PLUS-SIZE MENSWEAR IS A THING

Words: Daniël Geldenhuys | Images: Simon Deiner

“I wanted to lose weight because I wanted to fit in,” recalls stylist-turned-designer Jade Campbell. He recently showed his debut collection of plus-size menswear in Cape Town, just in time to ignite a conversation that hopes to set a different tone for local menswear. Campbell’s pivotal moment was realising that trying to conform to mainstream “skinny cut” standards – to please others – was counterproductive. “I got to the stage where I became comfortable with who I am and I realised that I need to do things for me and no one else. I need to create something for guys who are going through what I’m going through: clothes for someone to be able to put on, look at themselves and be like, f*ck I look amazing.”

An open casting call attracted a diverse group of South African plus-size men, including a teacher, scientist, engineer and butcher. After booking and measuring his cast, Campbell had just under two weeks to make the runway samples. Given Cape Town’s unstable fashion design infrastructure, producing 13 looks (almost half of which featured customised prints no less) is a daunting feat – a testament to Campbell’s passion and determination.

So how do you live up to the daunting prospect of designing the country’s first plus-size menswear fashion rage? For Campbell, it meant adapting familiar styles and silhouettes into more appropriate sizing. The collection’s greatest strength is its familiarity: the way the clothes effortlessly expand the current menswear vocabulary instead of opting for some avant-garde style with the effect of othering the plus-size category. That spirit was perfectly embodied by the bold-colour trucker jackets that bookended the show: accessible trophy pieces exempt from seasons and trends.

The collection covered ample dress-code territory, from a tie-dye print hoodie tracksuit to a scarf-print formal shirt with tailored black trousers. Occupying the middle ground between formal and casual are a range of pyjama-style pieces that prioritised equal parts comfort and style.

Frustration with the current market offering is another significant motivator for Campbell. “We’re all busy. We want easy, accessible things,” he says, lamenting how he always has to have trousers shortened and shirts adjusted to fit him properly. The ultimate success of this venture will be determined next year when he takes these pieces to market. Interspersed with the runway presentation were clips of the models telling their personal stories of feeling excluded from the fashion narrative in a cultural malfunction that boils down to sizing: demand and lack of supply. If their beaming confidence in Campbell’s collection is anything to go by, there’s a brighter future in store.