Before and After

Exclusive! Plus-Size Model Crystal Renn Talks to StyleList About Her New Book 'Hungry' and the Fashion Industry's Obsession with Size Zero

Email thisPosted Aug 24th 2009 at 10:00AM by Katie Hintz-Zambrano (RSS feed)

Filed under: Style in the News, Interviews

PrintEmailMore

Crystal Renn showing off her healthy curves on two covers of her new book. Photo: Ruven Afanador

When Crystal Renn aspired to be a model as a 14-year-old in Mississippi, an agent (not from Ford) told her she had to lose 9 inches off of her hips first.

Renn ended up doing that, and then some, going from 175 lbs and 5' 8" to 95 lbs and an inch and a half taller in two years, eventually moving to New York City and launching a successful modeling career.

Model Crystal Renn -- in 2002, weighing between 95 and 105 lbs -- at the height of her eating disorder. Photos: From the author's personal collection.

After conquering the eating disorder that transformed her body, Renn, now 23, is happy to call herself a size 12 plus-size model, who, with her new curvy figure has walked the runway for Gaultier, graced the pages of Vogue and starred in ads forDolce & Gabbana.

Renn's new book about her intriguing journey, titled "Hungry," comes out September 8 (pre-order it at Amazon.com).

We landed an exclusive interview with Renn in which the beauty opens up toStyleList about the dark side of modeling, accepting her body and coming out on top.