Stefania starring part 2 of
“A Wave of Change” Series

“To me being a model means much more than just showcasing a product. You have a lot of responsibility because you have the potential to really influence people. I’ve always been a strong believer in passing a message through my work. After having learnt to accept my size and who I am, I’ve started to teach people to do the same. For years I thought being a model meant you had to be tall and very slim. I always wanted to be a model but when my body started changing and didn’t fit the mould, my childhood dreams of modelling began to fade away. I tried to change my body so that it would fit the narrow ideal of beauty that was being imposed upon everyone, but my body wouldn’t change, so my attitude had to.

For people to feel confident with their body and themselves, they need to relate to the models they’re exposed to everyday. I wish I had seen models like that when I was growing up. Now I hope to be a model that young girls, who have a similar body to mine, can relate to. I want to empower people, not make them feel insecure. I hope the industry continues to branch out and celebrate different body shapes, that’s what modelling should be about. It should be about representing the very audience you are selling to; different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, ages.” Stefania