TAKE A LOOK

Earlier this month, 20-year-old Dutch model and aspiring lawyer Betsy Teske made headlines when she appeared on the catwalk for Alexander McQueen during Paris Fashion Week. As the first curve model to do so, not only was Betsy shattering societal norms of what it means to be beautiful, and low key making fashion history in the process, she was also sticking two fingers up to the childhood bullies who told her she was too fat to be a model. An inspiration to us all, and an example of what happens when you don't let anything get in the way of following your dreams, here she shares her story and has a powerful message for all those who've ever been made to feel less than beautiful.

As a kid I never felt very beautiful… Growing up, the biggest challenge I faced was being insecure about my body. I was bullied quite a lot about my weight at school by peers but also by my teacher.

I always wanted to be a model… But I thought I couldn't be one because I had been told by bullies I was too big. Then I discovered that modelling wasn't just for petite girls and I decided to mail different curvy agencies and that is how I found my model agency in the Netherlands. We made a portfolio and sent it to my agency in London, which they seemed to like. That's where my career really took off, as the curvy market in London is way larger than in the Netherlands....