Why looking good has nothing to do with what you weigh

Bonolo Mataboge could never find quite the right fit when it came to clothing. She isn’t skinny. And while most stores offered larger sizes, finding cuts specifically for women with curves was a challenge. Now an emerging fashion designer, she is changing that dynamic with a fashion range for plus-size women.

Mataboge has been confronted by the resrictive norms of appearance her whole life. She has a growth disorder called Blount’s disease, which caused one of her legs to grow shorter and more inward than the other. But despite her on-going disagreement with the clothing world’s body standards, Mataboge was intrigued by design and entered fashion school. She was forced to drop out after picking up an infection in her weaker leg. Undeterred, Mataboge launched her brand for plus-sized women after recovering.

Her style is governed by geometry and influenced by Ndebele culture. There’s a plethora of inspiration in South Africa that Mataboge taps into and reveals in her clothing line. Mataboge’s range been well-received so far. But to her it’s much more than a business. She’s headlining the body positivity movement. With Africa as her base, she’s out to prove that all women are beautiful.