These models are ready to spark a change!
In a newly released second issue of Icelandic Glamour, these cover models want to show that a woman of any size can rock the covers of the biggest and best magazines.
Plus-size models Ashley Graham, Marquita Pring, Julie Henderson, Inga Eiriksdottir and Danielle Redman, who are all represented by IMG, bare their glorious curves in the 8-page spread.
The women of ALDA, which means "wave" in Icelandic, are looking to make waves in an industry that they believe focuses too heavily on having one body type.
These women are on a mission to make the business a better place, making sure models are being showcased for the unique beauties they are—inside and outside. As well, they are interested in "building strong self esteem in women rather then just focusing on the looks" and "getting women together to do healthy things for the body and soul, while raising money for those in need and giving back."
ALDA's Inga Eiriksdottir began her career as a model at the age of 14, but faced countless critiques for not being the right size. As a model for IMG, the support she received made her want to promote body diversity worldwide.
"We had all worked together for many years before our agency closed a lot of their divisions including plus size, which is the one we were in," said the blond beauty. "I contacted the girls I knew and the ones that had been the most successful in the business to see how we could, as a group, have impact on the business. We met secretly for a few months, came up with a business plan, and then met with all the major agencies in New York.
"Most of them had never represented models bigger than a US size 6, so we didn't know how they would react. It was amazing to see the great response we got. After some negotiations, we decided to join IMG, as we felt they could help us have good influence in the business.
"They love what we stand for. It shouldn't matter if you are a size 2 or 12. Every model should be represented equally. "
These inspirational skin-baring photos are meant to send a positive message of inspiration to young girls and women everywhere, proving that we should all celebrate the skin we're in.
"It's exciting to see the positive change in the industry, and we already see a lot more diversity in age, size and race than before in magazines and on the runways," Eiriksdottir said.
Keep up the good work!