Drum – 15 August 2019

http://www.drum.co.za 15 AUGUST (^2019) | 69
who wears the same size but
who’s shaped differently to me”.
“We’re all unique, that’s what
makes us human. We should
celebrate our differences,not
use them to discriminate.”
“I don’t even know what sizeI
am anymore because it differs
according to the store I buymy
clothes from,” Beulah adds. “And
I’m shaped very weirdly: mytopisa
small, so is my waist, then myhiparea
is a large, then I’m small again whenit
comes to my legs, so really, will I ever
know?” she says laughing.
The debate around their size hasput
a spotlight on the beauty standardsin
modelling and pageants. On Twitter,one
user said Miss SA didn’t know the mean-
ing of plus size, while another accused
the competition of trying to pushthe
plus-size label to seem more inclusive.
While many social media users praised
the inclusivity of the Top 16, othersfelt
singling some contestants out asfuller-
figured did more harm than good.
Miss South Africa CEO StephanieW il
felt compelled to weigh in on thema
“It’s a model term,” she told TVnew
the modelling industry, if you’reanyt
other than a sample size, or sizez
you get dubbed a plus-size model.S
not that we dubbed them. It’s howth
identified and by no means has anyt
to do with being overweight or anyt
like that.”
Beulah doesn’t think it’s fairfor
public to lay the blame at the organ
feet. “This is the first time the page
has such a diverse group of girlsw
represent groups of people who’veb
forgotten for so long,” she says.
“We can’t expect anythingdon
the first time to go smoothly. Could
have handled the situation better?
Could I have handled it better?Defi
ly. We’re all learning together,ta
notes and becoming better. Andho
ly, I’m grateful to be part of a news
disrupting the norms that havetri
diminish the value of South Africang
Sasha-Lee agrees. “We can’t putth
sponsibility on the organisersbec
they aren’t models, they don’t know
narrative and they haven’t gonethr
the experiences I went throughin
industry,” she says.
“It’s on me to educate peopleusingmy
experiences and hopefully opentheeyes
of the powers that be in the modelling
and beauty industry.”

T

HE women refuse

to let the backlash

break them. Both

Beulah and Sasha-

Lee want South Afri-

can girls and young

women to be comfortable in

their own skin. They want

women to celebrate the unique

cesthat make them stand out.

Thecurrent crop of finalists are fierce

womenwith purpose, Sasha-Lee says.

“I’ve never met a group of young women

who care so much about humanity and

have a unique passion.”

Beulah feels the same way. “I know

everyone says this, but I’ve made some

really cool friends and sisters here. It’s

quite incredible to watch all these intel-

lectual women who are driven by some-

thing bigger than superficial things.

“We have a message or five to spread,”

she says, chuckling. “And we’re all pas-

sionate about humanity and the people

whoare often sidelined by society be-

causeof how they look or anything

th t’sunique to them, really.”

venthoughthey’reallvyingforthe

mecrown (see page 67), the Top 16

vegrown quite close in the short time

y’veknown one another. “Sometimes

ellike I’m not competing to become

ssSAbecause the bond we have is un-

l,”Sasha-Lee says. “I know that with

mI’m safe and cared for. We’re good

ndsand we look out for one another.”

Apartfrom her family and friends, she

s the other women were her pillars of

ength when the storm around their

eserupted. “They asked me if I want

alkabout it, and when I said no, they

e me a brush on the arm and contin-

d asif nothing had happened.

Forme, that brush was reassurance

t I am heard. I appreciated the re-

ctfor my choice not to immediately

akabout it. It’s like, they make you

l ‘normal’. They didn’t react to what

washappening, they were just them,

andthat’s exactly whatI needed.”

It just goes to showreal queens fix one

another’s crowns.

Baduzawereintroducedas“plus-size”

modelsbytheorganisers,andthisdidn’t

sit well with some people. But the models

are happy it’s sparked a conversation about

unrealistic beauty standards.

t d t I s y

d differenc

‘There are many girls

who’d love to become

models but the industry

shuts them out’

a a t r t n d e d t

Weil

atter.

ws. “In

thing

zero,

So it’s

hey’re

thing

thing

rthe

isers’

eant

who

been

e for

dthey

?Ye s.

inite-

aking

nest-

start,

ed to

girls.”

here-

cause

wmy

ough

nthe

ng my

tha

Ev

sam

hav

they

Ifee

Mis

real

them

frien

A

says

stre

size

tot

gav

ued

“F

tha

spe

spe

feel

was

FROMTOP:MissSAannouncedthetop 16

contestantswho’llbecompetingforthe

crown. Sasha-Lee Olivier and Beulah

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