Isabella Forget
Isabella Forget stumbled into the world of modelling quite unintentionally and is now an inspiration to women across the world.
Isabella Forget
Interview by Summer Crosbie MA
Photographer: Maddalena Arcelloni @maddalenaarcelloni Model: Isabella Forget @isabellaforget from @nextcanada Makeup Artist: Jessah Amarante @thebeautymaiden using: Artis Brush, Anfisa Skin, One Over One
Hairstylist: Asami Shirinashihama @asaminyhair
To look at her today, so radiant and strong, you'd never guess the trials she's faced. To say she is a conqueror is an understatement. With a large social media following (156k on Instagram alone) and her brilliant ability to encourage women to share their true and voluptuous selves, this Montreal beauty is blazing a trail of self-respect and acceptance. The plus size modelling industry hit the jackpot when they discovered her and we're so glad she agreed to talk with us about her journey.
Isabella, please tell us a bit about yourself. From as far back as I can remember, I've been an artist. I think I tried to deny it because my parents were not inclined to let me embrace my artistic side. In fact, I decided to do a Bachelors in Marketing and a Masters in Communication to please them but, from the depths of my heart, I always wanted to be a makeup artist. After a couple of years, I was on a set and someone said to me I should enter a competition being held for the next plus size model. I applied and I won the contest, which birthed this remarkable journey I am on.
You decided to explore the theme of identity in your Masters degree programme. Can you tell us more about it and why you chose it? I wish I'd had the patience to do more studies in psychology but I was young and wanted to have fun a little too much. I did work as a sales person for a long time and I was good at it so I thought marketing was the right path after high school. During my last year of my Bachelors degree, we had to write a thesis project, which later led me to apply for a Masters. At that time, I was doing makeup part- time while in my school time, I was also dealing with the fashion world. I started my modeling career around that time, too and it was fascinating to see how the fashion world moulded and changed me in so many different ways. Our identity is difficult to explain. I felt I had to know more about identities and how they are shaped or how they shape and become us hence the decision to pick the theme surrounding the identity topic.
How important are accidental shifts? (Someone made a suggestion on set and it completely changed your life). I think a lot and somehow, I am really touched by the people I meet all the time. Some precious people have given me advice and I listened. That is exactly how I started modelling and to me that is a prime example of an accidental shift. I wasn’t thinking about that path, modelling but they looked at me and felt I would be great and I am glad I listened and went for it. As I mentioned, a photographer friend of mine encouraged me to enter a contest to become a plus size model. Winning that contest changed my life. I was also really afraid of committing to being a full-time freelancer and some friends said I should go all in or nothing. Again I listened and I did and now I am living from my art. I wish people would actually say more honest things to me without fearing my reaction or thinking it their honest opinions or suggestions would upset me because clearly they all accidently shifted me into my purpose. I think people don’t speak their minds enough and that is a shame because can you imagine how many people could benefit from the advantage of an accidental shift in careers by just heeding to advice from people with great insight?
Tell us about your journey thus far where body image is concerned. I think everyone is concerned about their body. Even though I have learned to love it now, it was not always like that. In adolescence, I developed several body complexes, not only influenced by society, but also by the pressure I imposed upon myself. I think that the self-love journey is progressive. I used to hate my nose because my brother would say it looked like a trapeze. Now I love it. I attended a school where a uniform was mandatory and everyone compared their trouser size. At the time, I wore a size 8 while all my friends were wearing a size 4. I thought I was huge. It was fashionable to wear low-waisted pants and crop tops... and with my hips that simply did not work.
I also experienced intimidation and was bullied a lot about my body. I was taller and had more hair than all my friends. I had a lot of complex about my hair. I had to shave in the morning and at night. I thought I was enormous, too, when I was actually normal. Growing up, I learned to accept my body as it is, but it is a work in progress, between my job as a model and makeup artist, self-esteem is often up to the test. Loving yourself is the work of a lifetime and nobody will do it for you. You need to wake up every day and push some more. Modelling work is often put on a pedestal, but there are also many aspects that people do not see. You must always look good and be well dressed. The world of plus size is still in its infancy and I dream of a world where all models are merged. Not only because it looks good on paper, but I long to see beauty brands hire bigger models. Yeah, we see few of them doing it but it's still not a norm yet.
What are some of the struggles and challenges you have faced and encountered on your journey thus far? I am a nostalgic person and my artistic side is really inspired by it. Unfortunately, some days I am also drowned by it. I need to keep my self busy all the time. I am someone that can’t sit and be on social media all day. I used to do that and it resulted in me focusing on the negatives things that surrounded me instead on focusing on the positives.
At the beginning of my modelling career, I worked extremely hard to be recognized as a plus model. I had a lot of no’s from people I wanted to work with. At the start, I would really take rejection to heart, but soon enough, I saw that the no's made me stronger and pushed me to do better the next time.
I know plus size modelling is more accepted now than it was even 5 years ago but it remains more challenging for thicker models to find good styling and make great pictures. The access to nice editorial clothing is almost impossible. Often I had to do it myself. I arrived on a set once and the stylist brought a size large trouser because she thought that would do but nothing fit me so I had no trousers for the shoot.
Once, I went to a casting call and the line was super long. I finally got in the casting room after waiting for more than an hour. A lady came out and said out loud that she was going to point out the people that will not be seen by the casting directors. She pointed her finger an inch from my nose and said really rudely, 'We don’t need to see you. Leave.' It was so unprofessional. I am glad I now have more experience because I am stronger. I would have been crushed if that happened 5 years ago.
Another challenge I had was to go freelance full-time. It’s scary but I am so glad I did. I was really unhappy working a full-time job. Sometimes it’s a big challenge to go and leave everything you know to follow your dreams.
