Plus Model Magazine's Editor Madeline Jones Talks About Modeling, Statistics and Negativity

As women and activists we speak of change but how many of us are actually taking the necessary steps to create the change we want to see take place? Over 5 years ago Madeline Figueroa Jones and Plus Model Magazine created an avenue to give plus size women a much needed voice and a magazine that women could relate to. Known for edgy editorials, introducing readers to new plus friendly designers and shining a spotlight on working plus size models, PMM is the #1 fashion & modeling magazine for plus size women. If you had any doubt of how much power is in Plus, that doubt was put to rest after an editorial featured in the January 2012 issue of PMM was publicized and discussed throughout the world.

I believe that if one of us receives recognition for our work in the plus community, it’s a win for all of us and a reason to celebrate. Celebrating is exactly what we did when PMM’s Editor-In-Chief Madeline Figueroa-Jones appeared on television and in interviews to discuss a recent PMM editorial. The editorial, What’s Wrong With Our Bodies? was featured in the January 2012 issue of PMM. It ignited a much needed conversation about modeling and society as a whole. This editorial and it’s ability to go viral within days let the world know that there is a thriving community of plus size women using their voices in an attempt to change the way society views the world of plus size modeling.

For this week’s feature I interviewed Mrs. Jones about the editorial that caused so much of an uproar. In this interview she talks about her decision to publish the editorial and what type of impact it has had on the plus size community.

How did the “What’s Wrong With Our Bodies Anyway?” editorial come about?

Photographer Victoria Janashvili came over for an interview and during our chat she let me see them on her iphone. I fell in love with them and before she could offer them to me, I told her that these photos were so powerful that we needed a bigger platform and that I would help her. So she reached out to people she had contacts for and I did the same. Magazines in the US and abroad were contacted but no one would publish them. One night Katya and Victoria called me and offered them to me. I was so happy!!!! I did not know exactly how I would publish them, this was really challenging for me. In the end I chose statistics because it made the pictures so much more powerful.

As an editor, was the decision to publish the photos a difficult one?

Yes, because I was not sure how I would use them. Would I write an article, would I tell Katya and Victoria’s story or would I use them to benefit the plus size modeling industry and bring to light what people do not really want to talk about? I was not that nervous about the nudity because it was very tastefully done.

Tell me about the response you’ve received from the editorial (the good and bad)

The response has been amazing, over 200 media outlets and countless blogs and magazines. People have sent us amazing emails and messages of support and thanking us for representing plus size women and not being afraid. Of course with the good comes some bad. Some people thought we were being disrespectful to women, especially those dealing with anorexia. Other people thought it further creates a divide between the plus and straight size industry. In the end we are extremely thankful for the feedback we have received. We wanted to create conversation and we have done it in a very big way all over the world.

When you received negative feedback, how did you address it ?

If the comments were opinions then we let it go. I think people have the right to feel how feel. When people became disrespectful to the models, to us or to the industry or plus size women in general we deleted and blocked them. I was not going to allow people to be nasty, it is our right to bring attention to the plus size women and to demand brands and designers to market to us.

Why do you think the impact from this editorial was felt around the world? & why the mixed reviews?

The pictures, statistics and quotes were very powerful but I think it was the blog post that set everything off. Once we wrote the blog post and brought the attention to the editorial and the meaning behind it, it just took off. The issue is something that is always being talked about inside of the plus size industry but the world at large does not know how the plus size women really feel. This brought everything out there without any apologies or excuses. Plus size models should not be a size 6. That’s just a fact and something no one is willing to say it because of the repercussions it could have on the companies that use small models. My loyalty is to the plus size woman. People that wrote about the feature all took what they could from it. Some people focused on the Anorexia statistic but for the most part people got the message.

Did you think that it would have this much of an impact?

Honestly no, I was hoping that we could get a buzz going and that the brands and designers would pay attention. I’ve been doing this for 6 years and I’ve heard every excuse in the book. Frankly I’m tired of it, I’m out here talking to the women, reading the messages and emails and they want to be marketed to properly. I feel like I have a responsibility to get the message across.

As a plus size woman with modeling experience did statistics such as these ever discourage you from modeling?

I’m a woman who is bombarded by the same images as everyone else and I can tell you that there has been times that I have questioned whether anything will ever change or whether I can make a change. Are we all wrong for feeling the way we do? Should we all lose weight, punish ourselves for not being thin enough and live that life? Every time I come to the same answer, no! I’ve been discouraged many times by people inside the plus size industry. Don’t be fooled by thinking that just because someone is working inside the industry that they are “plus positive”. That is not true, sometimes those same designers and brands are the one’s that I’m fighting with.

Despite receiving positive feedback, do you think the plus industry was prepared to face these negative statistics head on?

I don’t think anyone was prepared to see it in such a powerful way. Not all plus size industry people were happy about it, simply because it brought to light exactly what has been happening. Luckily for the plus size women I’m focused on them and not worried about who is for me or against me.

When did you realize that the editorial and it’s message had gone viral?

Tulin Reid, our Marketing and Creative Director is amazing and said to me a few days after the post on the blog went out, “Oh my goodness Maddy, I think this is going viral.” I had no idea what that would be like for us. What happened was days of not getting much sleep because we were doing interviews, emailing information and pictures to media all over the world. We watched our unique hits to the magazine and blog reach incredible numbers.

In what ways have you continued the momentum created by your decision to publish the editorial and accompanying facts.

I thought we were done with it but every day we are still getting request from media over seas. The momentum is still there despite that fact that its been almost 3 weeks. We are trying to promote positive people, companies and events in the plus size industry.