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- Influencer Calls Out Fashion Brands for Showing Plus-Size People in Campaigns 'While Actually Excluding Us' (Exclusive)</p>
<p>Meredith WilshereOctober 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM</p>
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<p>Kevin Hernandez</p>
<p>Samyra Miller. -</p>
<p>Samyra Miller is a content creator with 2.5 million followers across various platforms</p>
<p>Through her work, she hopes to bring about change to the retail industry and beyond</p>
<p>Miller is one of the faces of the new Ashley Graham x JCPenney collection, a size-inclusive, affordable collection with the full-size run available in-store</p>
<p>Samyra Miller wants to go shopping in person, simple as that. The 27-year-old has made a name for herself and grown a following by calling out and calling in brands that have work to do when it comes to size inclusivity.</p>
<p>Across her various profiles, addressing a combined audience of over 2.5 million people, the activist, influencer, singer and model documents her attempts at finding clothes in her size at multiple stores, ranging from mildly successful shopping trips to overall disappointing ones.</p>
<p>Now, Miller talks exclusively with PEOPLE about her hopes for the fashion industry when it comes to inclusivity and plus-size options, where her strength comes from and why she needed to take a step back from posting to focus on herself.</p>
<p>"Seeing the discourse in my comment section of people having a lot of internalized and externalized fatphobia... people did not know what it was like to shop as a plus-sized person," Miller explains.</p>
<p>Seneca Williams</p>
<p>Samyra Miller.</p>
<p>This lack of understanding led her to post videos of her shopping experiences as a plus-size woman. Being so vulnerable on the internet and standing up to brands requires a lot of strength, which Miller admits "comes from my parents."</p>
<p>"My mother fought for me to play football when I wanted to play in high school. It gave me the power to want something," she shares. "Women — let alone Black, plus-size women — are taught to shy away from our desires. I am not afraid to want something, and I'm not afraid to make that happen, because of the strength of my mother."</p>
<p>"When it comes to dealing with brands, I'm not afraid to tell them, 'Hey, if you're gonna market that you're gonna use plus-size models, then how about we make clothes for everyone?' "</p>
<p>Recently, Miller was unveiled as one of the faces of the Ashley Graham x JCPenney campaign, a size-inclusive, affordable collection with the full-size run available in-store. For her, collaborating with JCPenney is a full-circle moment. While growing up, Miller says the retailer was one of the only stores where she could consistently find things in her size.</p>
<p>"I have loved working with JCPenney, and my professional relationship with them started in 2024," she shares. "I had a public discourse with them, and I met with their team and told them my respect, love and my history with the brand. JCPenney is one of the only stores that I can find plus sizes in Los Angeles."</p>
<p>"It was important for me because I don't work with many clothing brands," she adds. "I pride myself on being slow to say yes and quick to say no. I only want to authentically work with brands. If I can't fit into the clothes, why would I participate?"</p>
<p>Graham specifically asked Miller to be a part of the campaign, and according to the influencer, the Sports Illustrated model "wanted to make sure that I could be there to be that representation for part of the larger plus-size spectrum that is missing from a lot of fashion."</p>
<p>"It was fun. The clothes are amazing. I felt amazing on set. I hope that other brands see this collection and see the consideration and intention that JCPenney took with this," she shares. "I hope that JCPenney recognizes that they are the leaders in the plus-size world right now with how they are showing that they truly do care about size, inclusivity and fashion for plus-size individuals."</p>
<p>Holy Smoke Photography</p>
<p>Samyra Miller.</p>
<p>Miller hopes that other brands follow suit and recognize the need for inclusivity in their clothing lines, noting that "it starts from within the company."</p>
<p>"When I went to meet with companies immediately, I noticed that there isn't anyone that looks like me in the room. There isn't body diversity, there isn't a plus-size perspective in the room," she explains. "If you don't have that perspective in the room, we'll put it in the room. It starts with the want to do that, and it has to be intentional."</p>
<p>"What I strive to point out with my content is that they market and message like they want to include us, while actually excluding us, and therefore just taking advantage of our bodies and our message and our mission. It's completely unfair," Miller shares.</p>
<p>Recently, the influencer took a break from social media to show people the importance of "protecting your peace," signaling to her followers that even if you are strong enough to endure bullying, that doesn't mean you have to.</p>
<p>"You don't owe anybody anything. There was no reason for me to subject myself to what I already knew was coming my way," she shares. "I continued offline doing incredible work, and I'm excited to share those things now, coming back online."</p>
<p>"People say, 'If you loved yourself, then you wouldn't let those things affect you.' But because I love myself, I know when I don't need to be seeing things or be subjected to certain things when I don't have to be," she adds.</p>
<p>Miller hopes that, through her content, her younger audience learns to love themselves and how to stand up to people who comment on their bodies.</p>
<p>Kevin House</p>
<p>Samyra Miller.</p>
<p>"There are many people who do not have the hindsight that I have, and people younger than me are seeing these comments and they're being affected by it. They're not used to having anyone stand up and say, 'You don't have to deal with that bigotry coming towards you. You don't deserve that,'" she says. "When I choose to address the negativity, it comes from a place of making sure that other people know that it's not okay for them to receive hate, and for them to know that it is not okay."</p>
<p>Now, back from her social media break, Miller hopes to continue to do the work and be vocal about brand inclusion. The work, she emphasizes, "affects everyone."</p>
<p>"It is net positive. For everyone, even in a world, specifically in my comment section, which makes it feel so negative at times for people," she says. "I hope people can come to my page and feel that they can be anything and do anything that they want, and don't let anybody tell them that they can't do something."</p>
<p>"I'm just excited to continue to live my life and show others that your body is the least interesting thing about you."</p>
<p>on People</p>
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