Sonny Turner is the 19-year-old Brummie that has caught our eye on Instagram this last week.
With 160k followers under her belt, looking at Sonny's wild reddish curls and perfectly gapped teeth, it's easy to see why.
Though people may come for her arresting looks, they stay for her refreshing attitude.
Sonny's 'plus-size' figure meant it was small local photographers that picked her up at first, but through her own Instagram tenacity, her shoots reached a wider audience and got her signed to a London modelling agency.
Though she has now moved to the capital and has the aforementioned hundreds of thousands of followers, she ensures her page keeps it 'real'.
Actively joining the body-positive movement about a year-and-a-half ago, you might notice before where there were discount deals for wigs and more, now side-by-side comparison shots of posed and unposed, airbrushed and non-airbrushed snaps sit instead.
Her rant about high-street bikini sizing went viral earlier this year. Sonny voiced what so many of us were afraid to say, 'It's not my body that's wrong, it's your stupid, stringy bikinis'.
We reached out to the fiery model and body-positive advocate to find out a little more what she's about.
Do you describe yourself as a 'plus-size' or 'curve' model and how do you respond to those titles?
I'd consider myself human! But technically I'm a curve model.
There's a lot of talk about the fact that bigger models should just be called models and I agree with that.
But, honestly, 'plus size'... it's just a word that doesn't affect or bother me.
How has your opinion of your body changed since you became a model and had a social media presence?
My opinion has changed in the sense that I've realised there are other people out there with my body.
There's not just the one type you usually see in the media - i.e. stick thin.
Social media has helped to normalise stretch marks and cellulite and all that stuff that's usually considered ugly. Now I see them as normal and beautiful. Having a social media presence makes me feel more comfortable to be myself .
I used to get scared that when my followers saw me in real life they'd think I wasn't as pretty or skinny or whatever.
I can just be myself now and live my life, it's great.
Has modelling and social media also changed how you identify in a broader way?
Modelling hasn't changed the way I view my racial identity. If anything it's made me realise that, yes I am different and being different is ok, but being different is also beautiful.
How would you describe your social media presence?
I'd describe my social media presence as lit!
It's a space where people can come and relate to someone.
After scrolling through accounts of perfectly photoshopped, enhanced, edited and posed accounts you can come to mine and get some realness.
Why do you think people relate to you and want to follow you?
I think people want to follow me because there's not many people who look like me taking the pics that I do or talking about what I do.
A lot of people wouldn't be honest and show their spotty skin or sweaty forehead, but I'm super honest on my Instagram story.
Can you tell me about the trolls you get?
It's only recently as I've grown that I've started getting trolls.
It's usually from men, and they say things like, 'lose weight', or 'stop normalising obesity'.
I think it's from men because they usually create the standard of beauty, but when they see someone like me they probably get intimidated.
It doesn't affect me - I think I just have thick skin. I actually find it funny!
Can I just ask a little bit about mental health too?
I like to sometimes talk about how sad or down I am on my Instagram story because I feel like people can relate to it and it makes me feel less alone.
I never used to talk about my feelings out loud but a recent ex-boyfriend of mine taught me that it's the best way to let things out.
I've never really had any major problems with my mental health other than self-doubt and not having confidence in myself that I am good enough.
I was constantly doubting myself and comparing myself to others, which is the easiest way to upset yourself.
I've learned to realise that we all bring different things to the table , we're all worthy and amazing in different ways.
