Barbie Ferreira

I hate workout classes... Every time I go into one, my anxiety is really high. I leave immediately - like, before the warm up!

I have a ton of guy friends who talk to me about their bodies, too. But boys are often left out of the body positivity conversation.

Curvy and plus-size models will just be models once it becomes more normalized and we get more representation and people are used to it and not shocked by it.

When I was younger and really interested in acting, I would look at all the women on TV, and even the ones who were supposed to be 'geeks' or 'less attractive,' they all looked similar because they were extremely attractive and their bodies were all a certain way.

I think that people put a lot of worth into looks. Unfortunately, there's a standard that so many people look up to that is unrealistic for everyone's body type.

As a child, I was so deeply insecure.

Not everyone relates to being a blond girl with blue eyes and is proportioned so she could barely walk if she was a real person.

I like inviting people over in the evening, because I don't like moving anywhere.

I don't want people to think I think I am the most diverse thing fashion has ever seen or whatever. But there are so many different walks of life that I don't represent, and there is no one person who does.

I have been on the Internet for a long time and have always gotten hate on the Internet, so there is a thick skin I have developed.

I never saw anyone my size in magazines when I was younger.

I feel it's very important to remove labels; the progress in fashion will be when people completely cut out the words 'plus size' from their vocabulary and accept that women come in many sizes - especially over a size 4. Once that happens, I feel as though inclusiveness of body type will finally start happening.

You cannot look at someone and say they are unhealthy. You are not a doctor, and if you were, you'd realize why that's silly.

Don't be afraid to show off who you are.

I started my modelling career by sending my pictures to American Apparel and eventually meeting my friend Petra Collins, who started shooting me for magazines around New York. I ended up signing a modelling contract with Wilhelmina Models a couple of years later.

Modeling for adidas is a dream I never knew I could achieve. I've had it in my mind to work with such a dope ,and it's so amazing that I get to be a part of a campaign with so many powerful voices.

I have no doubt in my mind that the new generation has a sense of unity and sensitivity that previous generations lacked. We are strong, and we are visionaries beyond just money.

I'm a model, and I happen to model for curvy things, but at the end of the day, I'm still in front of a camera just like anyone else.

At first, I was scared that if I claimed I modeled, people would be like, 'What?'

I just love to disconnect from everything sometimes.

What the body-positive movement wants is to stop categorizing people, and to let people of all body types be able to do anything, whether they're slightly bigger than the average model or a lot bigger.

I've always struggled a ton with my body image, and I wanted to help other people not feel so ashamed about themselves. It's a completely unnecessary part of everyday life.

Social media opened up basically every opportunity for me because, traditionally, I wouldn't be thought of as a model.

My favourite movies are 'Jawbreaker' and 'Heathers.'

I was on the cover of French 'Grazia,' which was amazing. It was all over Paris!

Less is more. I would notice that when I did my makeup, I was putting on more makeup than they did on me at shoots. A little goes a long way, so I definitely learned how to wear less.

I have been watching Youtube makeup tutorials since I was born. I did my own prom makeup and used to do peoples' makeup in high school for money.

Hair-wise, the move for me is to not wash it. I try to only wash it when I have to or for a shoot or something.

Every day, I feel different. Sometimes I don't put on any makeup, and other times, I put on a ton.

We need to overcome the stereotype that genders aren't fluid.

People are so influenced by the media that they really believe a 38-24-45 plastic-surgery body is normal, and they can't understand why a body would possibly have cellulite or bumps.

I am unapologetically myself, no matter what anyone's opinion is.

I felt the term 'plus size' was inaccurate and kept all these beautiful, stunning women with the widest spectrum of body types I've ever seen - mind you, curvy agencies start at a size 6 and go up to a size 18 - from being seen and resonated with.

I think representation is the most important thing in the world. People who are young look up to the things that they see in the media. They want to relate and to be able to say, 'Wow, I can be successful.'

Knowing that girls are inspired to not have the burden of self-hate, even if it's a tiny way, makes me happy to no end. It gets me up in the morning and softens a lot of the blows I get.