[caption id="attachment_4461" align="aligncenter" width="328"] Phyllis Librach and Lauren Veluvolu[/caption]Wish we could, but we can't, take credit for discovering the drop-dead gorgeous plus size model Lauren Veluvolu. The credit for that goes to Plus Model Magazine and Dorothy Combs Agency. Back in 2012, they selected Lauren as the winner of their nationwide Model Search. Not an easy process given the avalanche of more than 2,000 entries. What Sydney's Closet can take credit for is giving Lauren her first professional photo shoot after winning the model search. In an interview with PMM Editor Maddy Jones featured in the February 2014 issue of the online magazine, Lauren admits to being both thrilled and nervous. "All I could think about was whether they would like me or not," she tells PMM. I remember Lauren came close to not making that first photo shoot. It was a frigid February day when she was scheduled to fly from Chicago, where she lives, to St. Louis. Ice and snow delayed the flight and almost caused it to be cancelled. I sat in the cell phone lot at Lambert Airport watching the board of arriving flights.[caption id="attachment_4470" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Lauren's Interview with PMM[/caption]Luckily, Lauren's flight finally landed in St. Louis almost two hours later. I rushed her off to the studio where hair and makeup artists were waiting. They got her ready to go on set and wardrobe worked their magic in record-breaking time. Once on set, Lauren proved to be a natural in front of the camera. We loved her range of expressions from a sweet smile to a glaring stare. Could it really be the same model giving us all those looks?!? Close to impossible to believe this is really her first time on a shoot. She's such a natural! The photographer clicked away as Lauren changed quickly into one of our trendy new plus size cocktail dresses and out of another. Being a plus size model may be glamorous but it's really hard work. Just ask Lauren! video of Lauren's first shoot with Sydney's Closet