Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Tonya Giddens has 20 years of experience in the business of fashion and beauty.
Tonya started as a freelance makeup artist and learned everything she could by studying and working on all types of complexions. Her freelancing skills paid off and she became a Beauty Advisor for Fashion Fair Cosmetics where she honed her skills and knowledge in the cosmetic industry, concentrating on the importance of skincare for all skin types.
A former plus model, Tonya has appeared in numerous fashion shows and was featured in Sister 2 Sister magazine and Fashion Manuscript (the bible of the fashion industry), among other publications. Her television credits include Fox 5′s Good Day New York, CBS’ The Early Show, Univision, and BET.
Tonya retired from the plus modeling industry and has been the Beauty Director of Full Figured Fashion Week®, the groundbreaking and highly successful fashion event dedicated to showcasing the visibility of plus size women, since its inception in 2009. Tonya is also the creator and producer of “The Conversation Diaries”, a series of specials which will be featured online as well as local television. Join 40fyd+ on Facebook at 7:00pm on December 12th for our virtual awards show honoring Tonya and other incredible 40 plus women!