WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.750
<v ->At the time I had booked a couple jobs here and there</v>

2
00:00:05.750 --> 00:00:08.040
and actually at that point I had, like, been told

3
00:00:08.040 --> 00:00:11.320
to go to agencies, and I showed up in dirty Reeboks

4
00:00:11.320 --> 00:00:13.230
and like a filthy sweatshirt, and I was like, "Hi",

5
00:00:13.230 --> 00:00:14.428
and they were like, "No."

6
00:00:14.428 --> 00:00:15.949
[laughing]

7
00:00:15.949 --> 00:00:18.532
[dreamy music]

8
00:00:24.420 --> 00:00:26.670 line:15% 
<v ->So I was scouted when I was working at Chipotle.</v>

9
00:00:26.670 --> 00:00:29.320
So they must have seen me like while I was making guacamole

10
00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:30.917
or prepping some of the chicken.

11
00:00:30.917 --> 00:00:33.140
[camera shutter snaps]

12
00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:35.410
Within a couple days, DNA wanted to sign me.

13
00:00:35.410 --> 00:00:37.690
I met with them at their home office the next day

14
00:00:37.690 --> 00:00:40.800
and it was all like so fast and so overwhelming,

15
00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:42.040
to be completely honest.

16
00:00:42.040 --> 00:00:44.730
But I just took a chance, it's like I have to go.

17
00:00:44.730 --> 00:00:46.660
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

18
00:00:46.660 --> 00:00:50.300
And the difference between my last shift at Chipotle

19
00:00:50.300 --> 00:00:53.730
and that first runway show was 10 days.

20
00:00:53.730 --> 00:00:57.710
<v ->I used to watch FashionTV, and I was just mesmerized</v>

21
00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:00.260 line:15% 
by all these models working the show.

22
00:01:00.260 --> 00:01:04.190 line:15% 
I started sending my own polaroids to all the agencies

23
00:01:04.190 --> 00:01:07.367 line:15% 
in Europe, London, and in New York, but I didn't get any

24
00:01:07.367 --> 00:01:09.870 line:15% 
response from anyone.

25
00:01:09.870 --> 00:01:12.680
It's funny, like the agency I'm with right now,

26
00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:15.600
I sent them polaroids too, and they didn't take notice.

27
00:01:15.600 --> 00:01:18.340
After when Balenciaga came out and everybody saw,

28
00:01:18.340 --> 00:01:20.000
my father threw a party.

29
00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.360
So it was really a proud moment for them.

30
00:01:22.360 --> 00:01:24.928
So my dad is like, just keep doing what you're doing.

31
00:01:24.928 --> 00:01:26.880
You're not living for anybody else.

32
00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:28.750
You have to live for yourself.

33
00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:31.180
<v ->I've always been interested in modeling,</v>

34
00:01:31.180 --> 00:01:34.650 line:15% 
but everyone always was like, oh you're too big,

35
00:01:34.650 --> 00:01:36.280
come back if you lose weight.

36
00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:39.130
I went to The New School, I made friends with someone.

37
00:01:39.130 --> 00:01:42.650
She's with Muse, and she's like, have you thought about

38
00:01:42.650 --> 00:01:43.680
curve modeling?

39
00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:47.660
And I was like, oh it never really crossed my mind.

40
00:01:47.660 --> 00:01:49.980
I never really thought I could do that.

41
00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:51.290
And now here I am.

42
00:01:51.290 --> 00:01:53.700 line:15% 
And I've been so happy. [laughing]

43
00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:57.000 line:15% 
<v ->It was like six years ago already.</v>

44
00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.340
I was through a model competition in China.

45
00:02:00.340 --> 00:02:03.160
My agency saw my photo on the internet,

46
00:02:03.160 --> 00:02:06.770
so they want me to do the Fashion Week in New York.

47
00:02:06.770 --> 00:02:09.830
I didn't know anything about fashion,

48
00:02:09.830 --> 00:02:12.420
and I had my first season in New York.

