Like CNN’s Richard Quest, Latasha Ngwube truly means business. Her goal is putting plus size women on the run ways of top fashion shows in not only Africa but the world; a dream she had nursed for six years and finally like its time for her dreams to be heard she got a spot to showcase her #AboutThatCurvyLife Collectives at this year’s Heineken Lagos Fashion & Designers Week which kicks off this week. The big bold, curvy and sexy Latasha Ngwube has seen it all, from being on the media and TV for almost a decade even when fat people are being stereotyped to traveling the world. We can’t wait to see what she and her team has in store for us at LFDW showcase. Here’s an exclusive interview granted to Chiazor Daniel Of Glamsquad Magazine at #AboutThatCurvyLife Press Briefing for Lagos Fashion & Designer’s Week last week. She shares her strengths, secrets and plans to make plus size women feel confident about themselves again.
So #Aboutthatcurvylife, How did it all start?
It’s really something I have always wanted to do, I have been trying to do it for the last six years but I couldn’t find my voice; I couldn’t find a name. It took me four years before I could find a name. When I found a name, I was like what am I going to do with this name? And then I was taking a trip to New York last year, I registered for a series of Plus size fashion events in America; fashion week and all that. So when I was going, I was like I can’t just go like that; I have to document this for my platform called AboutThatCurvyLife. I started an instagram handle the day I was travelling. I was like I will meet different people and document the journey on the instagram handle. I went and then I saw what they were doing, I saw bloggers, girls making money; you know representatives of brands. I was like but I can do this in Nigeria, so after that I came back and started a website but I didn’t like what I had put together so I abandoned it but I continued with the instagram for another year until this year. I went to America again and then I came back in April and I said to myself, I am going to do this again so I started the graphics design, I got writers writing and then I went back to New York for another plus event fashion week; this time we had a better idea and we are more prepared. When we came back, we were like now we know what we are trying to do. And then the idea to be part of Lagos fashion and Designers week was born so we began to talk with them and then we got a spot.
Latasha at New York Fashion Week
You speak about body image; do you consider yourself to be a role model to girls who don’t fit in the norm?
Well, I think to call myself a role model; I don’t know if am bold enough to do that. People say that I am, people reach out to me, people stop me on the way and say “are you this person” I love how you dress, I wish I could be like you and then I say to them You can! Maybe I am but what I do know is that I live what I believe which is, you have every right to want to be stylish; to want to feel attractive, to want to feel empowered. And I believe that has to be a message that we teach, that who you are and what you look doesn’t determine the outcome of your life. I have lived a rich life and am only in my early 30s, I have worked on TV even when they said fat people can’t be on TV; I have traveled the world, I have made friends, I have great friends, I have a lovely family who love me. I don’t think your outside should reflect where you are going. It shouldn’t be a deterrent to how to do what you want and what you want to achieve.
Latasha on the set of Glamsquad TV show
So you have been in the industry for almost a decade now, where can you say the industry is currently heading to; do you think that plus size girls would be accepted in the fashion industry someday?
Well, we are doing it I mean it’s definitely why we are here. It’s not about us being accepted, we are preaching inclusion. Because every now and then you find people complaining like I don’t find my size, am too slim, am too this. What we are saying is everyone is beautiful in their own way; everyone has their unique thing that makes them special. No one is more special than the other. We hope that this is the beginning of so much more to come, that there can be inclusion of all types in fashion shows and we are proud to championing this pioneers; Am really grateful to Intel.
Latasha at #AboutThatCurvyLife Press Briefing For LFDW showcase
What were the challenges getting the designers, getting the models for LFDW Showcase?
Well, it wasn’t a walk in the park but it wasn’t really as difficult as we thought. We put out a call for models like three days before the model casting; we had like fifty something girls show up. The ones who couldn’t make it because it was on Independence Day, they sent messages, email, instagram messages and I am still receiving messages until today. So they are out there and when you are so passionate about something, the work is there because the body isn’t made of wood but it’s easier than you think and your passion keeps you going.
So what can you say about the kind of woman you have grown into over the years?
Wow, resilient, focused, so much more focused. More religious as well because without God am nothing, his strength, his love has given me everything; I draw courage from him every day. More compassionate as well, I have become more compassionate in person, a little more tolerant and more optimistic, better planner; less prone to procrastination. I am really more thankful of my win over my losses.
What do you have to say to people out there who are trying to do something but are still procrastinating about it?
Look for someone who’s opinion can count and share your idea with them and let them help you critic it in a way that is constructive so that you will know you are unto something that is truly valuable. Although that is not always the case but let us work with that for example and then after that mark it out, figure out how to get from the point you are to the next point; don’t over think it. Everything will come but you must plan, you must dedicate time; it’s not going to come over night. Like I shared with you guys, I barely had rest in the last six days. Know that everything has a time and place, so there would be a time to rest after work had passed, there would be a time to rip after you have gotten the crops. So take it one step at a time, one day at a time; take focus. Surround yourself with things that would feed your passion and feed your dreams. You can’t wake up and soak yourself in reality TV from morning to night and you say you are dreaming of something great, you are watching someone else’s dream; you are immersing yourself in someone else’s dream. No, you have to surround yourself with the things that will build your own dreams and then it would happen.
