Qld model Riley Hemson advocates for diverse sizing in new Boohoo Curve campaign

A Queensland model hopes by fronting Boohoo’s new curve campaign she will empower other size 18 women to “wear what they want and rock their body”.

Queensland’s Riley Hemson has turned her positive body image into a flourishing modelling career she hopes will encourage other women to be more courageous in how they dress.

The 25-year-old is the face of global fashion retailer Boohoo’s new curve edit, released last week, after having worked with a number of Australian brands increasingly tapping into a push to diversify their sizing.

“Throughout my whole life I’ve always been the bigger girl and it’s never stopped me from wearing a crop top and all the things I want to wear,” she said.

Fashion retailer Boohoo has released a curve edit with Queensland body positivity influencer and model Riley Hemson. Picture: Esteban La Tessa

“I’m so excited to be involved, be an inspiration to women and encourage others to wear that tight dress … to wear what they want and rock their body.

“I feel like if (brands) aren’t being more inclusive now, then they’re going to get left behind.”

Hemson, who now has 350,000 followers and is signed to management company Everi Body, started sharing her weight loss journey to Instagram in 2017 and quickly amassed a following of fans who responded to her body confidence and approach to exercise.

She then gained interest from inclusive brands wanting her to model for their campaigns.

“I’ve always shown my life and my confidence and that’s always been me so, when I started sharing it online, I found people naturally gravitated towards it, which is really cool,” Hemson said.

Hemson is modelling Boohoo’s curve range. Picture: Esteban La Tessa

“I’m not a before photo, I’m not striving to be a size 10.”

“I was never like ‘I want to be a model’ … it’s the fact that I can be my size 18 body on the front of this campaign for example and other women my size will see me and go, ‘Yes I can wear that, she looks good, I’m going to look good too.’”

Hemson wants to continue encouraging women to look at exercise as something positive for their mental health rather than a means to look a certain way.

“I obviously started my Instagram as a weight loss page, I’ve been there and so now it’s about showing women that you can be any size and work out because you want to not because you’re striving to be in a smaller body,” she said.

“You can do all of those things, because it makes you feel good.”