The biggest challenge of all was losing my mother. She was everything to me. We had a love/hate relationship but she was always pushing me to be a better person. I wish she could see me today and how I've blossomed in my work and my personal life.
How have the above-mentioned challenges and struggles shaped you as a person now? I am now stronger than ever. I try to stay positive and busy. I surround myself with supportive people who help me to be a better person. It’s really important to have people that believe in what you do and who you are. I believe strongly that if you are good to people, the universe is going be good to you also. I push myself to try harder, to avoid laziness but sometimes procrastination is tempting. I try not to do it. I aim to be gentle with myself, as well. It's really easy to take everything too personally like if you are not picked at a casting or if a client doesn't call you back.
I realise now that every hard path I had to walk only made me stronger. The death of my mother changed me in so many ways that now I make my needs a priority. I love meeting new people and travelling but I would always put the needs of those around me before my own. Now I am trying to take greater care of my body, my health and myself. So many women forget that they are worth it and they need to invest in themselves. I understand people have children and put every one else's needs before their own but they should not do that. We need to be healthily selfish and be unapologetic about it. Too many people are scared of being judged, being looked at or not being loved. We are all the same; we want to love and be loved. The thing is that to love someone else you need to actually love yourself first. You need to allow people to love you, also. Be humble, love selflessly. You deserve to be happy and loved.
In what practical ways can we change society and its prescribed beliefs on body image? Where do we begin? Take risks. I think people don’t dare enough in life. It’s way easier to stay in your comfort zone all the time. Changes are scary. People need to stop thinking about the judgement of others or being afraid to wear something different. It doesn't matter. People are fundamentally jealous anyways. I've had my share of people looking at me and staring, but I know a lot of them are not happy and wish they had my confidence. It may seem bold to say, maybe I look too confident but can you really be too confident? I have my bad days don’t get me wrong, but we are all humans, right?
Ignore negativity. I also think that people should stop commenting on what others should and should not do/wear. I've had my share of people telling me how to dress for my body shape. I was so afraid of wearing crop tops, but now I am not. We should teach our children that flaws are normal. Stretch marks, cellulite, double chins and love handles are not something we should be ashamed of; babies have tons of cellulite and are not unhealthy or unlovable for that reason.
We should be grateful for what makes us unique. I personally have a nice waist and I can say, amazing boobs. I am pretty proud of that and I wish they would stay this way forever, but I am pretty realistic… I know my body will change over the years to come. Stay positive.
Tell your body, even if you feel ugly, that it is amazing. We are machines, but what a machine! Every one of us is breathing and it’s a miracle. We should be grateful to be alive. My mother passed away so suddenly; it teaches me the meaning of life and how precious it is.
Compliment yourself, all the time. Even if you feel like shit. The Internet can make things difficult because there everyone can share their opinions like it’s okay to troll or to hurt someone. That same person would probably never dare saying those hurtful things to your face but they feel entitled to say it because they hide behind their computers.
Be kind to yourself Don’t overanalyse your body. Being in front of the camera all the time is difficult; you have no idea. Now I am focusing on the good things. I also believe you should listen to your body, avoid dieting and don't be afraid to talk and ask for help.
You are challenging and changing the norms for girls and women. How does that make you feel when you sit down and really think about it? I love that I am inspiring other people in so many ways. It really touches me and I wish I could be even more helpful to people on their journey. I love it when people say that, because of my pictures, they wore a bikini for the first time. It’s really gets me emotional. I want people to be more edgy, bold and unapologetic on a daily basis.
Besides modelling, in what other ways do you spread the body-positivity message? I don’t really see myself has a bodypositivist activist per se. I love my body but I feel once people claim they are a body positivist, they get caught up in being proactive and I am maybe a little bit less “out there”. I have friends with every type of body, tall, small, big, thin and everyone is beautiful in their own way. Many girls I makeup struggle with the same anxiety as those in the fashion world. They need to stay thin and have major health issues. I try to tell them all the time to stay positive and healthy but it’s not an easy task. They are young and brainwashed by society, just as I was.
If you were to say what your greatest challenges are today, what would they be? I want to move to NYC right now but I am a bit afraid of leaving my friends and family. I travel a lot already and it will be difficult, but to grow in my career, I need to make that move. At the moment, this is my biggest challenge.
And how do today's challenges differ from the ones you faced growing up? I faced a lot of intimidation growing up; it was one of my biggest challenges. I guess it forced me to be strong and bold. Now, instead of focusing on my body, I concentrate more on how I act and behave around people. It’s more about personality. I want to be loved by everyone but I know it’s impossible. I guess, in a way, I just want to focus on being a better person everyday.
What’s the quote that most encapsulates who you are or your life philosophy? I think Maya Angelou's quotes about life are incredible. For example, “If you are trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you are.” Or this one, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” I really like this one by Dr Steve Maraboli, too, 'Don’t dilute yourself for any person or any reason. You are enough, be unapologetically you.'
What does beauty mean to you? I find beauty in every single thing. I used to enjoy symmetry and perfect beauty but as I get older I appreciate imperfections and beauty in things I used to hate. I guess I understand now that what makes something really beautiful is its uniqueness. The aesthetic of a person can be really special but true beauty comes in all shapes, colours and forms; in the end it needs to move me and be unique. A beautiful personality can only enhance physical beauty and it’s really an important thing for me. I always seek to surround myself with bold, weird, nice, people with strong personalities. I get bored with people on Instagram who get surgery to look like someone else. A lot of public personalities look alike and it’s boring to look at.
What advice would you give those that look up to you and are struggling with similar issues? Don’t compare yourself to anybody, including me. You are amazing in your own way.
