Plus-size men finally come out of the closet
Campbell’s vision gets full backing
Mzansi’s first plus-sized model and designer Jade Campbell is a symbol of hope for men who often get criticised because of their weight.
His vision of creating a fashion label for bigger men also saw Thembisa Ngoma, better known as TJ, become the first plus-sized model for Ice Genetics agency. As a result, Ngoma now features on the pages of some of the biggest online retailers in South Africa.
Campbell, 33, from Woodstock in Cape Town, said he started the movement two years ago because although plus-sized women have gained attention and are being included in many fashion labels, plus-sized men have been ignored.
A former fashion stylist,
Campbell has always struggled to get clothes that fit him well.
“I resorted to having things custom-made. I would buy clothes and the pants and shirts would always have to be altered, it became a costly exercise,” said Campbell.
“I thought I can just make my own stuff, but I wanted to do more than just make myself comfortable. I wanted others to know the feeling that when you look good, you feel good.”
He said he wanted to be the voice for men who struggled mentally because of constant criticism that they “eat all day and live an unhealthy lifestyle”.
“My mom was my muse. When she died, I put on extra weight. I was always big, but this time I was 22kg heavier.
“I pulled myself together and managed to lose some weight. Now I gym, I love hiking, I live healthy, but I’ll always be an overweight David Beckham who loves flaunting and expressing myself through what I wear.
In 2019, he met a public relations company that shared his vision, and so Campbell by Jade Campbell was born.
“I wanted this range to bring out my personality. As big men, we also want to wear the latest trends and look stylish.
“The response was overwhelming, from a teacher to a butcher, people from all walks of life came through. One of these men was TJ, who has gone on to join a modelling agency.”
TJ, also 33, lives in Cape
Town and was already a body positive influencer on social media when he was approached to model Campbell’s line. He said it was the best decision he had ever made.
“I wanted to encourage men like me to not feel ashamed to pose topless, minus the six-pack we’ve grown accustomed to seeing on social media,” said TJ.
“I received some heavy insults but didn’t allow it to affect me. My thing is that 60% of men globally are not skinny and yet we are not included. It is still a struggle to find good fitting clothes in South Africa because our fashion gurus have only started waking up.”
Campbell’s dream to go bigger was temporarily disrupted with the Covid-19 pandemic, but he said he plans to release a new collection soon. He has added purses, as well as ladies items, to his label, and mentioned that he caters to all body sizes, from small to 5XL, whether ready or custom-made.