Curvy and confident plus-size model, Corrine Mensah, has been crowned this year’s winner of the UK’s top plus size modelling competition, Ms Curvaceous UK.
The event took place at the Hangar (London fields), on Sunday, 14th May 2018, and for the first time in its history saw a tie prompting Theodore Ilori, founder of Ms Curvaceous UK, to announce that the winner would be decided by a final showdown; leading to an unrehearsed face-off style catwalk between Corrine and fellow contestant, Chloe Fiducia.
Corrine’s interview with BBC World News following her winning the competition caused quite a stir and gained lots of support for her stance with over the recent ‘fat tax’ fiasco. She has also been on Al Jazeera, discussing hot topics within the fashion industry and injustice against curvier women.
As part of the winner’s prize, Corrine will be flown out to LA to shoot a fashion campaign for Xehar Curvy. Additional prizes for her include an exclusive feature in Style and Curve Magazine, a cash prize of £500 and a 12-month Modelling contract from Ms Curvaceous UK.
The average sized woman in the UK (as research has pointed out) is a size 16. Despite the fashion world’s recent advances in size inclusion, decades of conditioning from the media regarding the “ideal body type” has left millions of women with low self-esteem – a situation the organising body aims at tackling. Ms Curvaceous UK is a Model management company that runs a massive female empowerment campaign and the biggest modelling competition in Europe for models ranging from a size 12 and above, aiming at changing beauty perspectives worldwide. The founder, Theodore Ilori says: “Being born unique is a blessing exclusive to you”.
Every year, hundreds of women attend the agencies body confidence, modelling and beauty workshops, then audition to compete for the title, Ms Curvaceous UK.
This year’s show opened with a swimwear catwalk for the designer, Work Your Curves, which was styled by Sharif Robert Ofori and had the audience on their feet, cheering as the contestants took to the runway with confidence during a live performance from the UK’s rising star, Levelle London.
When it seemed like the catwalk was over, a second eruption in the audience occurred as male models surprisingly appeared on stage to join the curvy ladies on the runway with sexy and stylish choreography, put together by renowned Catwalk Coach, Reuben P Joseph.
For the second year the event was hosted by International Ms Beauty Curve and Plus Size Blogger, Kat Henry, who once again kept the audience energised and engaged every step of the way.
Remaining true to its message on diversity, Sia from “The Disgusted Campaign” (striving for diversity in the fashion industry), was invited to launch Ms Curvaceous UK’s trademark audience catwalk; a short segment during the show that allows members of the audience regardless of shape, size, gender, ability or race gets to strut their stuff on the runway. This year the participants included beauty queens, kings, parents, kids and more!
