'Curviest model ever' Hunter McGrady talks being a plus-size bride: 'Give me the tightest, sexiest dress'
The “curviest model ever” to be featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is breaking another barrier for curvy women by becoming the first plus-size bride to cover The Knot.
But Hunter McGrady, who has fought for years to be represented within an industry that favors straight-size women, still says there’s a lot of work to be done in plus fashion — and it starts with supporting brands who are doing it right.
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, the 26-year-old shared that she was “elated” when asked to do the fall fashion cover of the wedding publication, and saw it as an opportunity to start an honest conversation.
A post shared by Hunter McGrady (@huntermcgrady) on Jul 24, 2019 at 7:00am PDT
Still, she admitted that throwing away those preconceived notions of what a plus bride should look for in a dress didn’t make it easy to find one that she loved. Instead, she had to make hers custom with Watters for just the right fit.
“I still can’t just go down to Soho or Fifth Avenue and shop. That doesn’t exist for me,” she continued. “But yet, 70 percent of America is a size 14 or above.”
And while Fashion Week events like TheCurvyCon — a three-day convention that brings together celebrities, body-positive influencers and their fans to celebrate diversity and fashion inclusivity — show that there’s progress being made in embracing body positivity on the runway, McGrady is not surprised that the exclusive Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is rumored to not be taking place this year.
“There’s women who are literally desperately saying, ‘Please, please, please get bigger sizes, showcase trans women,’” she said of the feedback facing the lingerie brand.
A post shared by Hunter McGrady (@huntermcgrady) on Dec 19, 2018 at 1:19pm PST
But instead of being fixated on what’s wrong with brands like Victoria’s Secret, McGrady stays focused on those who are doing right by women of all shapes and sizes — namely, Savage X Fenty by Rihanna.
“I mean they had every woman on the runway and it was blasted around the world because people were like, ‘Wow. This is what I want to see,’” McGrady noted. “Support people who are doing it right. I think we’ll get there though, I’m very optimistic.”
– Video produced by Kat Vasquez
Go to TheCurvycon.com to buy tickets for the 2019 convention.
Visit Yahoo Lifestyle on Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7 to watch our livestream of TheCurvyCon 2019, and follow us on Instagram for some fun activations before the event!