Ajay Rochester's rant: "How the f*ck is this woman plus-sized?"

It’s being billed as Twitter feud about diverse models, but actually, these two women were on exactly the same page.

What does a “plus-sized” model look like? Like this?

Ajay Rochester did not think so.

This is model Laura Wells, in an ad campaign for fitness clothing brand The Upside.  And her appearance caused Rochester to post a picture of the size 14 model on her Instagram with the caption:

“How the FUK can this woman be considered plus size? Any idea the kind of damage you (the media/fashion industry) do to the minds of young girls by even using those words with a picture like this? Where is there PLUS of anything. Anything less of her and she’d be a MINUS something. Seriously this is so ridiculous and harmful! This is not empowering anyone labeling her!”

How the FUK can this woman be considered plus size? Any idea the kind of damage you (the media/fashion industry) do to the minds of young girls by even using those words with a picture like this? Where is there PLUS of anything. Anything less of her and she’d be a MINUS something. Seriously this is so ridiculous and harmful! This is not empowering anyone labeling her! “Laura Wells is proud to be a part of a body positive campaign.” – shame on you news.com.au it shldnt be an issue at all. #curves #everywoman#beauty #bbw #bullshit

A photo posted by Ajay Rochester (@ajayrochester) on Feb 14, 2015 at 10:40pm PST

Rochester then tweeted out the post, where it was picked up by the media and caused an upset Wells to respond with an Instagram post of her own.

Work up this morning to tabloid media and quotes from @ajayrochester saying that I am not a plus size model and that I am not empowering anyone. Well this picture serves its purpose. Me on the right a size 14AU (12 US, 16UK) on the left a size 6AU model. Its obvious here the differences. I am a ‘plus size MODEL’ because I am 3-6 sizes larger then industry standard. I understand the negative impacts using the words ‘plus size’ on me has on society, I post about it all the time. However in terms of @the_upside campaign damn straight I am proud to be apart of it. It’s the first time a regular sized active wear brand had used a plus size model let alone anyone over a size 8AU. We need to stop shaming other people’s bodies, be happy that models like me are helping to change the tide of the industry. I do promote healthy positive body image. I do promote size diversity and beauty beyond size 0. I also promote being a happy and healthy person and being apart of something bigger then yourself, for me thats helping the environment! All of these reasons are why #theupside used me to promote their message! Miss @ajayrochester the campaign nor I are #bullshit and the fact you would put that out there is not exactly campaigning successfully or positively for body image diversity. We are all women, we all look different, carry our weight in different places, look completely different even if we wear the same size but that is why we are all beautiful and should support one another. Just #BeYou Stay tuned for the documentary all about these issues @aperfect14 #dailymailyuk #dailymailau #beautybeyondsize #curvesinbikinis #beyoutheupside A photo posted by Laura Wells (@laurawellsmodel) on Feb 15, 2015 at 2:32pm PST

The picture shows Wells, an Australian size 14, next to a size 6 model. “It’s obvious here the differences,” she writes in the caption.

“I am a ‘plus size model’ because I am 3-6 sizes larger than industry standard.”

Wells says that she understands the negative impacts of the ‘plus size’ label, but that she is proud to be apart of an activewear campaign that dares  to use a model larger than a size 8.

Read more: Does this look like a bad role model to you? A pro-obesity campaign?

“We need to stop shaming other people’s bodies, be happy that models like me are helping to change the tide of the industry. I do promote healthy positive body image. I do promote size diversity and beauty beyond size 0.

“We are all women, we all look different, carry our weight in different places, look completely different even if we wear the same size but that is why we are all beautiful and should support one another. ”

While things escalated further on Twitter, it soon became clear that these two women are actually on the same page.

Amen, Ajay.