Call for curvy women to embrace
modelling
A LOCAL model management agency —
Iconic Model Management Zimbabwe has called on Zimbabwean plus-size women to
take up modelling as a career, as plus-size modelling is fast growing popular
across the globe.
IMMZ
director Nilton Makazhu told Sunday Leisure that the world had started
appreciating plus-size models, hence the call for curvy women to take it up as
a career.
“Our
goal is to bring and showcase the value of plus-size women-cum models in
Zimbabwe. Africa is
endowed with curvy women and we should make efforts to promote our culture and celebrate our women,” he said.
Makazhu
also said being plus-size in a world that encourages a standardised idea of
beauty meant that people were acknowledging that they were imperfect.
“If
they accept that they are different then it means that they are classified as
other and somewhat out of the norm, which is slim. It means acknowledging the
constant struggle they are faced with each day because of their supposed
cellulite ridden thighs, the ‘extra’ skin they have around their stomachs,
their flabby arms and chubby cheeks.
“It’s
about realising there’s a need for change, and choosing to love their bodies
unconditionally. Society should accept that there too are curvy women who also
have feelings and yearn to be appreciated by society. Curvy women shouldn’t
have any illusions about their bodies. Yes they are not perfect but those are
the only bodies they have.
They
deserve and should love themselves,” he said.
He
added: “Our mission is to knock down barriers and stereotypes of the perception
of curvy women, paving the way for true representations of beauty for
full-figured women by helping them feel confident and at peace with themselves
while embracing their God-given bodies,” he said.
A
Zimbabwean plus-size model based in South Africa, Stacey Johnson, who recently
took part in an exclusive photo shoot to promote curvy women in Africa, said
the concept behind promoting plus-size women in Zimbabwe and Africa was good.
“I
understand not everyone understands what this is about. To me it is such a
simple concept. It’s all about loving your body regardless of your size and
chasing your dreams. The problem is that the world has been culturally
colonised by European concepts that people tend to appreciate what has been
‘forced down their throats’ instead of their own,” she said.
“Being
plus-size means being a confident woman who refuses to let anybody’s ideas or
perceptions of beauty alter my self-worth. I am seeing my body through my gaze
for a change. Being fearless — waiting for no man’s approval and apologise to
no woman for the way I look.”
The
photo shoot, which was organised by a South African fashion agency — Revelation
Fashion attracted curvy women from across Africa.
Revelation
Fashion is a South African clothing brand specialising in irresistible yet
affordable plus-size clothing for the confident, fearless woman.
There
have been shows held in Zimbabwe such as Miss Curvy that have failed to break
the stereotype, with many people ridiculing the pageant as one that seeks to poke
fun at curvy women.
Wikipedia
describes the term plus-size model as an expression applied to an individual of
larger stature (sometimes overweight or obese) who is engaged primarily in
modelling plus-size clothing.
Plus-size
models also engage in work that is not strictly related to selling large-size
clothing such as photography and advertising photography for cosmetics,
household, pharmaceutical products, sunglasses, footwear and watches.
Therefore
plus-size models do not exclusively wear garments marketed as plus-size
clothing. This is especially true when participating in fashion editorials for
mainstream fashion magazines.
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