A Woman You Should Meet: Candice Huffine

Everyone is known for something. Some trait that gets drawn to the forefront by life’s little interactions and eventually becomes the defining feature, whether the subject is on board or not. The towering, skinny, human-ladder-of-a-teenager who bags your groceries will inevitably be nicknamed Stretch or Stringbean at some point in his life. Sorry Stringbean. That’s what you get for being tall. Your redheaded nephew (bless his resilient spirit) will surely, if he hasn’t already, be dubbed a Fire Crotch. What do you want? Kids are mean. And so are some adults.

Some people have noteworthy hair, or facial hair. Some are known for their voices. Others, for the way they dress.

Candice Huffine, Miss April in the 2015 Pirelli Calendar, is remarkable for a couple of reasons: the first one, the one the media (yes, we know, we’re the media too) likes to grab ahold of is that she’s physically distinguished from her peers. As one of the world’s most successful models (who happens to fall into the category of “plus sized”), she receives her fare-share of attention on this front, and then some. But it’s not her defining trait, in fact, even if it has helped her to carve out her space in the industry. She is utterly playful, with a self-aware sense of humour often lacking in the fashion industry that shines through in her expertly fun use of social media. More than just a feed of arresting selfies, her Instagram is like a window into the life of a woman that you really want to meet.

 

As someone who is 6’6”, the question I always get when I meet someone new is, “how tall are you?”. Have you reached a saturation point with the term “plus sized”? Are you just sick of it?

I never thought of it like that, my “how tall are you?” moment. I get that one, too, so it’s a long list. No, I mean, I understand it, the fascination and the questioning with it, but it’s moments like this that will eliminate questions like that. It’s no longer going to be, “well do you think plus-size models will make it in high fashion?” Because the answer is yes. It’s happened already and there will be even more from here on out. I keep calling it our new normal. It’s not going to be a shocking thing in the future and that’s because of decisions like this.

Tell me about when you were first discovered you were going to be featured in this year’s calendar? Was it a big moment?

Well, yeah, I got a phone call that I was going to be in the running to be or that I was put on hold. It was an audition process and maybe was a bit different for be because I have worked with the team before, not for Pirelli, but for Steven Meisel. So it was on my mind, like, am I going to get a phone call that says this is a go? I was just waiting, but it could have been a phone call that went the other way, too. But it was a yes! And here we are. It was really exciting. I’m not so good at spur of the moment things, my agency probably thinks I’m not that excited in the moment, but that’s because I need to hang up and have a moment to myself. So I have no words. It was really great.

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Backstage at the 2015 Pirelli Calendar by Steven Meisel. Images by Marc Regas.

 

So you’ve worked with Steven before… I’m gathering that he interacts differently with each of the girls, but Gigi Hadid said something that struck me, that he’s really calm on set. Was that what it was like for you?

I’ve been using the word gentle occasionally when it came to describing what it’s like to shoot for him. Sometimes you can’t find the right words to describe what it’s like to shoot with him, but I feel like a lot of people are looking for in-depth answers and experiences. Part of it is really hard to describe—it’s just a really calm and gentle and lovely set. It’s very comfortable, and you know sometimes you’re not in the most comfortable garments or positions, but your just really happy.

And how does that stack up against other elite-level photographers?

I’ve had amazing experiences. There isn’t an ill word I have to say about any shoot I’ve ever done. They’re all extremely different and fun, and I end up doing things I never even imagined for myself or for my career, to be captured in that way. Carine had me wrapped in fishnets recently, head-to-toe with a mask and everything. I didn’t get that experience prior to this new change in the fashion industry where I had the opportunity to be a part of editorials now on a more regular basis. It’s just something special that happens when you shoot with Steven in particular. You just feel so good. You just know it’s going to be amazing.

So, you have an extremely playful instagram account. It makes you feel like you already know you, you know?

Oh, thanks! [laughs.] That’s the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day. I know some models do it differently, and I sometimes wonder if I’m too unprofessional or something, but I just have fun. It’s me.