'They told me I was too fat' - Thalia Heffernan on cruel body shaming aged 14
The model has been established in the UK and Ireland industry since she was a teenager. But the Dubliner opened up about the struggles of modelling and how she has adapted through difficult moments.
Speaking to Dublin based fitness content creator Chris Connolly on his 5K With Chris, she said: 'So I guess it's very stereotypical. But in my job, of course, your physicality is the most important thing.
'So everything I do, I'm judged on based on what I look like. It's tough. I mean, again, since the age of 14 or15 I've just been judged on my face and body. So there's a lot of difficulties that come up with that in that age bracket.
'Anyway, you're always kind of insecure. You're kind of learning about yourself. Then you throw people telling you you're too fat on top. It makes for a little bit of a tricky time.
'But I guess I've spent so long learning about myself and trying to figure it out like, what is it I really want to do? So for so long, I wanted to impress others and be this person for other people fit into their mould, which is my job, and now I realise I just want to fit into my own mould, be my own person.
'And when I took back that power, the weight fell off me. I was able to do more, I was more active, I was more happy, and the people who don't want to book me don't want to book me, that's on them, not on me.
'I'm much happier for it. I think we all put so much pressure on ourselves, and I used to use that as an excuse a lot, because I'd interact with my friends without me to go, 'I feel like sh*t, I'm not getting any work, or I'm not doing this'.'
She said she is 'more than just a model'.
'So as I've gotten older, I've just kind of learned to adapt and change and do what I want to do for myself. And people will, I think, people appreciate that and respect it and realise I'm more than just a model.'
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Gavin James on Kneecap, TikTok, playing Van Halen on the tin whistle and sharing his love for Dolly Parton and Lizzo
The acclaimed Irish singer songwriter was in an energetic mood ahead of his upcoming Wexford gig New Ross Standard Although a proud Dubliner, Gavin James is no stranger to the sunny South East. Growing up, he spent most summers in south Wexford on family holidays in a mobile home but next weekend, along with his guitar and well-travelled band, he promises to build on the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann excitement building up around the town when he appears at the Breakwater Festival. On a recent advance trip to Wexford ahead of his concert, Gavin fondly told of how he enjoyed spending time with his cousins during the summer months, which would later turn to a trip on the train with a 'cheeky crate of beer' in tow and being surrounded by a few good friends having the craic on 'sofas from the 90s that look like seats on Dublin Bus' – with no mobile phones, of course.
Sunday World
14 hours ago
- Sunday World
‘This nearly broke me' – Irish style guru who bounced back to launch fabulous collection
REINVENTION | 'If you'd told me three years ago that I'd be launching my debut brand at 50, I'd have laughed in your face.' Five years on from the crushing closure of her beloved boutique, the creative is celebrating her fifth decade by launching her debut clothing collection, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase fifty and fabulous. Speaking about her once bustling Newbridge store, it's immediately clear that the loss is as visceral as ever for the talented milliner. 'I have experienced grief and loss before, and this nearly broke me. Even now I can feel myself tearing up when I talk about it,' says the style guru softly. The entrepreneur was the fabulous force behind Vanity Fair, the ultimate destination for occasionwear lovers across the country. After a decade of success on the Irish fashion retail scene, the style mecca shuttered permanently in 2020. Nessa 'Anyone who followed me on Instagram during that time will remember, I cried every day. I just couldn't stop. I was absolutely shattered.' The culprit? COVID-19. 'It was a huge shop, 5,000 square feet, and when weddings stopped, so did we,' she says. 'It was the second lockdown that sealed it. I knew then I had to walk away.' But endings, as they often do, opened up something unexpected. While others might have crumbled under the pressure, the Dubliner chose to create — upskilling, and learning to sew and draft her own patterns in the prestigious, Grafton Academy. That led to a radical rethinking of occasionwear, grounded in sustainability, longevity, and body inclusivity. And so Monessa Joan was born. 'I sold a lot of occasionwear in Vanity Fair, and I always knew when I was selling a dress that it was for a one-off occasion. If it got worn twice, it'd be doing well. And I always kind of felt bad for the outfit because it would be so beautiful. I'd be saying, isn't that terrible? That's going to hang in somebody's wardrobe now. 'When I lost the boutique — well, even before that — I was thinking, if you could just take those sleeves off, or take that belt off… we'd be able to wear clothes much more often. So the idea was kind of always there.' News in 90 Seconds - July 25th Now, through Monessa Joan, she's bringing to life a sustainable, ultra-wearable collection that is produced entirely in Ireland. The brand's standout feature? Detachable elements — sleeves, bows, belts — that completely transform a piece depending on the event, season, or mood. 'I know with sustainability, everyone hops on the bandwagon, but I did want something that could be repurposed and worn in lots of different ways. 'Next year, you don't need a new dress. You just need new sleeves,' she laughs. 'And maybe a different pair of earrings. It's a playful but powerful approach, rooted in her unparalleled knowledge and appreciation of Irish women's bodies and deep-rooted insecurities. 'I've dressed thousands of women. I know what makes them feel self-conscious, what makes them glow. We can go up and down half a stone in any given month — our clothes should work with us, not against us. I've seen too many women cry in changing rooms. I want to change that.' With sizes ranging from 8 to 24, and bespoke adjustments available, inclusivity isn't a buzzword, it's the foundation of the entire edit. The silhouettes are fluid and forgiving, but far from frumpy. The fabrics? A soft, satin-backed crepe that floats over the body. 