Charli Howard
Charlotte "Charli" Howard (born 6 April 1991) is an English model,[1] author,[2][3] and body activist[4] from South-East London, United Kingdom. She is best known for her work as a plus-size model, as well as her activism for diversity within the fashion industry. In September 2019 she was announced as the presenter of new BBC podcast Fashion Fix, a podcast about the Fashion Industry.
Modelling
Howard has worked for numerous brands and fashion campaigns, including Maybelline, Redken, British Vogue, Allure magazine and Pat McGrath.[1] She is one of the faces of Pat McGrath's beauty line and considered a "McGrath Muse".[5]
Howard had tried, unsuccessfully, to model in her teens, being rejected from numerous agencies. At 21, she was signed to a London-based agency after her friend submitted her Facebook photos without her knowledge.
In 2015, Howard was dropped by her then-London model agency for allegedly being "too big"[6] to model. In response to being dropped, she wrote a lengthy Facebook post that subsequently went viral, with thousands of shares, with Howard appearing on Channel 4 news[6] to share her side of the story. Upon hearing about the post, New York-based model agency Muse Management signed her, and Howard moved to New York.
Controversially, Howard is considered a "plus size" model, despite only being a UK size 10-12/US 6-8. In an interview with Hello! magazine, Howard is quoted as saying, "I've got a D cup boob, I've got a size 10 to 12 hip - well, a 12 probably - and I've got a tummy that never seems to go away, no matter how many sit-ups I do... I'm curvy, but I know that I'm not a plus-size model and I've not given myself that term. That's what other people label me."[7]
In January 2019, Howard was announced as the new face of global lingerie brand, Agent Provocateur.[8]
Books
Howard published two books in 2018: Splash,[3] a middle-grade novel surrounding issues such as bullying, friendships and body image, and Misfit,[2] a memoir about Howard's battles with eating disorders, OCD, and anxiety. Howard told the Guardian newspaper that she wishes to “create strong literary characters for girls”[4] in her books. Misfit was published in February 2018 by Penguin Random House.[4] In it, Howard describes her battles with eating disorders and other mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression.[4]
Howard's first children's novel, Splash, was published by Nosy Crow books in July 2018.[3] In an interview with Hello! Fashion Monthly magazine, Howard says she wrote the book "to pass the time". Author Jacqueline Wilson described Splash as a "much-needed book that will strike a chord with so many girls - and help them dare to be different."[9]
References
- "Charli Howard - Model". MODELS.com. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- "Misfit". www.penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- "Take a look inside Splash by Charli Howard | Nosy Crow". nosycrow.com. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- Wiseman, Eva (2018-01-28). "Model Charli Howard: 'They told me I was fat'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- "PAT McGRATH LABS | Legendary Makeup by Pat McGrath". PAT McGRATH LABS. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- Gayle, Damien (2015-10-16). "I refuse to lose weight, says model who vented fury at fashion agency". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- "Hello! Fashion Monthly - June/July 2018". pocketmags.com. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- Glamour. "'You were perfect already - I was just blind to it': Charli Howard's love letter to her body is so damn empowering". Glamour UK. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
- Howard, Charli (2018-05-07). Splash. ISBN 9781788001717.