Tess Holliday

Tess Holliday, born Ryann Maegen Hoven on July 5, 1985, is an American plus-size model, blogger, and make-up artist based in Los Angeles. She originally modeled under the name Tess Munster before adopting her current professional name. She is widely recognized for her work in the fashion industry as a prominent curve model, as well as her social media advocacy promoting body positivity.

Raised in Laurel, Mississippi, Holliday experienced a turbulent childhood that included frequent relocations. In June 1995, her mother suffered severe injuries and permanent disability after being shot by a fiancé, prompting Holliday and her brother to reside with their grandparents. Facing severe bullying at school due to her family circumstances, pale skin, and weight, she left high school at age 17 to earn her GED. Encouraged by her mother to pursue modeling, she later severed contact with her father following verbal abuse.

At age 15, Holliday attended a model casting call in Atlanta, where representatives dismissed her potential due to her height and size. She subsequently moved to Seattle to work as a make-up artist, hairstylist, and creative director for fashion events before returning to Mississippi, where she gave birth to her first son at age 20. After uploading photos online, she relocated to Los Angeles in 2010. She officially launched her modeling career in 2011 while working as a dental receptionist, after being selected for a Torrid model search and chosen as the face of the A&E television series Heavy.

Holliday's career advanced rapidly as she quit her dental job in 2014 to model full-time. In January 2015, she signed with the Curves division of London-based Milk Model Management, becoming the first model above size 20 and the largest of her height and size to join a mainstream modeling agency. Over her career, she has featured in campaigns for major brands such as Benefit Cosmetics, H&M, Torrid, Addition Elle, and Penningtons, and has appeared in publications including Vogue Italia, Nylon, Marie Claire UK, and on the cover of People magazine.

In addition to modeling, Holliday is a body-positive activist who initiated the #effyourbeautystandards movement on Instagram in 2013 to challenge conventional fashion expectations. She has spoken publicly on body confidence and appeared on broadcasts such as Channel 4 News, The Meredith Vieira Show, and the documentary Plus Sized Wars. She has also publicly opposed digital retouching initiatives like Project Harpoon and advocated for expanded size inclusivity from major apparel brands.

Holliday faced public scrutiny in late 2014 over logistics issues with a T-shirt line benefiting domestic violence survivors, which led to fulfillment delays and online criticism. She addressed the situation in late 2015, explaining that operational difficulties had absorbed projected profits, and confirmed a $1,000 personal donation to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

In her personal life, Holliday has two sons and was previously married to Australian photographer Nick Holliday before their divorce. In 2019, she publicly identified as pansexual, and in 2021, she shared that she was in recovery from atypical anorexia. Standing 5 feet 5 inches tall, she wears a size 22 and is known for her numerous visible tattoos and facial piercing.