Imagine being voted one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People", not once but twice. A plus size woman in the a "most beautiful" list in 1994 and 1999? Emme was definitely before her time and has done her share for opening up the doors for plus size models today. I first became aware of her in Mode magazine a now defunct but highly worshiped plus size magazine with a huge cult following. When you look at Emme you don't think about a woman of size. You're immediately drawn to the sparkling, sincere eyes and wicked smile. Even at forty-five the sparkle is still there.
The NYC native was born in the States but raised in Saudi Arabia from the age of eight. She admits from an early age to struggling with compulsive eating which makes her even more relatable to the average woman. Like many plus size women, Emme has always had a love for activity, starting long before her early days of professional rowing at Syracuse University where she received a degree in Communications.
Emme, who was a size 12 when she signed with Ford Models in 1989, began working as a full time model. She was fortunate enough to snag a coveted position as a spokes model for Revlon. I remember those ads! Over the last decade Emme has had a varied career. She's been a tv reporter, host of E! Fashion Emergency, designed her own collection of clothing (twice!), and written four books; the latest What are You Hungry For? is a children's book exploring the physical and emotional aspects of hunger. These days you can find Emme spending time with her daughter Toby, or on her website Emmestyle.com, or blogging for iVillage, or being an advocate for young girls and women.
With great success usually comes a great hardship at one time or another. In 2007 Emme was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer that attacks the lymph nodes. If you are going to get a cancer this is probably one of the better ones to get as it has a high cure rate if caught early. Emme successfully completed her chemo in the fall of 2008 and is more focused than ever on living a positive life.
Learn more about this inspiring woman by visiting her official website EmmeStyle.
