It all started when…
I realized I wasn’t getting the same treatment recognition, or pay as signed models, though I was booking national work on my own. I have tried to sign with any agency that would take me, legitimately of course, but have always been told the same thing: “You don’t really fit the Curve division because you’re too short and not big enough, and you’re too curvy for Petite division.” My history with trying to fit a certain esthetic that is seen and represented would cause me to have a horrible relationship with my body, trying to thin out because Lord knows I was never going to grow in height. But then I realized, I am totally not the only one going through this, not the agency thing but the mental health correlation and relationship issues with my body due to a lack of representation. Though the Body Positive movement is a huge and beautiful thing, I am not quite sure that is open to all bodies. I did a little research and found out that almost 65% of American women are petite, so why do we have issues shopping for our body types? Why aren’t designers making clothes for us? Why do we constantly need to shy away from maxi dresses, hem our jeans, and fear shopping online due to the constant disappointment of clothes never fitting the right areas?
When we see petite women in the media, in advertisements, magazines, commercials, etc. we see the standard petite sized woman, straight body and usually a size 00-2. But petite women have curves too. I’ve always dreamed of owning my own agency representing human, because there are far too many of us that go unseen, so I felt inclined to do a healing photoshoot experience featuring some amazing petite and curvy women in NYC. We also had a fellow petite curve woman Chloé Raymond-Lebel come in from Montreal to shoot and interview the participants and I for her documentary coming in November 2021, I Want to Look Like That. Read more here. Trailer here. Film below.
“Armed with the hashtag #PetiteCurvesMatter González and the models from her shoot are sharing their stories via social media, Everybody is worthy of celebration and the strength that comes from.”
Models in order of appearance: Amanda Acevedo (@anatheavacado), Asha Etchison (@ashaetch), Bella Zinca (@smellastinka), Fabiola Michele (@fabiolamichele), Keila Rider (@iamkeila_rider), Nadia Cruz (@starringnadiacruz), Stacy Magallon (@magallonofmilk), & Tiany Belliard (@wicked.wayy)