We got ready with Hunter McGrady for New York Fashion Week
Hunter McGrady is putting the role in role model.
The 26-year-old curvy-size model is on a mission this New York Fashion Week: to only attend inclusive and diverse runway shows.
"Anytime my publicist comes to me and says we have a show that wants you there, my first question is, are they inclusive? Do they plan to have a diverse runway? And if the answer is no, then I won't be there," said McGrady.
One of those NYFW shows is the Runway of Dreams Gala, which is a one-of-a-kind fashion show that celebrates inclusivity and diversity. McGrady was chosen to honor Madeline Stuart, the first supermodel with Down syndrome.
"She's just breaking the mold," McGrady said. "I can understand that and empathize with that because I've had to do the same with my career."
"Good Morning America" got a behind-the-scenes look at how McGrady prepped for the big night.
McGrady is anti-glam squad.
There weren't any paparazzi, flashing lights or glam team at McGrady's quaint Brooklyn home.
"I typically do most of my glam, I always have," McGrady said. "I think it's really therapeutic. In another life, I would probably be a makeup artist."
McGrady's parents are the creative types: her mother was a model and her father was an actor and artist. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"There's so much you can do with makeup and so many ways you can express yourself," McGrady said.
Styling her curvier figure is a struggle.
While the modeling industry has come a long way in terms body positivity, it's far from perfect.
"A lot of people ask me, like, how do you get these different outfits together and style your clothes for events?" McGrady said. "And I'm, like, it's really hard. It's not easy for me."
As a fuller-size model, McGrady said she can't just go into a store and grab something she loves off the rack.
"It's really stressful," McGrady admitted. "I hope that people hear that and know that something has to change in this industry."
That being said, Fashion Week is an opportunity McGrady never thought she would have and she's taking advantage of her platform.
"For me, New York Fashion Week was just something that was so unattainable. I thought that I would never get a chance to walk in a show because growing up I never saw anybody like me," she said.
This year, McGrady's schedule is packed with NYFW events. From presenting at the Runway of Dreams Gala to walking for Chromat, her powerful messaging around inclusivity is something that will never go out of style.
"It't not just about getting more plus-size models out there," explained McGrady. "It's getting all kinds of heights, race, gender, everybody out there, and I think that to me, that is what fashion is."
