By Megan Smith
Oh my, got them thunder thighs, boom clack, they smack when I stride.
Miss Eaves’ 2017 hit song “Thunder Thighs”—which became a summer anthem for thick girls everywhere—reverberates through the speakers. Five plus-size models, dressed head-to-toe in vintage ‘80s fashion, strike poses that shamelessly show off the self-love they hold for their bodies (and give Olivia Newton John a run for her money).
Leading the pack is Nikki G, an Atlanta-based plus-size model, creative, and pansexual woman. Nikki is the driving force behind the project, fittingly titled “When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t,” that aims to change the narrative around plus-size models. “Whenever someone sees a fat person loving themselves, the first thing that comes to mind is, ‘Oh, they need to go on a diet,’ or ‘Oh, well, their health sucks’” she explains. “Why can’t you just let them love themselves?”Nikki, who was formerly a cruise ship game show host, began modeling about a year and a half ago after seeing a call for plus-size models from a friend of a friend on Facebook. “I jokingly replied that I wasn’t a model, but if they needed someone, I’d be down.” To her surprise, the fashion designer wrote back, said she loved Nikki’s look, and, a few months later, she was modeling in her first photoshoot for an extended sizes fashion line. That gig led to more modeling shoots and fashion shows, and soon, Nikki found herself succeeding in a career she never anticipated.
“If you can make women who have felt so othered and unappreciated just because of their body types feel empowered and like they’re enough as they are now, that’s enough.” -Nikki G. Photo by Natalia Frykman.
Shortly after she entered the industry, however, she began to recognize the lack of representation for plus-size women, especially those size 18-plus. “What I noticed pretty quickly was that I started becoming the token plus-size model on set,” Nikki says. “There were all these size zero to four models, and then me. I’ve gained weight since then, but at the time [I entered the modeling industry], I was about a 12 or 14, and that’s the ‘acceptable’ plus-size. [In plus-size modeling], it’s like ‘Yeah, you can be a size 12 or 14, but don’t be any bigger than that.’”
Nikki also noticed the shoots she was booking tended to be confined to plus-size brands and lingerie shoots. “I wanted to start doing more art [shoots] to help show plus-size women in a different light—not just as mannequins for plus wear or in fetishized swimwear or lingerie.” So, along with an all-female creative team, Nikki embarked on a five-month journey to create “When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t.” “I really wanted to focus on women who are size 18-plus—women that are outside society’s ‘acceptable’ range,” Nikki says of the project. “I wanted to [showcase something other than] the size 12 or 14 hourglass shape that is so mainstream right now.”
“When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t” model Caty (c). Photo by Natalia Frykman.
“The body positive movement has become so mainstream, but really it’s been hijacked,” she adds. “Body positivity first started out as a movement for marginalized communities—plus women, trans, black, Muslim folks, the ‘others.’ Then, the media came in and [made people realize], ‘Oh, there’s money to be made here.’ We then saw the body positive movement hijacked by thin women who are also promoting weight loss gimmicks and [taken away from] a community that was trying to use it as a way to be proud of and accept their bodies that fall outside of the mainstream norms. So when I put out model calls, I ask for models size 18-plus, women of color, queer women, and trans women to show the broad spectrum of the plus-size community.” Most of the women featured in “When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t” were first-time models, she notes.
(l to r) Models Jennie, Candy, T’Arica, Nikki G, and Caty. Photo by Natalia Frykman.
The video’s neon-lit concept, Nikki explains, was inspired by both Beyonce’s “Blow” and Janelle Monáe’s “Make Me Feel.” The brightly-colored costumes were donated by vintage clothing shops in the Atlanta area. “It’s cool, because when you think of vintage clothes, you don’t normally think of plus-size bodies,” Nikki says. “I really wanted to see everything—I wanted to see rolls, stretch marks, anything that would normally be airbrushed.”
When asked about the impact of the project, Nikki shares a story about Candy, one of the models featured in the shoot. “When they finished doing her makeup, she looked in the mirror and just said ‘I feel so beautiful.’ All the models were dancing in their outfits—it was just a feel-good environment where everyone was feeling themselves. After the shoot was over, I sat in my car in front of the studio for a good 45 minutes crying. It was just so beautiful—everyone felt so empowered in their bodies. That right there, that’s enough. If you can make women who have felt so othered and unappreciated just because of their body types feel empowered and like they’re enough as they are now, that’s enough.”
“When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t” model Candy. Photo by Natalia Frykman.
Nikki plans on adding three more installments to the project this year, and is already making progress on the next shoot. The second installment, she reveals, will take its inspiration from the plus-size nude women featured in Renaissance paintings. “Pretty much, it’s going to be plus women, nude in nature, getting drunk and living life to the fullest,” she laughs.
Keep up with “When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t” and Nikki G by following her on Instagram at @itsnikki.g.
