Utah’s Very Own Plus-Size Model
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – April 20, 2015 – Gephardt Daily
Utah’s Nicole Renee Wimmer is one of the fashion industry’s first plus-size models and we had the amazing opportunity to talk with her about the ever changing world of beauty.
According to Wimmer, the industry has evolved in recent years and she is grateful for the changes. She said in the past, if an aspiring model wanted to walk the runway or adorn the cover of a magazine, she had be a certain type. A size zero was a uniform standard. In some cases, up to a size four was acceptable. Even in plus-size modeling, sizes were standardized, either a size 12, 14, or a 16. Now, models up to a size 22 are in demand.
Wimmer believes social media has played a significant role in fueling the changing perceptions about acceptable modeling types. She says fashion bloggers, who come in every shape and size, have impacted the industry’s thinking.
She also says women need to true to themselves, and recognize there’s no such things as a perfect body size. “It is different for every girl,” she said. “I personally am more just about being healthy.”
Currently, Wimmer fits in a size 12/14 and is fine with the label plus-size model.
As far as the work itself goes, “It’s fun, but it’s not as glamorous as most people think,” she told Gephardt Daily. “There is a lot of hurry up and waiting, getting to casting and then being told ‘no’ a few times, but once you do get a job it is usually long hours, but they do have fun.”
“Models spend all day prepping, getting their hair and make up done. When they are all put together they spend about 15 seconds in front of the camera. And it really is that 15 seconds of fun.”
Wimmer says right now she is one of the busiest models here in Utah. She says the only work that she has ever turned down is posing nude.
Wimmer started her career when she was 14 as a standard size model and she loved it. She moved to NY when she was 18. She says she wouldn’t recommend it for young women unless they really have a head on their shoulders and know what they want in life.
