As her name quite clearly indicates, Precious Lee is among the most important people in the world of fashion at the moment and it has been that way for quite a lot of time now.
This September 1989 born plus size model hasn’t had the typical entry to the modelling circuit. Her career, also like her entry in the fashion world has been anything but typical.
She has been a trailblazer and one of the most ferociously active plus size models in the world currently.
This ferociousness is exactly what has brought her all the fame and recognition that she has richly deserved for her amazing work in front of the camera and on various fashion weeks and assignments.
Precious, who is Clark Atlanta University graduate with a Bachelor’s in Media Arts, struggled with happiness in the early part of her modeling career.
Her agent at the time convinced her that her name, Precious, wouldn’t be suitable for her career and that she should go with “Victoria” instead. Precious went along with it, thinking it was the right thing to do.
What started out as showing support for a friend who was interested in fashion turned out to be modeling contract for Precious when they went to inquire about agencies. Precious was signed by Elite Models immediately.
Her career span has been full of moments worth their weight in gold and that is what has propelled her to superstardom. The journey to superstardom however wasn’t the easiest to accomplish.
Minor hiccups and a few setbacks have come along the way, but Precious with her might and spirit has left them behind gathering dust while she enjoys her time in the limelight. It is her attitude that has helped her reach the stage that she has and there is still a lot left for her to achieve.
It wasn’t until she decided to take a stand that things started to skyrocket for her career. Precious changed agencies in 2015, changing her career. The first thing she told them was she desired to use her original name instead of the one that was given to her.
It was August 2015. The always highly anticipated September issue of Vogue had just come out. Beyoncé was on the cover, and if you flipped a few pages, there was Lee’s silhouette, on the far right in an ad for Lane Bryant that announced to all Vogue readers: #PlusIsEqual.
Along with being a part of one of Lane Bryant’s biggest campaigns, she also graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, which has become a career highlight for her.
In 2016, while Lee’s friend Ashley Graham was making history as the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, a few pages in, Lee was doing the same thing: making history as the first black, plus-size model featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
This was again down to a Lane Bryant picture advert, which featured Lee lying down on her side, with cropped hair, in a white bikini.
She first started modeling in Atlanta, after going to an open call with a friend (who admittedly dragged her there), and then walking out with a contract.
At that time, she didn’t see herself becoming the dynamite model she is now, but actually an entertainment attorney. She wanted to help people, and be a voice for people who don’t have one.
But while working odd modeling jobs in Atlanta, doing catalog work and local TV news segments, she realized that as a model, she could actually help people.
“I’m a size 14 and 16, and being the black, darker-skinned, bigger girl in the fashion industry is something that clearly makes me unique,” Lee said. “I’m doing this to make people who look like me see me in this light and succeeding.
I want people to realize that someone like me in the fashion industry should be normal.” After moving to New York City five years ago, Lee has had a bit of a meteoric rise. She’s modeled for Christian Siriano at New York Fashion Week, and Addition Elle.
A model with a tremendous amount of charisma and flair to go along with her wonderful features, Precious Lee sets the limits for how a plus size model should carry a bikini. She carries it with grace all the while looking smoking hot and that is the perfect combination for any aspiring plus size model when they decide to flaunt their bodies in a bikini.
Her work ethic and positive attitude is something that sets her apart from the rest and it is one of the reasons why so many designers and who’s who of the fashion world adore her so much. She’s landed multiple campaigns with Lane Bryant, and has worked with Old Navy, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Torrid and Target, the last of which shocked even Lee’s own mother.
Taking a stand is one decision Precious is far from regretting. She emphasizes that it’s okay to say no if you’re not 100% comfortable with what people are offering, a stance which is crucial in an industry such as fashion. “I was so grateful to see that my saying “no” ultimately opened so many more doors for me.
I think Precious is a better model than Victoria ever was.” No one had ever seen a size-14 girl, a chocolate girl with a pixie haircut, dancing around in a bikini. She feels like she has been a part of the change, and has opened up the doors.
You may see her more in campaigns, but you also see more chunky brown girls other than her, and that perhaps is her biggest achievement so far in her career.
That’s what’s fueling Lee’s desire to do more, more, more. She’s seen the impact her mere presence has had already, and only wants to see more black women, and black plus-size women, thrive in the industry. This is definitely not the last we have seen of this wonderful woman, she still has a long way to go and many more accomplishments and targets to complete.
