Thanks to social media, being a model in this day and age isn’t limited to just having good bone structure. The world’s most successful models are using their voices and platforms to champion a host of cases, from period poverty to mental health taboos. Jada Sezer is one such model whose trailblazing the body-inclusivity conversation and encouraging her followers to love the skin they’re in.
Having just worked London Fashion Week in partnership with Nivea’s latest black and white LFW deodorant, Jada sits down with us to chat about what being ‘plus size’ in the fashion industry really means, how she uses social media positively and the beauty secrets she swears by…
The rise of body positivity campaigns
Personally I think it’s brilliant we’re seeing more body types. I’m sceptical that it’s tokenistic and I’m sceptical that it’s for promotional publicity reasons, but at the same time I think whatever people’s motivations are, at least we’re seeing it now, so be it, but at least we’re finally seeing diversity. I’m interested in seeing a curvy girl in a space and it’s not just be about because she’s curvy. I do talk about my body confidence, but that’s not my sole narrative online, that’s not the focus of my social media channels and the stories I tell.
The positivity she gets from others online
In the last 6 years we’ve seen an influx of women of other sizes taking pictures of themselves and putting themselves out there and being confident about it and hopefully having the bravery and courage to do that even if they’re not necessarily that confident right now, they know that they’re on a journey and they appreciate that.
Using the term ‘plus size’
I think the fashion industry itself is realising how lucrative it is to create plus size sizing. I think the term ‘plus sizing’ is eventually going to be squashed, I mean I hope that’s the case. Even now when people say ‘Jada Sezer the plus size model’, I get a lot of my followers saying ‘why is it plus size? You’re just a model!’, and I believe it too. I do the same job as all the other girls. When I first started in the industry, I specifically used the term ‘plus size’ because I wanted to squash the taboo, because I found the fashion industry so ridiculous because that is the section I was placed in. I was on the plus size board, and so I was like this is weird, but hold on, if I own that word, maybe I can help redefine it. It’s quite scary when you’re termed as a plus size woman, it’s kind of hush hush. Back in the day it was called ‘out sizing’, you know you’re on the outside, so the term for a larger woman has always been really kind of a negative thing, but I don’t feel like I need to own that word as much because people understand it now. Like we see plus size as sexy now, that’s how we’ve been able to rebrand it.
The backlash of championing body positivity
Trolls and comments from people that are keyboard warriors that spread negativity and hate and are able to still remain anonymous are always going to be hateful. I was asked to be on Love Island this season and looked at the tabloid comment boxes saying something along the lines of ‘well no one would pick her anyway, so what’s the point of her going on the show going to be because no one would find her attractive’. There’s certain taboos and stigmas attached to certain body types which is what we’re trying to redefine, is that if you’re a larger person it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are just a slob who sits around on the sofa and doesn’t care about how you look, you have low self-esteem and low confidence.
I never want to be a slave to anything, and so I never want to feel like I’m only worthy if my face looks like a full face of makeup on Instagram, the reality is it’s unrealistic, but it’s burdensome and for me it’s sad. I have a big family and a lot of nieces and I never want them to ever feel like they can only see themselves as enough like that, so I think it’s interesting where we’re going. As kids in my generation, we had the innocence of just being free and just living and not being self aware of how we look, we never looked at ourselves as much. I think that’s partly the reason the pressure of having this really perfect, refined face is a trend.
Her must-have beauty products
Day to day I wear a really light cream, I have a face spray or toner that I use to keep my skin hydrated and then I’ll literally have three products in my bag: mascara, concealer and some Nivea lip balm. I’m a massive fan of stripped back products that are natural. My secret weapon is pure rosehip oil smothered on at night from Neal’s Yard.
Some of her makeup hacks
I’m a really big fan of brown, bronze eyeshadow and so I often use my bronzer as an eyeshadow. I use the same colour so it gives a warmth to my cheeks but then it’s also that matte brown autumnal colour on my eyes as well. I’ve got brown eyes and for olive skin it really pops. I also use Stila’s convertible colour on my cheeks as a blusher, but it gives you a really dewy finish, and you can put it on your lips as well. You can even put it on your eyes if you want dewy eyelids, but it’s one product that can be used throughout the day and it gives you that fresh, just got out of the gym, really glowy dewy look.
Jada is working with NIVEA, who is celebrating its second-year partnership with London Fashion Week with a new limited edition NIVEA x London Fashion Week Black & White Invisible Deodorant, inspired by the latest fashion trends straight off the catwalk
