the tall, thin, willowy, size 0 woman! We all should get to feel like there's something powerful and beautiful about who we are.

You can look good. Don't let nobody tell you you can't look good because of your size... or what size your feet is.

Casting plus size girls needs to be genuine.

The idea that I get to kind of redefine what is beautiful and whose story deserves to be told and showcase that you know, big women have love lives and complex colorful lives like everybody else, that's really important to me.