EXCLUSIVE: Robyn Lawley opens up about motherhood, feminism and being a 'plus-sized' model

Robyn Lawley only arrived back in Sydney during the early hours Tuesday morning, but if the model was even the slightest bit jet-lagged she is hiding it very well, looking glamourous as she poses for photographs.

The 27-year-old, who has jetted in especially for Pink Hope's Bright Pink Lipstick Day launch, is juggling her quick trip home with a long-list of commitments, but none more important than her one-year-old daughter Ripley.

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Although Robyn has left Ripley back in the United States with long-term partner Everest Schmidt, she speaks openly about the challenges of being a working mother.

“I think it’s a challenge, what mother wouldn’t find it challenging? I’m not alone in that respect," Robyn exclusively told Be at the event.

"I think most women find it a challenge and I wish we were more vocal about the challenges about raising a kid. For me I just take it so when I’m with my daughter I’m really present."

"I had her with me for the last week so when I gave her to my man I felt like I had a good amount of time with her, otherwise I would be miserable, and it is miserable, it’s really tough," she added.

Although still young, Robyn is intent on making sure she spends enough time with her daughter, despite her busy career, so in years to come she has no regrets about how time she was able to give Ripley.

"You just have to pick and choose your battles and my daughter, she’s not going to be aware of it when she’s older but I will still, carrying that guilt so I make sure that when I’m with her I’m with her and we usually bring her a lot. I would have brought her this time but I just flew with her from Australia three weeks ago so I was like 'Oh my god, I might just give that one a skip' but next time she will come. We space it so we’re not killing ourselves but still being there for our daughter.”

When asked why she would like women to speak up when it comes to the challenges of motherhood, the answer for her is simple.

“Either so you’re more prepared when you do have your own child or more just women sticking together, there’s a huge power in that and women really do stick together," Robyn said.

"I have such a good circle of women friends in LA now that are all mothers, and it’s awesome because there is no doubt about it, if you have a child you are going to need a support group of other mothers to be there for you, they don’t have judgment. It’s one of those things, I think until you have your own child, you’re always going to hold a biased judgment on it. My friends, when they come over if they don’t have kids they just do not understand, it’s just one of those things, whereas if they have looked after a kid they will. But I love having my friends who have kids and babies the same age, it’s nice to have.”

Now based in LA, the Sports Illustrated model also said it's this group of friends that inspire and support her.

“It’s so cool, where I live in LA the women are all directors, cinematographers, composers, these aren’t women that are staying home, these are women who have a career and are career driven and that’s my support group."

"Women who are still going out and trying to do something and some of them don’t work and stay back and be a stay at home parent, I have both and I think seeing both is quite unique and I respect that. I don’t just want to not work because I’m a mum. It inspires me and it exhausts me watching them, but I think I’m lucky. I really want to be a strong woman for my daughter to grow up watching, I really hope I'm someone to look up to.”

Having been outspoken on environmental issues, feminism and equality, Robyn talks passionately about how women can use their power to help create a better world.

“Women now more than ever really need to own becoming equal to men," she said.

"It's a great time period because I don’t want women to finally become equal to men and not care about the environment. It would be such a set back against mother nature. We have so much to owe her, so much to give her, we have all these tourists come for the environment, they’re not coming to hear us talk, they’re literally coming to see our beautiful environment.”

"Equality is very important, my man is a feminist, he’s very involved. But the first and most important situation is environment and I think if you help the environment more you really get in touch with that side of women as well, I think it’s in all of us, you only have to scratch the surface."

Having been labelled a "plus-size" model throughout her career, the label doesn't bother the mother-of-one, however Robyn thinks the title can be detrimental to young women who might compare their own body types to those who they see on the catwalk or magazine covers.

“I’m at the point where you can call me whatever you want, I don’t really care. For me personally, I have spoken against it, I think it’s just stupid because I think it’s only detrimental in the effect that if someone else looks at my body and sees that tag then they hold their own body accountable or they look at their own body and don’t think it looks as good, it’s not what I mean at all."

"I don’t care, you can call me whatever you want but I just want you to feel supported. I don’t care what size anyone is, you have to do it for yourself and for your health but this constant care just for visual, I think that’s the sad part and what is ruining so many women, and creates that vicious binge-eating cycle. I think if we break that, about caring so much about the exterior, we would care more about what it does to your interior.”

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