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What a thrill it is to learn that Megan Garcia, one of this site's most perennially-popular models, appears in the current (March 2006) issue of Redbook magazine.

Readers may remember that Megan (who is represented by the MSA/Goddess agency in New York) first turned heads with a stunning Fashion Bug campaign, then with an unforgettable red-dress image in Glamour magazine,

and later, with a Figure magazine cover that was so perfect, that we were compelled to promote it, despite the magazine's reprehensible policy of running diet ads.

The current issue of Redbook purports to be a "Love Your Body" issue--but we all remember what such issues are like. Vogue, Glamour, Jane, and Marie Claire all produce issues like this, not a single one of which ever unambiguously promotes size celebration. Rather, they are invariably filled with mixed messages, diet ads, etc. And whenever they do feature plus-size models, they never showcase said goddesses in the all-out glamourous manner that they reserve for their straight-size models.

The latest Redbook, sadly, is no exception. The mixed messages begin right on the magazine's cover, and continue throughout the issue. But we cannot help but put all such reservations aside, and offer the most enthusiastic praise to the magazine for featuring the stunning Megan in its pages.

You may click on her image to see it at a larger size:

As the image shows, Megan is more striking today than ever before--and what a relief to see that she has not diminished in size. At an even-more-gorgeous size 20W, what a shame that the magazine focussed on the fit-model side of her career, whereas aficionados much prefer to see work in print. Extra applause goes to Redbook for outfitting Mrs. Garcia in a sleeveless dress, which shows off her curvaceous arms. We only wish that the magazine had given her a full tear, all to herself--or, for that matter, a multi-page editorial.

We must thank Megan's fellow MSA/Goddess-agency model Fluvia for bringing this magazine to our attention. Fluvia also appears in this issue:

and fans are encouraged to visit her sophisticated new Web site to see many more images of this talented model.

Congratulations to Megan and to Fluvia for their latest mainstream-magazine appearance. And despite all of our frustrations about the schizophrenic nature of this (and every) so-called "Love Your Body" issue, kudos to Redbook for featuring such a beautiful size-20W model in its pages.

Let's hope that we see much more of Megan as a print model in the near future.

- Megan Garcia Gallery

Kaitlynn

I agree, this is wonderful news. It's so tragic and frustrating whenever plus-size models become popular and really connect with the public, then start shrinking into faux-plus shapes. It's worse than a mixed message, it's a betrayal. I admire Barbara so much for remaining true to herself every season, and I'm delighted to be able to cheer on Megan as well, who is curvier than ever.

Megan is beautiful and truly full-figured, and should be appearing in campaigns everywhere, rather than all of the plus-size-models-who-aren't-plus. I'm also pleased that the magazine identifies her size point-blank, indicating it as something that is a matter of pride. "This is what size 20W looks like," the caption suggests- i.e., gorgeous. It's such a relief from the way these magazines usually show fuller-figured women (if they show them at all).

My only quibble is that Megan should have been right in front in that image, and not behind another model. Plus-size beauty literally and figuratively needs to take a few more steps forward!

Chad

I've always been an avid Megan Garcia fan, and this image shows that she still rivals Barbara and Christina Schmidt for who has the most perfectly-proportioned figure in the industry - more than ever. (The longer hair that she wore in her Figure editorials was a definite asset, though.) Why Megan isn't headlining half the campaigns in the industry is beyond me. SO many women have complained about the lack of genuinely full-figured models - well, here is one who is truly plus, and truly gorgeous. So who's resisting this? Who is it precisely who is keeping legitimately plus-size models out of the public eye, and using faux-plus girls instead? Some makreting reps with an anti-plus bias, who are working in the plus industry but would rather be working with straight-size clients?

Whoever they are, those people are holding size celebration back, and doing a real disservice to their customer base - whether they realize it or not.

And until magazines give Megan and other plus-size goddesses major editorials of their own, instead of just single appearances on ensemble pages, it's still just tokenism. Better than nothing, but not nearly enough.

Emily

No matter how mixed the messages in this magazine undoubtedly are, I have to give Redbook credit for one thing: When other publications have turned out "Shape Issues," they've always resorted to using faux-plus models to represent the "curvy" body type, and even then, they've usually airbrushed out any trace of curves the models might have had.

But by featuring a truly gorgeous and shapely-looking size 20W model like Megan, Redbook has come at least a step closer to "getting it right" than its rivals (although I would still give Glamour credit for doling out the most positive tips to plus-size women in terms of how they should dress, since Glamour always emphasizes wearing body-conscious, fitted clothing, and showing off one's decolletage and/or legs and arms).

So, I'll give a qualified "bravo" to this magazine. Too bad the message can't be more purely pro-curvy.