Taken from The Huffington Post: After years of silence on the matter, the fashion industry finally seems poised to embrace fuller, less svelte figures. Plus-size models like Robyn Lawley and Crystal Renn are already making waves, posing for major design houses and top-tier fashion glossies. Now, there’s a new girl in town who’s looking to break down barriers.

Saffi Karina has founded Curve Project London, the UK’s first plus-size model workshop that will arm young ladies with the tools necessary to make it in the fashion industry at any size. Karina, a former straight-size model, was dropped from her agency six years ago after her body changed and her hips grew.

“As you grow older, you become more womanly and I actually didn’t want to change that, so I started looking for what else was out there,” she told the Evening Standard. “I began working as a plus-size model and it is a very positive and happy industry. I still got to do what I loved and travel the world.”

To prepare beginners for the style world, Karina’s monthly class will include in-depth mentoring, hair and makeup sessions, experience working with stylists, photo shoots, runway lessons and casting tips. Karina makes quite the instructor — she’s been able to smoothly transition her career while embracing, rather than fighting, her figure, landing campaigns for Debenhams, Speedo, and Bravissimo. Fortunately, she thinks other young women can do the same.

“There is a real thirst for ‘normal’ sized women, especially for commercial brands,” the 27-year-old said. “I want to strive to endorse a positive body image and act as a role model to young women who previously thought ‘thin’ was the only way to get a foot over the fashion threshold.”

In light of the changing climate, plus-size models have been speaking up, suggesting larger sample sizes to accomodate non-size zeros and exposing the extreme positioning of straight- and plus-size models (using padding to appear larger is not uncommon). Plus, with efforts like Vogue’s Health Initiative and the Equity Model Code Of Conduct, the conversation has been broadened to the fashion industry in general. (Not to mention Dove’s pleasantly “real” campaigns.)

So what do you think of Saffi Karina’s latest attempt to help girls of all sizes enter the modeling industry? Do you hope to see more “normal” size women in the pages of magazines? Follow Queen Grace on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Polyvore.

From Fast Company Magazine:

ALICIA GEORGE: “For many years I had worked with John George and Blight Busters. The organization demolishes abandoned houses, but when a house can be saved, we renovate it and sell it or rent it to the community.

“And I had a personal dream, which was to open a coffee shop. It would be a place that would also contribute to economic development on the northwest side of Detroit. Nowhere in Brightmoor was there a cafe, a gallery, an artists’ market. I wanted to offer open-mike poetry night, jazz, art shows, galleries, a little bit of everything. There’s a lot going on in downtown, in Midtown, in the Corktown area, but I wanted to be the person who brought that to my corner of the city.

“I didn’t have experience owning a business. But I had worked for Marriott and learned hospitality, and I took college courses, I went to roasting plants, I visited every coffee shop that I possibly could. I talked to folks in the restaurant business. And John and I tried to figure out how we were going to finance this coffee shop. We rented out a space and sold candy, dinners, water–whatever it took to raise the dollars.

“The first place we found was an abandoned Victorian home, very cute, very nice. It was going to be cozy and comfortable, a place where everybody can hang out. We were all set to do the landscaping. But a lot of things happen in Detroit, and shortly after we discovered this place, it burned to the ground, and I was just devastated. I had worked so hard. But I couldn’t give up. God had placed that vision and that dream in me, and we were going to make it a reality.

“It took 10 years, but we finally found our space. We spent about a quarter of a million dollars in total. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this place. We opened the Motor City Java House on Angels’ Night in 2010. It’s part of something we call the Artist Village Detroit. It has a courtyard, a studio, two apartments, and a community garden. There have been payless paydays, and the city once made a permit mistake and shut us down for 23 days. But since we opened, a dozen businesses have started up nearby.

“I married John last September. He helped build the Java House, with hardwood floors recycled from abandoned houses. A lot were drug havens, just negative energy. But those floors helped revitalize and stabilize our neighborhood.”

