Organisers of the Plussize Fashion Week Africa have announced that the 2019 event will hold on Sunday, December 8.

The venue is at the Traffic Bar and Restaurant, Ikoyi, and the event will feature music, fashion, and nature.

With the theme ‘Fashion and Nature,’ the event, which is in its third edition, will see Plussize designers, models, and apparel, showcasing their stuff on the runway.

According to Temi Aboderin-Alao, Founder and Executive Producer, the PFWA platform came into being to bridge the gap and put the real needs of the average African woman on the runway.

“Globally, fashion trends have exhibited an exponential tendency to alienate the plus-sized woman, to the point of stigmatizing her body size. The platform is important so that the plus-size fashion businesses can showcase as well. PFWA is an opportunity to celebrate the African Woman’s Body, whilst not excluding models and apparel of a variety of shapes and sizes. The typical African woman is plus size.

Aboderin-Alao further stated that PFWA is not a celebration of obesity, but a movement to promote body sensitivity, confidence, and self-worth of the woman.

This year’s event is a collaboration within Africa, United States, and Europe. She stated that a secret international designer will also grace the runway.

“PFWA has revealed that we have designers who design for plus size women. So we are hoping that designers will come on board to showcase their creativity.”

Speaking a press conference to announce the forthcoming event, Mor Okonkwo, a social entrepreneur reiterated Aboderin-Alao’s point that plus-size women can be healthier versions of themselves, through counseling, health talk, and regular exercise.

Nansu Meshstle, model, actress, and talent manager, noted that in the last two years, the fashion and modeling industry in Nigeria has opened to plus size women. However, more needs to be done for more acceptability.

She urged plus size women to accept themselves, never allow their size to stop them from doing what they want, and achieve what they hope to achieve.