'Honestly, the way women light up when they try these pieces on — before they've even seen themselves in the mirror — it gives me goosebumps.' And while the designs themselves are clever, Cronin's impact goes deeper. She also runs confidence workshops and online courses, helping women to not only understand their body shapes but to also demystify sizing to silence the harsh inner voice many hear in the fitting room. 'I am not teaching women about body shape to tell you what you can and can't wear. I think women have enough rules in their life without having to add further rules around clothes. 'The number on the label should have absolutely no power over your sense of self. It really shouldn't because it is so arbitrary. I don't think women understand that the difference between a size is so tiny,' explains the designer who opened her first business, a tiny little hat shop - the much adored Mad Hatter - in Dublin in 2001 'You can wear whatever you want, once you understand it. When you are in a fitting room and something doesn't fit, I go through a whole lesson on sizing because I understand it so well. I know this because I stocked over 60 brands in the boutique knowing that not one of them were the same. Even within a brand sizing is different. A size 12 in one shape is different to a size 12 in another shape. 'I think once you understand that a certain pattern wasn't cut for your pear shaped hips, it was cut for a strawberry shaped body, then women understand, it's not their body, it's the dress.' She adds: 'I still have women that message me on Instagram who took my course and say, 'sizes don't bother me anymore, they are nothing to do with me and my body, it's how the clothes were made.' Already stocked in boutiques from Killarney (MacBees Boutique) to Leixlip (Sketch The Label), and with UK expansion now underway, Nessa proves you can rewrite your story at any stage. 'If you'd told me three years ago that I'd be showing in London and launching a brand from scratch at 50, I'd have laughed in your face,' she says. When I look at how far I have come, I am just so proud that everything is made and produced in Ireland. The support from the industry has also been overwhelming. I've opened three accounts in the UK for next year – it's incredible.' Reflecting on one of the darkest periods of her life, Nessa can appreciate the power of redirection, now more than ever. 'Things happen for a reason. I would never have had the time, running my shop, to do this. It would have always just stayed as an idea. So one door closes, another opens.' The entire venture is of course, a family affair, with her husband, Dino, designing the website. But it was her mum Maeve, her cheerleader and confidant, that ensured the style guru was destined to have a career in fashion. 'My mum is the most glamorous woman I know. A teacher all her life, if she had been born in a different time she would definitely have had a career in fashion. 'Every Saturday afternoon as a child was spent in the fitting rooms of shops. She wouldn't always buy, but loved nothing more than trying on clothes, and I'm the exact same. She has always adored clothes, and always looked like she was stepping out in a fashion show. 'Her love of clothes definitely influenced my path. Clothes for me are powerful, you can't have a bad day if you're wearing something you love. It's grand just doesn't cut it, I love every single item in my wardrobe. As for what's next? Expect more mix-and-match innovation, playful colourways, and — in true Cronin style — a surprise accessory or two. 'Who knows what I'll dream up next?' she smiles. 'You'll just have to wait and see.'
Irish Examiner
17 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Brian O'Driscoll firm made €217,000 profits last year
Accumulated profits at the main firm owned by Irish rugby legend, Brian O'Driscoll last year increased to €10.68m, new accounts show. Abridged accounts filed by O'Driscoll's O.D.M. and Promotions Ltd to the Companies Office show the company recorded post tax profits of €217,379 in the 12 months to the end of August last. The post tax profits were down 73% on the post tax profits of €810,463 for 2023. The decrease is partly explained by pay to directors more than doubling from €212,707 to €446,424 due to the firm making pension contributions of €284,225 into the directors' pension pot compared to a zero contribution in 2023. Cash funds at the company last year decreased sharply from €2.14m to €795,403 and this coincided with the company making additions of €2.47m to its financial assets rising from €5.9m to €8.6m. The rise in value of financial assets takes into account a write-down of €91,486. O'Driscoll is one half of one of Ireland's most high profile couples and separate accounts lodged by his wife, Amy Huberman's ASM Entertainment show that accumulated profits increased to €1.43m in the 12 months to the end of August last. This followed Ms Huberman's entertainment firm recorded post tax profits of €143,075 and this followed post tax profits of €233,628 in 2023. Cash funds at the company plunged from €1.07m to €502,239 and this coincided with the company adding €700,000 to its financial assets rising from €178,009 to €906,009. Away from her acting and writing career, Ms Huberman - who featured on Amazon Prime Video's Last One Laughing Ireland in the year under review - continues to be a favourite of companies building their brands. Ms Huberman's popularity with the Irish public is confirmed with a combined audience of over 926,000 on the Dubliner's X and Instagram accounts and in March of this year the Dubliner launched her own wine brand, Ah Wines. The profits at O'Driscoll's ODM and Promotions for 2024 show that O'Driscoll - now 46 - continues to retain stellar earning power - 11 years after retiring from the game of professional rugby. The company has investment properties with a book value of €1m and a note states that the investment properties are rented residences. The firm has consistently recorded strong profits in recent years and the profits of 2024 and 2023 following profits of €641,383 in 2022, €874,120 in 2021 and €899,710 in 2020. O'Driscoll works as a pundit for TNT Sports, Off The Ball and is a HSBC Sports Ambassador. His firm employs three and pay to staff at the company, which includes directors, last year increased from €348,754 to €617,800 made up of wages and salaries of €316,522, pension payments of €284,225 and €17,053 in social insurance costs. The firm's financial assets are made up of €6.4m in listed investments; €679,906 in participating interests and €1.58m in other investments other than loans. The €679,906 in participating investments relates to a 33.3% investment in White Water LLC, a New York limited liability company. O'Driscoll ended his decorated playing career with Ireland and Leinster in 2014