Between 2000 and 2010, the
POPULATION PLUMMETED 25%

It will soon drop below 700,000 for the first time in nearly a century. Detroit has more than
100,000 VACANT LOTS

in its 139 square miles. A fourth of the housing units–45,000–are abandoned.
UNEMPLOYMENT IS 18%–MORE THAN TWICE THE NATIONAL RATE

Including people no longer looking for work, the rate soars to more than 50%. Household income is
$27,862, BARELY HALF

the national level. Nearly a third live in poverty, more than double the national rate. In 2011, Detroit ranked
FIRST IN MURDER RATE, first in violent-crime rate, and fifth in property-crime rate. The POLICE FORCE IS DOWN BY MORE THAN HALF from 12 years ago. 

MARGARITA BARRY: “I bought a house recently on an eBay-style auction. I used Jerry’s [Paffendorf] site to check it out. I decided to move out of Midtown. It’s more of a challenge to live in a different neighborhood, somewhere that’s not trendy. Maybe if I move here, and people come to events and parties at my house, I’m exposing them to other neighborhoods.

“The auction was exhilarating. I paid under $10,000. I know the neighborhood–you don’t see that much blight. The house doesn’t need that much–plumbing, some paint, refinished floors. I’ll put in another $10,000.

“I have been touched personally by crime, but I don’t want to go into it. That’s not helping things progress. Sometimes it feels as if all this positive stuff can get negated by the violence, by the crime. I dealt with a break-in at my house, but then they broke into the D:hive. That felt like something else–it was terrible. This place is a special grassroots place. It’s not a big corporate place making tons of money.

“You have to find a way to get through that feeling of frustration. You have to harness it, ask what can I do to make the situation better? Everyone in the city is coming together now, and I want to help. It’s not just tech. It’s Dan Gilbert, who’s doing incredible things, and it’s Brightmoor.

“Detroit hustles harder. Have you heard that? It’s like our slogan. You can’t be afraid of failure here. A lot of us don’t have a lot to lose.” Continue reading the full story from Fast Company Magazine. To get more information on how you can be a part of rebuilding Detroit, go to The Kresge Foundation.

The rumored interested parties include Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, and Dior — some of the biggest names in the beauty game — and the offers are purportedly to the tune of $15,000,000 (wow).

Coming from Refinery29 today, in typical he-said she-said fashion, the fire behind these rumors is kept aflame by the musings of “inside sources.” One of these sources has apparently stated that Adele “would only accept if the campaigns were to her taste and incorporate her music. The last thing she wants is a cheesy ad with a naff catchphrase. They would have to be in keeping with her personality.” This same source also claims that, though it will take a lot of persuasion, “it looks as if she’s close to signing a deal.”

Even if this source is just pulling our leg, they’ve got one thing right: As a celebrity, aligning yourself with someone else’s brand is a delicate art. If Adele isunder hot pursuit from these brands, she must make the decision in the face of some serious claims she’s made about celebrities who “sell out” by fronting campaigns. According to Digital Spy, she was quoted in 2011 as saying “It depends on what kind of artist you wanna be, but I don’t want my name anywhere near another brand.” How can she maintain her image as an independent voice and be the face of an international company? How will she explain a decision to partner with a brand after working so hard to distance herself from the idea?

Maybe this is all just hearsay, but we can’t say we’d hate having larger brands incorporate some diversity into their global maneuvers. Too often, we see the same generically beautiful spokespeople (stunning, but never anything new) for women’s beauty products. With the slow-but-sure incorporation of a wider representation of faces, ethnicities, shapes, and personalities, we don’t think a more welcoming face of beauty branding is too far in the future. Plus, we kind of like the sound of an eponymous Adele line of cosmetics.

What do you this QG readers? Would you be inclined to buy a brand of cosmetics with a company that promoted a plus size artist like Adele? Post your comments here or on our QG Facebook page!

