Although plus size models have been around the global fashion industry the past few decades, large mannequins both in catwalks and photoshoots are still relatively few compared to thin models.

Top clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch is facing a model challenge after a large female model known as Militant Baker wrote the company chief executive officer, Mike Jeffries, asking him to change his views on plus size models.

Militant Baker sent her 16 photos (see slideshow) of herself attired in Abercrombie clothes, with a fit male model. She said that while the images may be jarring, she insists that she is comfortable and confidence in her size and weight.

In a 2006 interview, Mr Jeffries was quoted as saying that "A lot of people don't belong (in our clothes), and they can't belong," to explain why the brand does not has XL or XXL sizes for women and pant sizes beyond 10.

In her letter to the company's CEO, Militant Baker acknowledged that his opinion is not shocking since millions of other people share the same sentiment. But she said that it still reinforces stereotype thinking that "fat women are social failures, valueless and undesirable."

She emphasised that the 16 photos were not to prove that the well-built male model found her attractive or the photographer found her photogenic, but to challenge the separation of attractiveness and fat.

She ended her letter by challenging Mr Jeffries to pose shirtless with a hot fat chick, but added she would accept any substantial amount from the clothing brand to stop wearing Abercrombie apparel if doing so causes significant damage to the brand's image.

Among the more prominent plus size models who have made it big in the fashion industry are

Allegra Doherty

Ashley Graham

Crystal Renn

Alexandra Underwood

In 2011, America's Next Top Model featured a plus-size edition, which included Ms Underwood.