Plus-size label Dear Curves comes to the UAE

The brand is designed by plus-size model Ojoma Idegwu

Dear Curves, an Africa-inspired British plus-size fashion brand, will make its UAE debut on October 9 on Elabelz, an online-shopping platform in Dubai.

Designer Ojoma Idegwu, who began her career as a plus-size model, launched Dear Curves in 2013. It has since found favour with American musician Jazmine Sullivan and Empire actress Gabourey Sidibe, who even wore the label as head of A&R Becky Williams on the drama series.

The brand is known for its contemporary, minimal silhouettes and luxurious fabrics.

Click through the gallery above to see the Dear Curves x Elabelz capsule collection, which has a number of African wax prints, and is made from jacquard, silk and satin.

Plus-size models in the spotlight

Ashley Graham is, arguably, the most popular body-positivity activist of recent times. The American model is constantly challenging narrow ideals of female beauty.  "Yes, there are bad days, but I think that's just being a woman," Graham told The National in an exclusive interview.

Ashley Graham for Prabal Gurung during New York Fashion Week 2018. Photo: Getty Images

"Sometimes you roll out of bed and you don’t want to wear a body-con dress, because you don’t feel your best. It doesn’t mean that I don’t like my body or I wish I had a different body. I try to celebrate my body every day."

Closer to home, Ameni Esseibi is making waves as the Arab world's first plus-sized model. "People are very insecure about bigger sizes in this part of the world, and I would always be treated as such a novelty for appearing so secure and confident as a curvier teenager, as if I shouldn't be that way," says the 21-year-old, who is of French-Tunisian descent and has lived in Dubai for the past 15 years.

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A post shared by Ameni Esseibi ~ أماني اسيبي (@ameniesseibi)

“We are in a judgemental environment here in the Arab world, and not all of us have the strength to face that judgement. I just wanted to change that, to show how gorgeous any woman can be just the way she is.”

In other heartening news, Rihanna's Fenty and Nike both recently unveiled plus-size and para-sport mannequins, that were full-chested and curvy-hipped with realistically proportioned waistlines.

Mannequins at Nike's London flagship store