Recently, I had the pleasure of testing again with the stunning, voluptuous plus size model, Valerie Coleman. Signed to the prestigious plus sized agency,
Hughes in London (listed under pseudonym Elysse), Valerie has graced the pages of many a magazine and elite campaign and racked up an impressive amount of experience during her modelling career. She is the ultimate lady - carrying herself with a refined grace - it makes it very easy to see why she books so much runway!
I was lucky enough to steal some time with Valerie and ask her a few cheeky questions about her experience in the modelling and fashion industry: -
How did you get into modelling?
I started working as a model at the age of 16 through a competition run
by the Daily Record. I never worked very much as a straight-sized model
so I decided that perhaps it wasn’t for me and resigned from my agency
to pursue other things. A couple years passed, I gained some weight and I
bumped into my old agency booker who emphatically suggested that I
should pursue a career as a plus size model. That was in 2004 and I
haven’t looked back since. I have worked for big brands like The Body
Shop, Evans, Matalan, Marisota and Ann Harvey to name a few.
When you're not on the runway, what do you do?
When
I am not on the runway my most rewarding job is being a Mum to the most
amazing little girl. To pay the bills, I also work as a cake designer
in my own business, Cakes with Love. It’s just as well I work as a plus size model because I LOVE cake.*
What advice would you give to aspiring plus size ladies out there?
My
advice is take time to learn about the industry. Look at the
top models working in the industry & what are they doing. Learn to
love yourself and be comfortable with your body so that you can perform
in front of a camera. Know your shape and what angles work for your body
size and shape. Practice moving and posing in front of a camera. My
final piece of advice would be that do it with determination and
as much self confidence as possible. People with a determination to succeed usually do.
Tell us a funny story about modelling!
I think my story is more embarrassing than funny! I was asked to
model on "Lorraine" a few years back. I was picked up and dropped off at
the ITV studio. On arrival I was shown to the lift where someone had
held the lift door open for me. I am not the quiet retiring type so I
started speaking to the person in the lift and I said “I’m so excited I
wonder if I will get to meet Lorraine” at that point the lift door
opened at the next floor and someone else walked into the lift and said
“Hi Lorraine, how are you?” EEEK!!!
Name one item from your wardrobe you cannot live without.
Oh man! One item is really hard to choose. I will say my UGG Boots. I
know, it’s not a particularly glamorous choice but they are the most
comfortable boots ever, especially on a day walking around London going
on go-sees**. I wear my heels when I meet the client and change back into
my UGGs as soon as I am out of sight.
*I can personally verify that Valerie's cakes are so good, they made me cry when they were finished.
** Go-see - A go-see is a term used in the modelling world when a model will go and visit a prospective client on an appointment basis. It is usually the first step in the casting process.
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