Standing at a whopping 5′2″, I am 2 inches shorter than the average height in the United States. You might be thinking, “You’re not a midget, you’re not that short.” It surprised me a little to find out that the average height of women in the U.S. is 5′4″. With my family roots being Vietnamese, statistically I am actually not that short. Ironically, in all my circle of friends growing up I was either the shortest or among the shortest of the group. So why is the minimum height for most modeling agencies strictly 5′7″ - 5′8″? In the fashion industry, especially runways, beauties from across the globe stun the crowd in gorgeous designer outfits and bikinis. All are tall and thin, gracing the stage with their noticeably long legs. Even in my most recent trip to Miami Swim Week, all the models were considerably taller than the average American woman. However, certain companies were not as strict to the height rule. For the most part, it should be noted that the majority of the models were indeed at least 5′7″ without heels. One particular runway line caught my eye, however. In fact, I think they caught everyone’s eye. For me, this was the first time I witnessed a fashion runway and saw plus size models. I was truly grateful to see at least one company break the standards, and bring not only diversity to the stage but almost history.

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Almost three years ago when I first started my Instagram modeling career, I received the sweetest e-mail from a talented artist and designer. She chose to reach out to me, and one of the reasons was because we were mutual friends with another talented artist! You guys should check her out too :) carlymejeur.com.

Tanya Brown, nicknamed Schatzibrown, offered me a sponsorship for her growing leggings business. She started designing the coolest leggings, but also designed her own prints and had her personal art created into makeup pouches and cell phone cases. She’s a New York native from Long Island, and is the ultimate beach goddess. My first pair (pictured above) are perfect for surfing! That is what these leggings are made for :) besides looking super cute and stylish. Talk about the ultimate #girlboss Tanya not only inspires artists everywhere alike, she’s a mother, a talented creative, and I also consider her my mentor!

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Swim Week 2017 in Miami Beach was a blast! First, I have to give Sun Bum a huge thanks for inviting me along and letting me participate in a fun show. If you haven’t read my latest blog post on them please do! They are now oxybenzone free and do great things for the community. As an aspiring model, watching the runways and fashion shows were truly an experience. I have been fortunate enough to be given this opportunity, and it has continued to inspire me to chase my dreams! Unfortunately, I do not have high quality photos that I personally took of the show. I do however, have fun photos of adventures with the Sun Bum Crew (look a couple posts back!).

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