Model Tess Holliday navigates life, work in the mainstream

NEW YORK -- With accolades for her People magazine cover and the upcoming launch of her first clothing line, things are next-level for Tess Holliday.

The plus-size model and social media phenom who regularly shakes off haters has been reveling in the mainstream since May, when she donned a designer friend's black lace bodysuit to pose for People's 2015 body issue.

"It's been crazy," the 30-year-old Holliday said after a recent panel chat on fat acceptance hosted by Refinery29.com. "My audience changed so much because it's a universal magazine. Everyone of all ages and backgrounds reads it, and all of a sudden I was in every grocery store."

Behind the scenes, she found herself in flux, shedding unsupportive loved ones and making adjustments at home in Los Angeles. Holliday, whose real name is Ryann Maegen Hoven, moved in both her disabled mother and her Australian fiance.

Meantime, her 10-year-old son is adjusting to his mom's higher profile as well.

In this Jan. 7 photo provided by Refinery29, plus size model Tess Holliday poses for a photo in New York. The plus size model and social media phenom who regularly shakes off haters has been reveling in the mainstream since May 2014, when she donned a designer friend's black lace bodysuit to pose for People's 2015 body issue. (Tory Rust/Refinery29 via AP)

"When we're out in public, people stop me. He rolls his eyes," Holliday said. "He gets it, but it's still really weird for him. When he tells his friends, 'My mom's a model,' they kind of pick on him a little."

Why? Because at 5-foot-5 and size 22, Holliday doesn't fit the ultrathin mold. Fat and proud, covered in colorful tattoos -- each with its own story of love and empowerment -- that's just fine with her.

"I feel like I'm learning who I am again because of the new media attention," Holliday said. "To people who had never heard the words 'body positive,' or who had never shopped at a plus-size clothing store and weren't plus size themselves, it's been an adjustment for them, too."

She's learned she can't educate all, including those who insist that her size compromises her health. And there are the usual trolls she's been dealing with for years on Instagram and elsewhere online, including Tumblr, the place where she grew her own hashtag rallying cry that lives on today: #EffYourBeautyStandards.

As the first model of her size and height to be signed by a prominent agency, Milk Management in London, Holliday was thrust further into the role of body positive activist, this after several years of modeling to her credit. The burgeoning body-positive movement has the usual growing pains and disagreements from within and without, including whether use of the word "fat" is OK.

In this Jan. 7 photo provided by Refinery29, plus size model Tess Holliday poses for a photo in New York. The plus size model and social media phenom who regularly shakes off haters has been reveling in the mainstream since May 2014, when she donned a designer friend's black lace bodysuit to pose for People's 2015 body issue. At 5-foot-5 and size 22, Holliday doesn't fit the ultrathin fashion model mold. (Tory Rust/Refinery29 via AP)

As far as Holliday is concerned, people should use the word or not use the word. Acceptance means acceptance -- at any size.

Among other adjustments for Holliday has come a new approach to handling haters.

"Before, I would have just gone after somebody if they said something and attacked me," she said. "I'm not going to change their minds by one comment, so why even bother? Why waste my energy? It's definitely been a learning curve. My fiance's had to snatch the phone out of my hand multiple times. He's like, 'What are you doing?' He knows. I get this look on my face and he's, like, 'Are you commenting back to people?'"

She fights back in other ways.

"When I'm having a bad day, that's when I usually take naked photos and post them online, which hasn't happened often because my mom moved in with us, and she doesn't really appreciate that, that much. I don't know why," Holliday laughed, eyes sparkling under a long mane of auburn hair.

In this Jan. 7 photo provided by Refinery29, plus size model Tess Holliday poses for a photo in New York. The plus size model and social media phenom who regularly shakes off haters has been reveling in the mainstream since May 2014, when she donned a designer friend's black lace bodysuit to pose for People's 2015 body issue. (Tory Rust/Refinery29 via AP)

But it has happened, and Holliday is unapologetic. A no-clothes-at-all booty shot with a graphic bubble reading "oops" covering one exposed nipple had her showing off all her assets, including some of the many arm tattoos portraying women she admires.

There's Divine, Dolly Parton, Miss Piggy and Mae West, "all strong, outspoken women like myself."

Holliday said the nude pic was her most popular photo on Instagram, beating out her People cover, her H&M modeling campaign and news of her signing with Milk.