Say it out loud, we’re big and we’re proud
STRIPPING down to her size 44D bra and XL knickers for a national advertising campaign was a big ask for Yoliswa Mqoco.
But the social media sensation and Pretoria stylist-to-the-rich plucked up her courage and did it for the sake of thousands of South African women battling body image issues.
Mqoco, 24, is among eight “real women models”— mothers, singers, bloggers and students — who posed in lingerie for the “Love Yourself” campaign launched by retailer Jet to celebrate “women of all shapes and sizes”.
Mqoco, who has an Instagram following of 18 000 and describes herself as a “proud gay woman of colour”, was initially reluctant to join the campaign.
“My first thought was not to be part of it. That would have been the selfish decision.
“But after thinking about it . . . I realised this is beyond me and I wouldn’t really be doing this for myself but for women everywhere who aren’t as body confident as I am,” she said.
“I wanted women to take the courage I had doing the campaign and place it within themselves.”
Mqoco hopes she will help other women see that “true happiness is not a dress size”.
She is part of a growing global movement of women who reject stereotypical beauty standards.
New Zealand fashion brand Lonely recently chose two “unconventional” women — one plus-sized — for its lingerie and swimwear campaign.
Last year the Pirelli calendar featured its first plus-sized model, Candice Huffine, alongside 11 other supermodels, clad in latex for a fetish-themed shoot. But some are unimpressed. Former supermodel Cheryl Tiegs, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated three times, told E! News that she was not happy to see full-figured women modelling.
Tiegs later apologised for the remark, which was directed at size-16 model Ashley Graham, who was on the cover of this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
Mqoco said women should love their bodies irrespective of their size.
“I just think I’m a woman, who is lucky enough to have the platform she has to try and inspire others to love themselves madly.”
Mqoco may never have been pressured by her family to be “super-slim”, but she is encouraged by her mother to follow a healthy diet.
“My mom is pro a healthy lifestyle. I do try to exercise and eat a good balanced diet.”
She added: “I hope that women start seeing themselves beyond what number the scale reads when they step on it.”
Meg de Jong, 30, another plus-sized woman who posed for the Jet campaign, shared Mqoco’s fears about taking part.
De Jong, who runs the mindthecurves.com blog that promotes fashion and lifestyle tips for plus-sized women, said: “I was very nervous leading up to the shoot — one feels quite vulnerable in nothing but one’s knickers.”
De Jong, who wears a size 20, overcame her reluctance and is overwhelmed by the reaction to the campaign.
“I think South African women are hungry to see a more representative selection of women featured in the media,” she said.
I hope that women start seeing themselves beyond what number the scale reads