EXCLUSIVE: Plus size model Hayley Hasselhoff speaks to FEMAIL about dealing with 'bad body days', facing her critics - and why she'd love to work with dad David
Plus size model Hayley Hasselhoff is known for being incredibly confident about her body and frequently flaunts her curvaceous figure both during official photoshoots, and for the odd perfectly-posed selfie on her Instagram account.
But the 22-year-old beauty has admitted to DailyMail.com that there are days when she still suffers with her insecurities and when she struggles to embrace her own beauty for what it is, rather than comparing herself with others.
'I still have bad body days,' she explained. 'But it's OK to have bad days. I don't think anyone can feel completely confident all the time.
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Head held high: Hayley Hasselhoff has always been incredibly outspoken about the importance of healthy body image
Inner beauty: The 22-year-old daughter of Baywatch star David Hasselhoff admits that she still has 'bad body days' but insists that it is OK for people to feel insecure sometimes
'But I feel so much more connected to who I am now [than I did a few years ago]. I feel completely connected to my body and that's been amazing to experience.'
Hayley, who is the youngest daughter of Baywatch and Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff and his second wife Pamela Bach, insists that she is still incredibly proud to be plus size however.
And, while many have argued that the plus size label is discriminatory towards larger women, Hayley says she couldn't be happier to be viewed as a plus size model.
'I embrace [the label] for what it is,' she said. 'I look at plus size as more of an industry word, but it doesn't bother me, I love it.
'Since I have been modeling, there has always been a straight board and a plus size board of models and that isn't something I see as being negative. That's just the way that it is.'
Ironically, Hayley and a number of her fellow fuller-figured models have come under fire from critics who claim that many of the women who are featured in campaigns for larger clothing ranges are not actually large enough to be considered plus size.
Plus size and proud: While the fashion industry has come under fire for discriminating against larger models, Hayley insists that she loves working as a plus size model - and has happily embraced the larger label
Share the love: Hayley is a huge fan of fellow model Myla Dalbesio, who earlier this year was labeled as the first 'plus size' model to front a Calvin Klein underwear campaign
Last year, model Myla Dalbesio, who is a size 10, found herself at the receiving end of some harsh criticism on social media after she was labeled as the first 'plus size' fashion star to feature in a campaign for underwear brand Calvin Klein.
Hayley, who is a size 12, has also faced similar complaints and admits that, when she speaks to people about what she does for a living, more often than not, they will scoff when she describes herself as a plus size model.
'I think Myla is absolutely stunning, and I think it was an amazing thing for Calvin Klein to feature a larger model in a campaign and not make a big deal out of her size,' she explained.
'When I speak to people in the street and they ask what I do, I sometimes get some funny remarks. But I think being plus size is a beautiful thing. And it's an industry term, really, so I do understand why people don't always understand it.
'But it does seem like people will always want to criticize the fashion industry. They are upset when plus size models aren't featured in campaigns, but then when they are, they're upset because they aren't plus size enough.
'Myla's campaign is beautiful and I think it's a great thing.'
Doting dad David: Hayley and her father have an incredibly strong bond and she admits that she would love to work alongside him one day
Family affair: Hayley (R) also has an older sister, Taylor (L), who is 24
Hayley has now been working in fashion for eight years - and has recently fronted campaigns for fashion label Yours Clothing, appeared in a spread for SLiNK magazine and worked as an ambassador for Plus Size Fashion Week.
She insists that the plus size industry has changed and evolved in such a positive way since her first few years working within it - and has now learned to embrace plus size as an industry in its own right.
'I started out in the industry when I was 14,' she said. 'And then I took five years off in order to pursue other things.
'When I returned to modeling, it had completely changed. Plus size labels had become an important aspect of fashion, and there were so many more people investing in clothing designs for larger women.
'I never used to be able to buy clothes from some of my favorite labels when I was younger, but now there is so much more available to me. I think it's an incredible thing how the industry has grown over the years.'
Indeed, Hayley is determined to keep working within the industry for as long as she can - both as a model and, potentially, as a designer.
'I have a lot of amazing stuff planned in the coming months,' she admitted. 'I would love to design a collection, I think it would be great to do that.
'But I also am focusing more on my acting. Whenever I have any free time, I'm taking acting classes, just trying to learn as much about acting as I can.'
And one other important goal for her future? Working alongside dad David on a campaign - or maybe even a movie.
'I think it would be a beautiful thing to work with my dad,' she said. 'If we could find the right project and it was something we could make happen, I think it would be great.
'I have such a huge amount of respect for my father and what he does and to work with him would be such a great experience.
'Both of my parents have always been so supportive of me and everything I've done. They're amazing people.'
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