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" When I started, there was only one other girl that I could name that was even close to my shade. I didn't understand why there weren't more black plus-size models with darker skin tones. It feels like the final frontier of beauty is to be black, to be plus, to have natural hair. "

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" Fast fashion, whilst having increased the accessibility of stylish clothes for millions, has unfortunately resulted in many horrific practises, such as child labour, that exploit millions of people around the world in poorer, developing countries. This something that has to change, and we can all start by reflecting on where our clothes come from. "

Philomena Kwao

World

Fashion

People

" Magazines don't go far enough to be inclusive and have at least have one model representing every major skin tone. "

" I have to congratulate L'Oreal on its True Match foundation range. It's my go-to foundation, and I absolutely love it. "

" In Ghana, most of the women I know do not identify as sexy, and the reason may be cultural. With imported beauty standards from the West, it seems that many African women feel they need to be fair and slim to be beautiful. "

" I'm from Ghana, in West Africa, and all the women in Ghana absolutely love shea butter. We use it for everything, head to toe. I've used it all my life. "

" My mom and my sisters have helped me to be comfortable with who I am. It's a process of loving yourself as you are. I can say that it's been a journey. I see the changes little by little. "

Philomena Kwao

Yourself

Mom

" New York City is one of the best cities in the world for walking: it's virtually impossible to get lost. "

" It isn't hard to see how the lack of representation affects the self esteem of many women world wide. "

" My journey into modeling began completely by chance. I was in school finishing up my master's degree in health management and policy when a friend entered me into an online modeling competition. "

Philomena Kwao

Competition

Health

" If you call me 'fat,' it doesn't bother me because I just don't care. "

" Growing up, I had body confidence issues, not really so much because of size but my skin color. I had trouble recognizing that the depth of my skin tone is really beautiful because whenever people referred to a beautiful black-skinned woman, you'd see Beyonce and Rihanna. "

" Torrid has given me an amazing opportunity. I can reach out to different girls and help them realize that they are beautiful, too. "

" I love technology. I love the Internet. "

" As a woman of color and curve model, I never imagined when I started modeling that I would be featured in the pages of 'Sports Illustrated.' "

" I want to use my voice to better health care for pregnant women. "

" Before I went to boarding school, I had never read a fashion magazine. I grew up on a council estate in London, and fashion magazines were a luxury item that weren't even on my mind. The closest I got to a fashion magazine was my cousin's 'Top of the Pops' magazines, where we would learn the lyrics to every song and put posters on our walls. "

" Health management is my passion, and I hope to further my career in that area in the future. "

" I think that the plus-size industry has been great with size diversity, but it hasn't really been great for skin tone diversity. "

" I think that we need to allow words to be words. If my self-esteem and my self-worth linger on words that are used to describe me, then you have a problem in itself. "

" Because of social media, it's bridged the gap between the advertisers and fashion and allowed people to find their group. It really widens what people are viewing and allows brands to see what the public wants to see. "

" We have spent so many years looking at images of another beauty ideal and so many years taking in magazine covers and films that represent a beauty standard that we'll never meet. People don't realize that there are makeup artists and hairstylists behind the scenes - even in something as simple as a 'candid' Instagram photo. "

" For me, diverse beauty is an affirmation of every single person in his or her own skin. "

" Sometimes you never realise how much of an effect you're having on people until you're told, and the fan mail I receive has made me very aware of the positive effects I have on other people. "

Philomena Kwao

Sometimes

You

" My mother was born in Ghana, but she moved to the U.K. when my sisters and I were born. "

" Women I've met in different countries have told me that seeing my face in magazines gives them the courage to love themselves. "

Philomena Kwao

Women

Love

" It's refreshing to see plus women being treated as part of the fashion community as a whole and not just a separate piece or separate different thing. "

" I try and work out as much as I can because when you exercise, it releases endorphins and makes you feel really good. I also make sure I schedule time with my friends, family, and loved ones because I realize that, as well as your physical well-being, you have to look out for your mental well-being, too. "

" There is beauty everywhere. But if I had to narrow it down, I absolutely adore Beyonce. She's the ultimate icon for me. I also love Naomi CampbelI, Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls, Daria Werbowy, and Genevieve Nnaji. "

Philomena Kwao

She

Ultimate

" By being present and being true, I believe that, in my own way, I am promoting diversity. "

" I think the real problem is all the negative connotations people have with that term. They think, 'Oh my God! I don't want to be 'plus-size!'' But people attach too much significance to terms. We can't let these terms define us or our beauty. "