Daughter of rock 'n' roller Steven and half-sister of "it" girl actor Liv, model Mia Tyler is having a moment of her own. This month, Tyler bursts onto the fashion scene in a big way: she's the face of MXM, the new hip line of Canada's leading plus-size retailer, Pennington's. FLARE fashion director Adrienne Shoom meets Tyler in L.A. for a day of music, modeling and style.

Adrienne Shoom: How did you become a model?
Mia Tyler: I was sitting on my chubby butt. I helped direct an independent movie [Nameless] when I was 16 and one of the girls who was in casting was working at a PR firm a couple of years later and saw my name on a list with 500 other girls for Lane Bryant [a plus-size clothing line/retailer in the United States] and asked, 'Are you interested in modeling?' I said, 'Never.' I hated modeling. I thought it was the most boring thing. You just stand there. I mean, that's what it is. So I thought it was nothing. I like to use my brain.

Two months later, I'm in Malibu and I get this phone call: 'You've been narrowed down [on the list] of 20 girls. Interested?' And I was, like, ‘No.' Then, she offered me a cheque—half now, half after. At that point, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was still spoiled daddy's girl. Not a wussy one but, you know, I was sitting on my butt doing nothing. No aspirations. So I thought, ‘Well, it's money and I haven't made any of my own yet.'

Another reason I did it was 'cause [photographer Francesco] Scavullo was shooting [the campaign]. When my mom [Serinda Fox] was 18, she had worked with him. I thought that was kinda cool. You know, both at the same age. I did the shoot and Kate Dillon, another model, came up to me and said, ‘You gotta come to my agency [Wilhelmina Models Inc.].' I was, like, no way. I live a block away from the agency. It took me two weeks just to walk in there. The minute I do, they hand me a contract.

AS: Did you have a rock 'n' roll childhood?
MT: Everything was about music. That's why the whole modeling thing was just something for me to do. Get my foot in the door. I love music. I want to start a band. I've been working on some stuff. I can't live without music. I don't go anywhere without my Walkman.

AS: What about acting? You've already been in a film.
MT: Yeah. I mean, it's not that I want to get into it. We like to entertain. I'm not a fan of acting. I'd rather leave that to Liv. But, yeah, I did a little independent film [People are Dead]. I like to be onstage with a microphone, letting it out. But it depends on the role, too. The movie I did was about body size and, you know, the lead girl doesn't have to be a size 2.

AS: Is that your philosophy? Nobody has to be a size 2?
MT: I've never been, like, oh my God, you know, uncomfortable. I get mail all the time from girls who are uncomfortable in their skin. I don't think you have to be a certain size to be happy. I also come from a family that's very outgoing. My dad wants to do everything he can possibly put his hands on.

AS: Are the Tylers anything like [MTV's] The Osbournes?
MT: Jack [Ozzy and Sharon's son], I wanna smack him. I can't stand him. I think Kelly [Ozzy and Sharon's daughter] is so cute. I mean, I grew up spoiled. My dad gave me pretty much whatever I wanted. But those kids, they just, well, I don't know. Ugh.

AS: Do you have any dos or don'ts?
MT: You can't be weak. That's the one thing. You have to be strong.

AS: And you feel comfortable in your body, with who you are, and that's important.
MT: Yeah. You have to take care of yourself. I'm 23 and I've always been sort of, like ‘Oh happy go life!' I just started working out, eating healthy and taking care of my body and I feel so much better. It really depends on what you're doing. I mean, with modeling, you're sitting on your ass a lot 'cause you don't know when your next job is. So if you find something to do in that time and not just sit around eating candy bars, you feel better.

AS: What about modeling for the new, fashionable MXM line and the plus-size market?
MT: I think designers are starting to understand. I've got Dolce & Gabbana jeans on that are probably a size 12, so they are making them—they're not promoting them. I just got Versace jeans. Never thought I'd fit into those! You know what really pisses me off though? There's a lot of clothing lines where, instead of just making the normal clothes at size 12, they have separated it and made a plus line and the plus line is nothing like the other stuff.

AS: We need a stylish line like MXM to fill that gap.
MT: Yeah. I love the line's black dress and the name MXM sounds much more modern.

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