Robyn Lawley, the “plus-size wonder from down under” (to be clear: I very much enjoy Lawley; I very much do not enjoy this “thrilla from Wasilla”–like nickname) stopped by Good Morning America today to talk about her super-successful career and her recent Ralph Lauren campaign. She and the reporter started off with the basics — Lawley is 23 years old and six-foot-two, and when asked how much she weighed, the Wilhelmina model responded, “Well, I’m a size twelve, and I think weight doesn’t really matter.”
The interview took more of a turn toward Cringe Town when the reporter remarked, “You did say that, for a while, you dabbled in eating disorders just to shed the pounds,” referring to Lawley’s start as a straight-size model (to be clear, part two: I feel as though “dabble” should be reserved for activities like learning a foreign language or signing up for pottery classes at your local Y). But Lawley, ever composed, explained, “I think, yeah, at that age [16], I was trying anything and everything. You know, when someone says, ‘I want to become a model,’ they automatically think, Oh, I have to be skinny, and I have to lose weight, so no one was really worried about me at the time either.” She discussed her decision to break into the plus-size industry — it involved French food — and the segment ended on a positive note: “There’s so many plus-size models in New York doing so well at the moment that it’s only going to get better. I think there’s more understanding and less discrimination.” Something like that.
