The First Ever Selfridges Plus-size Model Mahalia Handley Talks Body Positivity!

Ms. Namita Nayyar: 

You have modeled for many top magazines and brands like Vogue Italia and Selfridges. What is your motivation and inspiration behind being body confident?

Ms. Mahalia Handley:

My motivation came from a very personal experience. When I was growing up there was never anyone who looked like me in commercial or high fashion. No curvy girls and no girls with diversity. It used to make me really sad and I had a lot of negative feelings towards body positivity and to my own self worth of view of beauty. Each year with every growing birthday the more passionate I became about showing representation of this exact matter. I’ve always been a fighter, so it made sense to me that if I couldn’t see the diversity being represented then I had to become it, not just for myself but for other girls growing up and not seeing diversification or self love.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

The fashion industry has had an incredible breakthrough, getting over the norm of stereotype shapes and sizes, but it still has a long way to go. What according to you are the 3 lessons that it still needs to learn?

Ms. Mahalia Handley:

Persistance would be the first. Yes I think the fashion industry has made strides and bounds to change and there have been plenty of people who have helped it along the way, but its needs to be pushed so hard that it becomes so extremely normally to have different body shapes and ethnic races that we no longer look at it as a special campaign or move by a company, but more that its just the norm.

That curvy/Plus size does not have to mean only Sexy/Lingerie/Swimwear. This is something I often talk about on my social media a lot as there are not enough Plus size Models in editorials and High fashion as there is in Lingerie.

That  ‘fat’ padding is and does have a negative impact of self image and does not help to create a safe and positive outlook on body positivity. It actually does the complete opposite and is harmful as it is a secret way of creating a desired body effect rather than having faith and love into different body diversification.

Ms. Namita Nayyar:

What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?

Ms. Mahalia Handley:

Body Positivity comes from within first and foremost. I am here to help you find that as are all others who are body positive ambassadors. We are here to show you how great you are and we want you to find that light and love inside yourself, embrace it, nurture it and then share it with others who may be battling. Take care of your body, eat well, exercise and work every damn day on your mental stability- tell yourself how great you are and live it!

To know the latest from Mahalia Handley, Follow her on

https://www.facebook.com/mahaliahandleymodel

https://www.instagram.com/mahaliahandley/

Women Fitness Team thanks Mahalia Handley for giving her valuable time for this interview, enlightening us and our viewers and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her.

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