Quotes from Denise Bidot

I don't care what you call me. I'm glad to even have a place in this fashion industry. Plus-size, straight-size, in-betweenie - I don't care regardless.

You don't grow up in a Latina household where everyone is curvy thinking that you can be a model. That's just not normal.

I think it's about time that we represent all women on the catwalk because that is a part of fashion.

Representation is so important for all of us, especially millennials and the next generation.

As a model, it's been really freeing to embrace my individuality and celebrate what makes us all different.

I'm a woman - I'd be lying if I said I didn't have insecurities.

My mom was a single mom and I'm an only child, so growing up it was really just me and her against the world.

I once saw JLo's 'Behind the Music' special, and she said she may not get every role she auditions for but her goal is to make every single person a fan. That stuck with me, and I want to do that every time I see a client.

As a very curvy woman, jeans are always a hard find.

I am aware of how many young girls are out there looking for inspiration and for role models and I want to make sure I don't let them down.

My body is not meant to small. I think even when I was at my fittest at 13 and 14 years old when I was dancing all the time and I was really active and constantly doing things, I was no smaller than an 8 and I was working my butt off for that.

I'm a mother and I have a daughter. I'm lucky to be in a position where I'm able to teach her things like self love and acceptance.

Nowhere have I felt so much awesome responsibility than when teaching my daughter that there is no wrong way to be herself - to be a young woman, whatever her size.

As a single mom, I want to say that having a child does not have to be a setback. You can still reach your dreams and teach your kids to reach for their dreams.

I do travel quite and bit and so going to the gym can get tricky at times.

I have tried gluten free, but I don't think dieting is for me.

I've tried a lot of careers: sports, dance. I've kind of pinpointed what I'm not good at to figure out what I'm good at.

I'm a Miami girl so I really love to be sassy and get dressed up.

I'm Latina and Middle Eastern. Not a lot of people look like me, and I want to embrace all ethnic cultures and make them feel like they're included.

I feel the most confident when I'm by the ocean with the salt in my hair and zero makeup on.

I knew in my soul that girls like me needed to be represented.

When I started modeling, there were very few places people could turn to for self-love and a positive community.

Those old '90s models when women were just themselves and they were real and they were embraced that way - I think we should get back to that.

The more successful you become the more people want to put you down. I've always been very clear on where I stand with that and I'm happy with who I am when I go to sleep.