According to Jason Dayrit, a contributor to the Female Network, in today’s modern times, being the “damsel in distress” may work for you for alittle while, but it can get tiring pretty flippin’ fast. Things have become more demanding for both sexes, which is a great thing because women have more opportunities to be who they want to be and express themselves better without being labeled domineering or vindictive (well, at least some of the time, right?).

Guys may not readily admit it, but confident and strong women are a boon to us. Nothing says “attractive” more than a woman who can STAND UP for herself and knows what SHE WANTS. Still not convinced? Here are 10 reasons why men love confident women;

1. THEY ARE DRIVEN TO SUCCEED.

Being driven doesn’t mean being ruthlessly ambitious. It just means that a woman has goals and dreams she wants to realize and a general battle plan for how to achieve them. Whether they’re short term, mid-term, or long term, her goals keep her focused on what’s important without letting success get into her head.

2. THEY MAKE SURE THEIR OPINIONS ARE HEARD.

It’s one thing to be heard; it’s another to be overly opinionated. Confident women can pass an opinion off casually, without being dismissive about it or coming on too strongly. Most of the time, the simplest comment has the most weight, thought, and logic put in it.

3. THEY DON’T EQUATE JEALOUSY WITH LOVE.

I must confess I have never understood this kind of “old-school” thinking. How can something so negative be accepted by your partner as a show of affection? Ladies, if some self-help book tells you that being “jealous in moderation because you love him” helps strengthen your relationship, it doesn’t. All it does is infuriate and alienate your partner.

4. THEY ARE EQUAL PARTNERS IN THE BEDROOM.

We have our little quirks and wants, and so do you. Being confident is not just about how you look or act, it’s also about knowing your body. It’s your responsibility to know what you like in bed and how to do it. Communicating this to your partner yields very enjoyable benefits for both parties!

5. THEY MAKE SURE THEIR PRESENCE IS FELT.

This is not to be mistaken as being papansin or hogging the limelight. Confident women exude self-assurance and can light up a room if they want to. Be it in social situations or business meetings, women know how to be involved and not be taken lightly without rubbing people the wrong way.

6. THEY STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN.

A generation or two in the past, a woman may have been called emotionless or cutthroat or even unwomanly for being driven and strong-willed. Now, these confident women are called passionate when it comes to their beliefs. They put in the effort and time to learn more and do more if it helps advance the causes they believe in.

7. THEY KNOW WHEN TO SAY NO.

Everyone seems to have too little time these days and having the title “empowered” doesn’t give women a break from all the things they have to accomplish. Truly strong women know their limits and know when to decline a nightcap in favor of rest. While a day isn’t enough to finish the work on their desks, these women will always have time to relax and pamper themselves.

8. THEY APPRECIATE CARE AND KNOW WHEN TO RECIPROCATE.

Confident women are not made out of stone (regardless of how they’re stereotyped in films). They never dismiss how you care for them and they make sure you get cared for as well. They don’t just take. They know how to give, and, sometimes, they want to give more! They take note of when you are being a little more patient with them, or letting them vent, or not forgetting to clean the dishes before you turn in for the night. Naturally, the rewards for these are well worth it.

9. THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE.

A confident woman may be all gung-ho in the boardroom but very loving when she’s at home with her partner and children. It’s not a case of split personalities; it’s just how she really is. Women know who they really are and they are honest about it. People appreciate honesty, and empowered women are no exception!

10. THEY INSPIRE THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM.

Their honesty, passion, and desire to achieve are infectious. These women may be political leaders or motivational speakers or survivors of calamities or illnesses. They may even be just team leaders, supervisors, single moms, or working housewives. Whoever they are, they show strength, maturity, and confidence in achieving their goals. And believe me, nothing’s sexier than a woman owning the room with just a smile.

What do you think QG WD readers, are there other characteristics of a strong woman YOUR man loves about you? Share it here, or post a comment on our QG Facebook page!

All photos courtesy of Warner Bros., Sony, Universal and Columbia Picture Productions.