Move over, skinny sisters
WHO says fashion is only for skinny girls? This weekend larger models put their stamp on the ramp at Bay Fashion Sunday at the Roof Garden Bar, stepping out alongside their leaner sisters in garments by Port Elizabeth designers.
And that’s just how the head of model management and training for Nelson Mandela Bay Fashion Week (NMBFW) Lwethu Tenge wants it – particularly after being flooded with applicants to model in the fashion events.
“If you have that something on the runway, any garment can look great on anyone,” she said.
“It is all about how you carry it – with confidence!”
Ivana Leigh Japhta and Chanique Michillies were two of the plus-size models on Sunday and there are other applicants lined up for auditions ahead of the October NMBFW.
Tenge said Bay designers hoping to showcase at NMBFW generally did dress a range of body shapes.
“It’s very difficult for bigger models to find their sizes and they often end up going to independent designers. Our Bay Fashion Sunday designers have been catering for different shapes, and we also showcase designers who aren’t in store.”
Ergo Zen’s goddess dresses, for example, are draped in jersey knit to fit all sizes while Marenda Speelman used tan suedette for one-size-fits-all capes.
Tenge said when she first called for models, she was surprised by the demand from wannabe hot-steppers.
She said she sifted through hundreds of e-mails before narrowing down a casting field. After the initial casting, she sifted once more to see who would work as a ramp model.
“It’s lovely to watch them grow. In the beginning they were so nervous but everyone can model. Now they can showcase their talents.”
In fact, who says they have to be young either? Bay Fashion Sunday MC Toni Williams called up five volunteers from the crowd to try their luck on the catwalk – and the 56-year-old mother of one of the models took top prize.
ý See picture gallery online at www.heraldlive.co.za under My HeraldLIVE.