By Karen Welcome

The world is still reeling from the news of plus-size model Mia Amber’s passing at the young age of 36. She is said to have passed from complications of a knee operation and she is survived by her husband and mother. The international model was best known as a television producer, actress, motivational speaker, and plus size advocate who made a positive impact on the fashion and entertainment industries.

Mia’s beginnings start as an intern-turned-production assistant for shows such as The Ricki Lake Show, and Def Comedy Jam as well as many others. Her efforts earned her a position as a producer on The Ricki Lake Show and from there she went on to produce a myriad of other pilots and television productions.

Mia was a producer for the long-running courtroom show Divorce Court and while producing she jumped at the opportunity to act as Rhonda in the movie Road Trip. Riding on the waves of Road Trip‘s success it was Mia’s first magazine cover of Belle that led her to realize that she wanted to become a full-time model. After conducting research and a 90 pound weight loss, Mia was signed on to be Ashley Stewart’s Great Woman of Style.

Highlights of Mia’s modelling career include campaigns for Queen Latifah’s Curvation, Richard Metzger, Monif C., Lane Bryant and most recently Kimora Lee Simmons’ skin care line Shinto just to name a few. A career as a plus-size model meant confronting challenges from the fashion industry and most notably going against intimidating figures Meme Roth and Janice Dickinson in debates about size acceptance. Mia carried on with her goals and travelled internationally to offer advice to aspiring models around the globe.

Plus Model Magazine appointed Mia as Creative Editor-at Large in 2008 and she put on a new hat as a style consultant in 2009 offering her services to aspiring plus-size models looking to make their mark. Through all her successes and with all her different hats, Mia remained a producer for Divorce Court and soon began blogging to keep up with her growing fan base at www.miaamber.wordpress.com

The organizers of Full Figured Fashion Week were looking forward to presenting Mia with the 2011 Model of the Year award and Plus Model Magazine, devastated by the news of her untimely death, have decided to have Mia as their June 2011 cover girl.

At 20 years old, Marquita Pring is already a well known face and name in the plus sized modeling world. Signed to the exclusive Ford Models +, the 5”11 New York native burst onto the scene earlier this year with a historical fashion spread forV magazine’s first ever Size Issue in January. Shot by Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø and featuring fellow models Candice Huffine, Michelle Olson, Tara Lynn and Kasia P, the spread was a memorable one from a magazine well known for pushing the envelope when it comes to fashion journalism.

Apart from V, shes been spotted in other editorials for Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Vogue, Essence and Vice magazines. Her gorgeous face has also earned her ad campaign’s for top companies such as Macy’s, Target, Playtex and Ashley Stewart’s Mother’s Day campaign shot recently. While little is known about this beauty, one can predict that with her stunning looks and equally amazing physique her fashion career will undoubtedly blossom; making her a premiere supermodel in the plus sized fashion world.

Fashion mag readers have probably spotted this dark eyed, dark haired beauty in numerous editorials over the past few years. This week I stumbled upon this Somali stunner and was very impressed with her work. I became more excited when I realized that she is also a Canadian gal.

Standing at 5”11, Ayan Elmi has graced the covers of magazines; Life and Fashion in 2007 and Lou Lou in 2008. With a breathtaking spread in Vogue Italia shot earlier this year by world renowned photographer Greg Lotus, Elmi’s gorgeous cheekbones and killer legs were on full display. Some believe that she along with counterpart Fatima Said represent a new era of East African models in the industry since the debut of supermodel’s Iman and Liya Kebede.

Ayan, who now calls Toronto home is signed to NEXT Modeling agency along with other agencies in South Africa and New York. Since her debut she has walked the runways for top designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Yahya, Hermes, Elie Tahari and Mark le Bihan just to name a few.

Recently featured in the short documentary The Colour of Beauty, Toronto’s Renee Thompson is one of the city’s top models. Originally born in Jamaica, this fierce femme immigrated to Toronto with her family-the place where her modeling career would eventually take off. A veteran in the industry, Renee has modelled for over ten years producing notable spreads such as the 2007 Harper’s Bazaar fashion editorial.

Toronto based NAM Models is just one of the agencies she is currently signed to. She is also the first black model to sign with PT Models in Taipei, Taiwan. You may have spotted her gracing the pages of Sway magazine or walking the runway for DSquared, Chloe, Benetton and various fashion weeks around world.

