MICHELLE HONOURED TO BE IN TOP MODEL FINAL
GOREY MODEL IS ONE OF 38 FINALISTS IN THE NATIONAL COMPETITION
GOREY model Michelle Donohoe has been selected as a finalist in the Top Model Ireland competition, the final of which takes place in the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin on Saturday, December 17 next.
Michelle is one of 38 finalists who will be competing to win a place in London Fashion Week, a professional photo shoot, and to feature on the cover of Fashion magazine.
‘I can’t believe I was picked,’ said an excited Michelle, (33), who lives in Garden City, Gorey, and works in Wardrobe Plus on Esmonde Street.
She has made a name for herself as a plus size model in recent years. ‘I have always been a bigger girl even as a child,’ she said, but added that her parents Margaret and Michael always made her feel as beautiful as anyone.
She got involved in modelling when she was asked by Aine O’Leary to do some modelling on the opening night of Wardrobe Plus. She was initially reluctant to do it, but was encouraged to do so by her husband Troy.
Soon afterwards, Aine offered her work in the shop as a sales assistant and to model her clothes for the website and Facebook. Aine then encouraged her to look at doing more modelling, and she soon signed with an agency called Plus Size Model Management. ‘I have been all over the country doing photoshoots, catwalk shows, and modelling for other plus-size stores,’ she said.
Michelle now has her own Facebook page where she gets encouraging messages from people. ‘ The most heart-warming message I got was from a mother of a teenage daughter who is a little curvy,’ she stated. ‘She messaged to me to say when her daughter is feeling down, she will tell her about me, and other plus-size girls and that everybody is not meant to be thin.’
She is honoured to be in the final of Top Model Ireland, and thanked Audrey and Kate for picking her from thousands of applicants, to be an ambassador for older plus-size girls in such a big competition. ‘ The only message I have is not to be too hard on yourself when you look in the mirror instead of looking at the parts you don’t like, find the parts you do like,’ she advised. ‘Compliment yourself. You are beautiful inside and out. Believe in yourself and you can do anything.’