Candice Huffine, Vogue Italia's Plus-Size Cover Girl: 'What Was The Hold Up?' (VIDEO)

Candice Huffine, one of the curvy beauties who covered Vogue Italia's June issue sat down for Ford Models to dish on how that whole thing went down. It all started several months ago, when she showed up for a casting in her now-lucky t-shirt and ended up on a table at New York City's Waldorf Astoria, posing for Steven Meisel's lens. Quoth Candice:

We didn't know what to expect. We knew that we had taken a picture that could potentially be the cover but to me, it's not happening 'til it's happening. So, it's not real unless I'm seeing it in front of me in print. And even two days ago when I saw it on my phone, I was like, well, I don't see it in print so I don't know...is this real?

She adds:

It's definitely a step in the right direction. Just to prove a point -- it's what we've been trying to say all this time. We're in this business just like everyone else. And yes, you know, we're selling jeans and t-shirts...that's the job...we're doing everything, but if you want to see an amazing editorial, we can do that too. We're not just catalogue girls. We're not doing an online magazine or saying our piece here and there. We can really be in the forefront of fashion. And we want to show you that. And people are enjoying seeing it! They're like 'Oh, thank you, finally.' So what was the hold up?

And as for what the future holds:

I'm just really excited to see where plus is going from here. You know, Crystal [Renn] opened the doors for all of us and we've been sneaking our way in. And now there's going to be a place for everybody and everyone wants to see it. So we're going to show it to you.

(Via Styleite)

WATCH:

The cover:

Comments

[davesf]

01:20 PM on 06/09/2011

Wow...lovely. I do love that this is an example of "hanging out, as girls do"...where do they do that, please??

[Kevin Tuma]

10:37 PM on 06/08/2011

These women are shaped like 1950s sex symbols--Marilyn in Some Like It Hot, early Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobridgida. Not plus sized in any logical sense.

[Kevin Tuma]

10:33 PM on 06/08/2011

This is what men actually like.

Just a reminder---to the many women who believe that this anorexia sadomasochism has been sexist in origin. Men don't run the fashion industry.

[Scott Addison]

10:16 AM on 06/08/2011

I think all of them look very sexy and a lot better than what you normally see on covers.

[lasjazzman]

02:08 AM on 06/08/2011

There used to be an old adage in journalism circles (which I will paraphrase) - There is no story in dog bites man -- there is a story in man bites dog. There is absolutely no man bites dog in this story - breathtakingly gorgeous women on the cover of a major fashion magazine - what a shocker! If I'm not mistaken, that is a remarkably common occurence! There is nothing "plus size" about these women unless one is referring to their level of beauty!.

[tster1965]

11:25 PM on 06/07/2011

Beautiful women come in all shapes and sizes. It's good for young girls to know that they don't have to be super skinny to be attractive.

[GibbsSlap]

02:19 PM on 06/07/2011

Now there are three reasons to fight for the the free world. Real women comfortable with themselves. Whe the Greeks referenced the "three graces" they were referring to women like them.

[MajorKong]

10:37 AM on 06/07/2011

Wasn't Marilyn Monroe a size 16?

[trinity]

08:47 PM on 06/08/2011

Marilyn Monroe was never super skinny (she had a beautiful hourglass figure)...but a size 16 back then is more like a 10 (or even an 8) now...

[RoughCollie]

09:28 AM on 06/07/2011

These women are so gorgeous...why isn't this considered "normal" and those skinny things called "minus-sized"?

[Haydee Jade]

07:01 PM on 06/07/2011

I agree with the first comment but "those skinny things" are people too and they have feelings. The fashion industry should just recognize beauty where it is and quit with the "plus size" nonsense.

[Abigailia]

12:28 AM on 06/07/2011

What a gorgeous woman! ...maybe that's what the "plus" is about?

A

[rowdiman]

11:57 PM on 06/06/2011

I applaud Vogue Italia for realizing women can be sexy in all shapes and sizes. Big frame, medium frame, small frame...thank goodness we are not all the same!

[veggiequeenmo]

11:43 PM on 06/06/2011

They are beautiful. They have real bodies and a shape!

[aliengirl]

10:10 PM on 06/06/2011

She looks way different from what she looks like on the cover of vogue not saying she's ugly though.

[Boo2You2]

10:38 AM on 06/07/2011

She is still a naturally beautiful woman, with a dy na mi te personality.

[Beaucheron]

09:15 PM on 06/06/2011

Why do we need a 'plus-size' issue? Why do we need to call out the 'big girls' for a single cover and then put them back in the closet for the rest of the year? I will celebrate when I see tall, short, fatter, thinner, whatever - just modeling, all mixed in together...... without a 'statement' being made.....

[Red Russet]

10:03 PM on 06/06/2011

The thing is, they look NORMAL. They do not look PLUS anything, pudgy, lardy or fat. They look sexy. Try to imagine little size 0's in those get ups in the same poses. YUK.

[GeeBee]

08:45 PM on 06/06/2011

When did the verb "cover" become a substitute for "is on the cover of"?

[Jahmekyah]

01:14 AM on 06/07/2011

About the same time "google" became a verb for "to search for". Its the new lazy age of language my friend. deal with it.

[Morena]

01:44 AM on 06/07/2011

In the fashion industry?? About 40 years ago (at least).