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" The average model weighs 23 percent less than the average woman. If average-sized girls aren&amp;#039;t even being represented in the modeling industry, imagine how underrepresented full-figured women are, especially Latinas. Nearly 80 percent of New York Fashion Week runway models last September were white. These curvy bellezas prove that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. It&amp;#039;s time high-fashion modeling industries take notice.  1. Denise Bidot   Before she was an international model and reality television star, Denise Bidot made a living behind-the-scenes doing hair and makeup. That all changed when a photographer she was assisting offered to take her picture. The NuvoTV Curvy Girls star has modeled for Nordstrom, Old Navy, Macy&amp;#039;s, and Forever 21. 2. Natalie Monet   Since winning Torrid&amp;#039;s House of Dreams Model Search in 2009, Puerto Rican Natalie Monet has been featured in national campaigns for brands like Ashley Stewart and Eloquii, and has walked in numerous fashion shows including BET&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;Rip The Runway&amp;quot; and Full-Figured Fashion Week.    3. Jakaliene Rivera  New York native Jakaliene Rivera won Seventeen Magazine&amp;#039;s 2012 Fiercly Real model search in 2012. Rivera has landed campaigns for Miss Tina, Baby Phat, and House of Derion, and also rocked the runway at Full-Figured Fashion Week.  4. Danielle Zavala   Former Mrs. Plus America 2011 Danielle Zavala is living proof that beauty isn&amp;#039;t a size, it&amp;#039;s an attitude. In addition to modeling for mainstream full-figured brands such as Ashley Stewart and Evie Foster, Zavala is the Executive Director of the California Plus America Pageant. 5. Griselangel Paula  Dominicana Griselangel Paula landed her first six-page spread only a few months after venturing into plus size modeling. Since then, she has modeled for Forever 21, Macy&amp;#039;s, Lane Bryant, Kmart, House of Dereon, and Baby Phat, to name a few. 6. Fluvia Lacerda  Brazilian beauty Fluvia Lacerda was named Plus Model of the Year by Full-Figured Fashion Week. Lacerda has modeled for brands such as Torrid, Monif C., Igigi, Fashion Bug, Kmart, Bilka, Takko Fashions, and Eliza Parker.    7. Rosie Mercado   It&amp;#039;s not hard to see why Curvy Girls&amp;#039; Rosie Mercado was named one of Las Vegas&amp;#039; Extraordinary Women this past weekend. When the model/designer/host/entrepreneur/single mother isn&amp;#039;t strutting her stuff in front of the camera, designing her own line FUERZA For SWAK, or walking the runway at Full-Figured Fashion week, she&amp;#039;s busy documenting her amazing weight-loss journey and sharing inspirational quotes on Twitter. 8. Lornalitz Baez   Lornalitz Baez made a name for herself as the first plus-sized model to be featured on the reality competition Model Latina Las Vegas in 2009. Since then, the bombshell Boricua has modeled for top brands including Kmart, Bonny Bridal, and Nordstrom Rack. In 2013, Lorna joined show Curvy Girls and launched her Curves Are In line of designer t-shirts \u2014 a motto inspired by her battle with bulimia.  Related:  Is This What a Plus-Sized Model Should Look Like? Denise Bidot Shares Her Incredible Story Follow Tanisha on Twitter. Photos: Victoria Janashvili; Plus Model Magazine; Lesley Pedraza; Lucas Pictures; Ford Models; NuvoTV    "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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