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Entertainment

We're Concerned That New York Magazine Has a Problem with Plus-Size Women

When I asked Terry Richardson if he wanted to photograph plus-size models, the only thing on my mind was making sure the gals looked beautiful and had fun.

When I asked Terry Richardson if he wanted to photograph plus-size models for our annual Photo Issue, the only thing on my mind was making sure the gals looked beautiful and had more fun than the anorexic, uppity zombies that usually appear in the pages of magazines. In hindsight, it's not surprising that New York Magazine called and emailed us today to ask some loaded questions about the shoot. Well, guys, you can find your answers below.

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New York Magazine Assistant Editor Who Shall Remain Nameless: What was the concept of the shoot? Where did the idea come from?
VICE: The idea was sparked by Fashion Week Internationale, a forthcoming fashion series we're currently shooting for VBS.TV. The show's premise is that many different types of Fashion Weeks happen around the world on a regular basis, but nobody in the mainstream press covers them because they're not endorsed by fancy car companies and don't feature dead-eyed skeletons with deviated septums. Our first episode was shot at Islamabad Fashion Week, which was the only time we've ever seen a woman in a hijab power-walk down a runway. Last month we shot a piece on Full Figured Fashion Week in New York. The ladies in attendance were some of the most vivacious and unpretentious models we've ever met, and we thought a corresponding photo shoot would be a perfect fit for Terry. As you can see, it was.

How/when did Terry Richardson get involved?
This is a dumb question. Do some research.

What went into the casting of the shoot?
We asked some of the models and agents at Full Figured Fashion Week if they'd be interested in getting shot by Terry. They were, of course, probably because he is one of THE BIGGEST PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE WORLD. We went through MSA Models and booking agent Ms. Theresa for most of the girls. The rest were unaffiliated models who were thrilled to participate.

Is there a reason why most of the models were non-white? Was there any sort of statement being made there?
What kind of statement are you making by asking this question, New York Magazine? We requested full-figured women and they provided us with a broad selection of potential models, from which we made our final picks for the shoot. It so happened that many of the women at Full Figured Fashion Week were "non-white." What's your problem with this? All of the women look absolutely beautiful in the shots. Why are you so hung up on their ethnicities?

Why did you pick the title "Tons of Fun"?
Because everyone at the shoot had tons of fun.

Where was it shot?
At Terry's studio. Bye.