Dionne Reeves-Grubbs is a plus model from Huntsville, Alabama. She started her modeling career at the age of 15, totally by accident. Walking through the local mall with a friend, they were approached by a store manager who needed mannequin/window models for the summer. Dionne’s love for the modeling was instant. She did several local fashion shows and remained a live mannequin for several stores in the mall. As time passed, she put her modeling aside to pursue other things but her love for it was always there. In 2009, Dionne was presented with an opportunity to return to the runway and she took it.
In 2011, Dionne walked in a charity fashion event given by Atlanta socalite, Mrs.Bo Talley ( Williams). Mrs. Talley- Williams later contacted Dionne for an upcoming casting call. Shortly after, she was signed to Blaq Pearl. She was an original member of Talley’s plus sized model team.
In working with Blaq Pearl on several celebrity and charity fashion events, she witnessed some amazing and at times, heartbreaking aspects of this industry. She grew tired of the negative talk and images surrounding the plus model industry and full figured woman in general. So, she decided to do something about it.
In March of 2012, Dionne Reeves-Grubbs created a facebook page dedicated to encouraging, inspiring, and empowering plus sized women and so was born, Full Figured Fierce. She felt there was a lack of respect given to this community and she wanted to help those who suffered with low to no self esteem. These issues could be due to circumstances in their past, hurtful remarks and the barrage of photographs that displayed plus sized women in a negative light. Positive images, words of encouragement, and building confidence in her followers through mirror time and love letters, Full Figured Fierce made its mark on social media. Fast forward 3 years, almost 30,000 followers worldwide, and a proclamation from the Mayor of her hometown declaring March 22, Full Figured Fierce Day, Dionne’s dream has now turned into a full blown movement and she shows no signs of stopping.
Still modeling, Dionne is hired for show across the country, such as, 1426 Fashion Week in Houston and Portland Fashion Week in Oregon,plus designers Kenneth Doswell of Betty Jean Couture and Lavender’s Jungle, and celebrity shoe designer Tyler Bailey. She has been featured in several magazines such as HoneyBeNatural Magazine, Curvy Connect Magazine, TrendSetter to TrendSetter Magazine as well as the cover for Queen Size Magazine who she works with as a model recruiter. She
Dionne has extended her Full Figured Fierce Brand and uses her knowledge and talents to train models from around the country. She equipts models of every division with technique training as well as lessons in business dealing with the industry, while building confidence and teaching her clients to command attention, never demand it. She has extended her model team of plus, standard and young women to include a Big and Tall Male model team.
She also strongly believes in community serves and enjoys working with the children of the local Boys & Girls Clubs, middle and high school girls and grooming children to not only walk the runway but to learn all aspects of the business. Dionne hope that her love of the runway, teaching, confidence building and community service will continue the legacy of love and charity instilled in her by her father.
