I never post about about plus size models. My blog has always just been about fashion and not the bodies that model them. Today, I feel compelled to post about the death of the plus size fashion industry's most influential icon, Mia Amber. I will start off by saying I don't know Mia Amber. I have worked with her on a couple of occasions through fashions shows and what not, but I cannot say I know the person that she is. This post may be really random, because my thoughts are in a disarray right now. It's hard to pull them together.
I guess I start by explaining my connection to Mia and what she represents for me. 2005 I started off in the plus size industry. It was relatively new and a very small community where everyone knows everyone. I have crossed paths with the likes of Gwen Devoe, Maddy from Plus Model, Monif Clarke from MonifC, etc. Though many of them have been in the industry longer than I we experienced the boom of plus size around the same time. We have all knew what we wanted to do and branched off in different directions to do it. I guess in a way we are family...we may not all get along at times but we all have a very mutual respect and admiration for each other's craft and position in the plus size world. This is where Mia comes in. Though I don't know her I still feel like she is family. She is the iconic figure that every plus size model wanted to emulate including myself. I mean she is the face of the modern plus size industry as we know it today.
It is very hard to say goodbye to her and I can't help thinking that in her death I am confronted with my own mortality. Mia and I were around the same age. She was the top of career and honestly nobody could touch her and what she represented. My thoughts and prayers are with her family, but also with people like MonifC. Mia was the face of clothing line. To Gwen Devoe, Mia was her muse. Mia was a lot to so many people. She represented hope to many aspiring plus size woman that a woman of real size and stature could be considered beautiful. I have a heavy heart today...I hope this post makes sense, but if it doesn't I'm sorry. I am just so very confused and shocked today. I could go on and on about what she represented...my throat just tightens as I think about this. I'm going to pull back now.
To Mia, I know you are in a better place. To her family & friends, you are all in my prayers the world has truly lost someone great.
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