Unless you 're born with Kate Moss ' cheekbones or Karlie Kloss ' endless legs , making it as a model in the fast-paced and fickle world of fashion is no mean feat - and something Liris Crosse knows all about . For Liris , 32 , who is now dubbed The Body and The Naomi Campbell of the plus-size modelling world , certainly came from humble beginnings . When starting out , her statuesque form , cat-like eyes , full lips and flawless complexion got Liris in the door of most model agencies , but she admits her voluptuous shape landed her on the shelf . Scroll down for video . Liris Crosse always dreamed of being a model but had a tough time breaking into the industry with many people telling her to lose weight to succeed - but the size 18 model ( US 14 ) proved them wrong . Liris , who grew up in Baltimore , Maryland , shares her candid journey to the top with FEMAIL , how she proved her doubters wrong and how she 's hoping to take the UK by storm . ' I can recall studying all the major fashion magazines as a little girl so I could see Tyra Banks and my model idol , Naomi Campbell , ' she said of her earliest fashion memories . ' I watched fashion TV for all the runway shows and obsessed over Naomi Campbell 's runway walk . ' I still idolise her poise , body and skin to this day and I practiced in my mother 's heels back and forth in the kitchen . I 'm honored that the plus fashion world calls me the `` Naomi of Plus '' because she 's taught me from afar unknowingly . ' Liris , 32 , is now dubbed The Body and The Naomi Campbell of plus - but it was n't always so simple . Liris ' model idol has always been Naomi Campbell , right , who she 'obsessed over ' as a young girl and is now compared to by industry bigwigs . When she was starting out , despite being a healthy size 10 ( US 6 ) , Liris received rejection after rejection due to her voluptuous shape , but now she stars in regular fashion shoots , pictured . In her junior year of high school , she heard about a casting call in her area for a convention called Model Search America and immediately signed up . She was lucky enough to get callbacks from Zoli Models , Elite Models NY , Michelle Pommier and Seventeen Magazine - but there was a catch . 'They all loved me but wanted me to lose weight , ' she said . Despite being a healthy size 10 ( US 6 ) , Liris received rejection after rejection due to her voluptuous shape . And even though she chose an east coast giant , Wilhelmina Models , as her mother agency , casting reps still requested that she first lose weight and then come back in six months . Liris has also starred in top videos with Jennifer Lopez , Jay Z and Puff Daddy . Liris is breaking into the UK and appeared in a recent campaign for Sir Philip Green 's Evans , and starred in the Goddess Lingerie line through the Eveden brand . Instead of giving into their demands or giving up on what she believed was her calling , Liris , who is 5ft 11in , and now size 18 ( US 14 ) , took matters into her own hands and created the vision for them . She became her own agent and utilised the urban market to achieve her dreams with the help of her agency . Liris began to spread like wildfire . Essence , Honey , XXL , The Source and Black Elegance magazines were the first to believe in her vision . With these successes , Glamour , Seventeen and Girl soon caught onto her refreshing image and began requesting Liris for their glossy pages . She booked top videos for the likes of Jennifer Lopez , Jay Z , Puff Daddy , starred on MTV and landed film roles . Liris says she wants to change the industry by inspiring women to follow their dreams , helping to represent a different body type other than straight size in mainstream fashion . And now she 's starting to break the UK . Liris appeared in a recent campaign for Sir Philip Green 's plus-size fashion retailer , Evans , who fell in love with her when she took her runway reign to British Plus Size Fashion Weekend 2014 . She has also starred in the Goddess Lingerie line through the Eveden brand . ' I would love to work more in the UK with Evans , Anna Scholz , Yours Clothing , Panache , Elomi , ASOS , Simple Be , Dorothy Perkins , Carma Koma to name a few , ' she said . ' I want to continue to change the industry by inspiring women to follow their dreams , helping to represent a different body type other than straight size in mainstream fashion like I have done through my work and to also represent for the black plus woman who feels she does n't see herself in mainstream fashion and entertainment . ' ' I also want to get back more into my acting career because I truly believe a plus woman can be a sexy lead on a TV series ... Hey Hollywood , call me ! Liris has starred on the glossy covers of plus-size magazines in her time .
Liris Crosse , 32 , was rejected due to her 'voluptuous size ' Took matters into her own hands and is now a top plus-size model . Her idol was always Naomi Campbell and now she 's compared to her . Was scouted by Evans at plus size fashion week and is breaking UK .