#WomanCrushWednesday – Lilli Luxe

Lilli Luxe (born 15 December 1989), also known as Natalie Renee, is an American Plus-size model that currently lives in Madrid, Spain.

Luxe was born in Fort Worth, Texas. Her family moved often and she has lived in Texas, California, Ohio, and Washington. She gained an interest in pinup culture after she had difficulty finding standard clothes that fit. At age 18, Luxe relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a degree in Visual Communications.

While attending a fashion show in 2004, Luxe was scouted by a modelling agency at age 14. Luxe continued to pursue minor modelling jobs throughout her teens while amassing a social media following. In 2014, a fan suggested that she pursue commercial plus-sized modelling. Luxe then submitted photos of herself to several agencies and was picked up by Dorothy Combs Models and re-marketed herself as Natalie Renee. According to Luxe, the new name was a result of “the agency [Dorothy Combs Models] wanted a lot of control over my image and wanted me to get rid of my Lilli Luxe persona and be more girl next door”. Luxe has modelled for companies such as TJ Maxx, Rue21, Secrets in Lace, and Bachelor Pad Magazine.

Luxe left Dorothy Combs and stopped modelling professionally due to creative differences with the company. She continued pursuing modelling as a hobby on social media, returning to the name Lilli Luxe. In 2016, Luxe lost weight for health reasons, but received backlash from fans.

In 2018, Luxe self-published a coffee book Lilli: an Intimate Look through Kickstarter. The book featured pictures of herself “all around the world”.