Here at Bold, we love to celebrate our Bold Bosses! This week we are featuring exclusive interview with one of our newest Bold Bosses, Lilly Rose! Lilly will be hosting a live Q&A over on our Instagram for #BoldBossLive — Interested in attending? The live stream will start at 8 PM ET on Thursday January 14th on @boldmz. We can’t wait to see you there!
Lilly Rose is a 26-year-old Non-Binary Plus Size Model, Musician, and Activist from Austin, TX. They have made it their mission to make room in the fashion world for people like themselves who have often been excluded just because of body type, and they are grateful for every opportunity they have to further that goal, especially when It comes to Alt fashion, they are particularly passionate about.
Bold Magazine: How did you get started as an influencer? What kind of content do you create, and what’s your main channel?
Lilly Rose: I got my first real start as an influencer at the end of 2018 when a Plus Size clothing brand featured a post I’d made wearing one of their shirts on my page, at the time I had a normal office job that I hated (it sounds cliche, I know haha) and honestly? The post did really well and it kind of got me thinking… not long after that I’d had enough of the job I was working, it was so bad for my mental health that I just couldn’t take it. I walked out on January 1st, 2019, and I have never looked back. I decided to try my hand at modeling and I could never have anticipated how far I would come in such a short amount of time. I can’t believe I get to wake up every day and do a job that I’m passionate about and I could never properly express my gratitude for the ability to do that.
BM: What type of modeling do you do? How did you get started as a model? What’s an average work week like for you?
LR: I got started with actual irl modeling not long after I got into the online fashion world. I collaborated with local artists until I built up my portfolio and after a while work just started coming in! My work weeks are ever-evolving, to be honest, some weeks I feel like I’ve done very little, but some are packed to the brim with work. When I’m not shooting for brand deals, I’m either shooting with my local studio or collaborating with other artists, or managing my social media accounts.
BM: Describe your personal style. What are some of your signature colors, styles, and accessories?
LR: My style I would describe as maybe… floral punk? I like bright colors and flowers, but I’m exceptionally passionate about punk fashion. My favorite piece of clothing is my battle jacket and putting it on makes me feel invincible. I like that I can keep adding to it and it’s always in a state of evolution, just like I am.
BM: If you could go back in time and give yourself advice as a young human, what would you tell her?
LR: I’m worried about it coming off like a bad cliche but honestly? Don’t listen to the assholes telling you that your body isn’t good enough. You are beautiful and should know that.
BM: What’s your family and personal life like? Who are your best supporters?
LR: My little sister, my mother, my partners, and my dog I’d have to say are my biggest supporters. They remind me that what i’m doing has meaning and it really cheers me up on bad days where my work feels pointless.
BM: How have you seen the fashion, retail, or modeling industry change in the past decade – specifically with regards to diversity and inclusivity? What work still needs to be done?
LR: I have for sure seen a shift in size inclusivity, especially in the past few years, but unfortunately a lot of it seems to be pretty superficial. It’s all good to use models larger than the ones you may have used in the past, but it’s important to assess if a brand is doing it for inclusivity points and not actually really changing anything, or if they are actually looking to make inclusive fashion.
BM: What does fat acceptance mean to you? Body positivity?
LR: To put it simply? Your body is no one’s business but yours. You deserve to be treated the same as everyone else and if someone uses your body as an excuse to shame you? They are the ones with the problem.
BM: How has your body image and self-esteem changed over the years?
LR: I went from overthinking every single thing I wore or did when I was out in public and judging myself harshly on all of it, and now I feel like my opinion is the one that matters, not random people on the street and that shift in the way I looked at it really helped me a lot. I still have hard days, but my body is mine and I need to respect it.
BM: What can readers expect next – do you have anything exciting you would like to share with us?
LR: I just recently dropped my merch line and while at the moment it’s just stuff with my icon I may or may not have more ideas for clothes i’ve been trying to put to paper!
BM: Do you have a message you want to leave with our readers?
LR: Please, please remember that there is nothing wrong with how you look. Everyone is beautiful in their own right and your body deserves the same love as everyone else’s.
You can follow Lilly Rose on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook at: @thefatposipunk & through their website: thefatposipunk.com.
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