49
00:02:12.420 --> 00:02:15.730
I didn't tell anybody I'm going to US

50
00:02:15.730 --> 00:02:19.840
and doing, you know, a totally different thing.

51
00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:22.310
<v ->Definitely watching America's Next Top Model</v>

52
00:02:22.310 --> 00:02:25.340 line:15% 
and thinking this is what I want to do with my life.

53
00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:27.650 line:15% 
One day my mom was driving in the car,

54
00:02:27.650 --> 00:02:30.380 line:15% 
and she had the radio on, and there was an advertisement

55
00:02:30.380 --> 00:02:33.830
for the audition in Seattle, and it was at a local mall.

56
00:02:33.830 --> 00:02:35.410
She was like Ebonee, you have to do this!

57
00:02:35.410 --> 00:02:36.243
You have to do this!

58
00:02:36.243 --> 00:02:37.230
And I was like, I don't know.

59
00:02:37.230 --> 00:02:38.370
I'm not gonna make it.

60
00:02:38.370 --> 00:02:40.050
Eventually she convince me to go.

61
00:02:40.050 --> 00:02:42.260
We went to the mall and there were hundreds and hundreds

62
00:02:42.260 --> 00:02:44.820
of girls there, and I was like, I'm definitely not

63
00:02:44.820 --> 00:02:46.520
going to make it on the show.

64
00:02:46.520 --> 00:02:48.050
But then I got the callback.

65
00:02:48.050 --> 00:02:50.530
Watching America's Next Top Model was something I had done

66
00:02:50.530 --> 00:02:52.010
from the time I was a little girl,

67
00:02:52.010 --> 00:02:54.940
and it just felt like wow, this is confirmation.

68
00:02:54.940 --> 00:02:58.810 line:15% 
I'm on the path to becoming what I said I was gonna become.

69
00:02:58.810 --> 00:03:01.110 line:15% 
<v ->Growing up, I didn't even know</v>

70
00:03:01.110 --> 00:03:04.080 line:15% 
about the plus size industry.

71
00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.910
I never really looked to plus size fashion as an option.

72
00:03:07.910 --> 00:03:09.900
I didn't feel like the sexy girl, so I didn't feel like

73
00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:12.490
I had really a place even in plus size fashion.

74
00:03:12.490 --> 00:03:16.590
When I moved to New York, my friend, she was like,

75
00:03:16.590 --> 00:03:19.650
you know, there's stuff going on.

76
00:03:19.650 --> 00:03:21.060
You can make money.

77
00:03:21.060 --> 00:03:21.893
You're really beautiful.

78
00:03:21.893 --> 00:03:23.317
And I was like, who are you talking about?

79
00:03:23.317 --> 00:03:24.570
I look like a construction worker.

80
00:03:24.570 --> 00:03:26.750
I was wearing huge overalls.

81
00:03:26.750 --> 00:03:30.370
<v ->So I feel like a lot of my story starts with my hair.</v>

82
00:03:30.370 --> 00:03:32.940
So I went on like a solo trip to the States,

83
00:03:32.940 --> 00:03:35.190
but before that I cut my hair, because I was like

84
00:03:35.190 --> 00:03:36.540 line:15% 
this is like new me.

85
00:03:36.540 --> 00:03:39.810 line:15% 
So I cut it like this, which is the Liam Gallagher

86
00:03:39.810 --> 00:03:41.990 line:15% 
meets Audrey Hepburn look.

87
00:03:41.990 --> 00:03:45.100
Was in a Thai restaurant with some people that I'd just met,

88
00:03:45.100 --> 00:03:50.100
and this guy from IMG saw me, and was like,

89
00:03:50.220 --> 00:03:52.589
have you ever thought about being a model?

90
00:03:52.589 --> 00:03:53.757
And I was like, no, of course not.

91
00:03:53.757 --> 00:03:54.880
But I have.

92
00:03:54.880 --> 00:03:56.800
So American kind of found me.

93
00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:58.980
So now I'm trying to find America.

94
00:03:58.980 --> 00:04:02.103
That was so cheesy. [laughing]