We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

The space that I have recently become a part of is a very small segment of the modeling world: petites. And, on an even smaller level, models who are vocal about an eating disorder past and who advocate for a healthy lifestyle and overall awareness of mental health. I am passionate about becoming a driving force for the average female who feels as though she is never represented on the runway. I will often relay difficult moments I have after a particular try-out when I am experiencing body dysmorphia or the inherent frustration of being rejected by agencies for my petite stature. A couple of weeks back, I had a photoshoot where my brain was assaulting me with thoughts of “you look fat, your face is too chubby, your butt is too big, etc.” But I push through it only to find that the images were creative, beautiful, and were showered with praises online. Sometimes thoughts are just thoughts.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a PNW girl, born and raised in a family of eight. I was the quiet child, and the one that was the peacemaker. If something was wrong, I hid it. Now, as an adult, I understand that I was depressed and it went unrecognized. This inability to understand and manage these burdensome feelings as I aged turned into an urgent need for control and, hence, an eating disorder was born. The next seven or so years were a mixture of some good but largely turmoil. I felt lost and was gasping for some sense of normalcy, but eating disorder thoughts ate any potential for balance in most areas of my life. My one respite, I soon discovered, was my budding sense of style. Feeling like a bad ass in my looks was the one time I felt confident. So, I started posting my outfits on instagram, which eventually merged into a fascination with posing in new and creative ways. Soon enough, I was like “hey, I’m kinda good at this…” I became obsessed, which is exactly what my therapist said I needed. “Find what you are good at, and this disorder will become less enticing,” she would encourage me. “You will give less power to the voice in your head.” She was right. Who I am today is not an individual I’d ever imagined to become. I am vocal about my history so that similar girls might feel less alone, and perhaps the tiniest spark of hope to push them forward. I want the world to know that you can drown in an eating disorder for years and STILL be successful. You can also put yourself in spaces that typically represent the cultural ideal of skinny and choose to be the change. I’m done with the societal norms driving the modeling industry. We need all body types to be represented. We need women to feel beautiful for who they are. That’s why I am here.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I am serious about what I do. I don’t flake. I plan. I show that you have to practice, practice, practice in order to be excellent. I also love what I do and it shows in every photoshoot and runway I am involved in. I can’t stop smiling when I am in those spaces and I think that’s attractive. I respect those I work with and give space for all creative brains. I am also here for other women and want to be an encouragement and not competition. I am vocal in the hard moments but also in the fun ones. I try to be REAL and that’s difficult to find in this world.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love and value the relationships that I have built and, honestly, never expected that. I also can’t describe the UTTER satisfaction of playing and delving into innovative concepts with others to create impressionable images.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Fluentindenim

Image Credits

Photographers: Gabino Malabay, Hanna Ramirez, Tim Ward, and Antwyone Washington