Prabal Gurung Quotes

I wouldn't want them to feel lonely or outcast ever in any way. And no matter where they were in the world, I'd want them to always feel incredibly confident about who they were and proud.

I know I'm representing a group - black, Latin, whatever you want to put me with - and I want to show that they are beautiful the way they are. I think that's really important for our youth to see.

If there was going to be a pioneer of the plus-size girl of my shape on TV, why not me?

I'm inspired to post a lot of positive messages on my social media because, growing up, I felt as though I needed somebody that looked like me in the limelight or in entertainment to promote being different and promote accepting your differences.

I think anytime you can share images that make young women feel a sense of belonging when they might not be feeling their best or their strongest is so cool.

For me, playing a chubby or fat superhero was so special because I would go and watch these movies with my friends and would never see anyone like me. I am excited to be that for other kids who look like me.

There is power in seeing a face that looks like yours do something, be someone. There is power in moving from the sidelines to the center.

I didn't even aspire to be a model because I didn't see myself represented, even as simple as the freckles on my skin.

It's just surreal because I get to empower other little African-American girls around the world and say that you can be a superhero, and you rock, and you can conquer the world, and you are beautiful just the way you are, and your flaws are nothing, and you're awesome.

I hope that I can be an inspiration to kids that are young and may feel different or may feel like they don't belong.

I certainly used to wish that I was skinny, lighter-skinned, with long, pretty hair. But only because I used to get made fun of for being the absolute opposite. I didn't see all of that stuff as the American Dream. I just wanted to look normal. Now that I'm older, I really do feel like I am a beautiful girl.

I never wanted to play a character that hated herself. I wanted people to know that those aren't the only roles for people like me, normal girls.

Don't let anyone keep you down for silly reasons such as who you are.

I'm lucky to be in a space where I've been accepted for who I am and celebrated for who I am.

I was too old, too young, too fat, too thin, too tall, too short, too blond, too dark - but at some point, they're going to need the other. So I'd get really good at being the other.

I'm such a firm believer that everyone should see themselves in a character, and everyone should feel represented.

It's important to read books and see people who look like you. It helps you know that you are not the only one or the weird one because you're a black girl and you are not seeing anyone who looks like you in these books.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again because you can't say it enough: Your skin is beautiful - dark, light, in the middle, whatever. Brown is beautiful. Your hair is beautiful. If you wear a weave, it's beautiful. If you choose to be natural, that's beautiful. Also, you are enough.

My parents have taught me the value of reading and self-love through books that have characters that look like me and talk like me.

There's something to be said about seeing your face represented. There's just something really important about that. It just draws you in more.

Once I realized, when I became a plus-size model, that there were more women like me, my confidence immediately shot through the roof.

I want people to feel happy in their own skins and feel accepted by society.

Even with the beauty stories we put out, we saw there was an opportunity to address issues of representation, identity, self-expression. We created the community that we wanted to have at 'Teen Vogue.' We were willing to lose some to have more.

I deeply believed that I wasn't worthy - that I couldn't be in the stories even I was creating. I don't want anyone else to feel like that.

We live in such an image-heavy world that not seeing yourself in that landscape can really make it tough to feel human, to feel like you are part of the world.