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The Colour of Beauty

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Produced by Elizabeth St. Philip, The Colour of Beauty documented Renee’s daily life as an aging model of colour, striving to make it big in New York City with that one job that would propel her career to supermodel status. Viewers bore witness to the rampant racism that exists in an industry where the ideal black beauty is a “white girl dipped in chocolate” and it’s not uncommon to have “no black girls allowed” as the criteria for many casting break downs. However the short film also showcased Renee’s determination and resilience; two things we know will catapult our hometown gal all the way to supermodel status.

It’s true what they say; dreams really can come true. Each day Ajak Deng is living her childhood dream.

Born December 7, 1989, model Ajak Deng’s look is as unique as her story. To the uninformed public, she is Ajak Deng; one of Australia’s hottest and upcoming supermodels. Since her debut at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week in 2008, this 20 year old has already walked the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier, Chloe, Givenchy, and Lanvin. She’s also produced very impressive spreads for industry giants; Interview and V magazines. But for those that know her story she is also Ajak Deng; the young woman that survived and escaped a  long and brutal civil war in her native homeland of Sudan.

At the age of 12, Ajak along with her mother, four brothers and three sisters, fled violence in Sudan for a refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya. There her mother eventually succumbed to malaria, leaving her to care for her younger siblings, most notably her 6 month old sister.

In 2005 she and her family were able to immigrate to Australia and since then, Deng has been steadily walking her way to supermodel status. She’s currently signed to FRM Model Management in Australia, as well as the world’s number one model agency; IMG Models in New York. She cites fellow Sudanese model Alek Wek as her inspiration and role model. Aside from the day to day activities of a busy model; such as shooting a Fall 2010 campaign for fashion retailer Topshop or walking the runway for Paris Fashion Week, Deng is currently studying for her Victorian Certificate of Education and hopes to pursue her second passion; law.

Her life today in the fast lane and bright lights of New York City is a far cry from the dusty village she calls home in Sudan. She is truly inspiring and well deserving of all her present and future success.

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Well on her way to supermodel status is Jamaica’s Gaye Mcdonald. Already considered one of the country’s top models,  Mcdonald’s career has skyrocketed since her win at Pulse’s Caribbean Model Search in 2005.

For many new models, booking major editorials with magazine giants Vogue, Cosmopolitan or Marie Claire is the pinnacle of a long and well respected career, but for Mcdonald  this happened in one day. Less than 18 hours after arriving in New York, fresh off her Pulse Caribbean Model Search win, she successfully booked a fashion spread with Cosmopolitan magazine. Since that spread Mcdonald’s career hasn’t looked back, making her one of the most sought after models in the industry. But even with a career in the express lane, Gaye decided to temporarily delay her success to complete her high school education; nabbing several key CXC subjects in the process.

At the age of 21, Gaye is already listed as one of the world’s top 100 models by Red magazine. From there her career continues on the up and up, with the booking of major campaigns for Benetton, Nordstrom, and Diesel. She’s also graced the runways of countless fashion weeks; walking for Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Catherine Malandrino and Diane von Fursterberg  just to name a few.

Not one to forget the difficulties her peers face attempting to achieve similar success, Gaye is very outspoken about the prevalence of racism in the fashion industry. However her impressive rise in the fashion world, and  seemingly overnight success, proves that once you have it there’s no stopping you!

Since her 2004 debut at the Costume National, Viktor & Rolf and Yves Saint Laurent shows in Paris, Canadian model Honorine Uwera has worked with some of the most impressive names in fashion. Born in Rwanda, this dark haired, chocolate siren immigrated to Toronto in 1998, where she is currently signed to Elmer Olsen Model Management. She is also signed to IMG Models in New York.

A true African beauty, her regal presence has caught the attention of designers; Vivienne Westwood, Issey Miyake, Emanuel Ungaro, Antonio Marras and Ruffian just to name a few.

Over the past 6 years, Uwera has walked the catwalk for countless designers, but it was the 2006 Jean Paul Gaultier show-where she wore a risqué gold bodysuit from his 1992 collection, that caught the attention of the fashion world.

With a Nordstrom catalog spread, spot in Italian Vogue shot by renowned photographer Steven Klein, Moschino ad campaign and an Elle fashion spread all behind her, hometown girl Honorine Uwera is definitely one of the hottest black models to walk the runway.