Authors
September 1st, 2022
The Curve Collective: Plus Size Market
Kia ora koutou! I’m Tayla Taylor – Project Lead for Puāwai, Founder of The Curve Collective and the organiser
of the LinC Rourou collaboration – THE PLUS SIZE MARKET!
What is The Plus Size Market? Well, it’s a market celebrating exactly that – all things plus size. Every stall is either selling pre-loved or new plus size clothes size 14 – 30+ OR are fat creators selling handmade goods such as earrings, arts, plants, and more.
Fat? “You can’t say that!” Well, that’s what I imagine some of you might be saying. But actually, we’re part of the fat acceptance movement. Fat acceptance is a social movement that seeks to eliminate the social stigma of fatness from social attitudes by pointing out the social obstacles which are faced by fat people to the general public. In this case, we’re showcasing fat pride through fashion, and challenging the lack of options for plus-size folk by creating a safe and inclusive space just for us!
How did this all come about? In 2019 I noticed more people moving towards promoting and buying second-hand, and wanted to be a part of that shift to help do my bit for the environment. However when I started looking through online sellers I got a rude awakening regarding what was – or more accurately wasn’t – out there for folks my size. So instead of giving up I decided to instead provide what seemed to be missing and 
launched my own side hustle selling second-hand plus-size clothes through Instagram and at markets.
Thus, The Curve Collective was born. It was successful from the get-go. I enjoyed selling at markets the most, and meeting people with the same struggles as me when it came to shopping second hand. Which is when something happened I didn’t quite expect – the name “Collective’ rang true as I started feeling part of a growing community around fat acceptance and liberation. People would come up to my stalls and breathe a sigh of relief as they said “oh finally, a stall with clothes that will fit.” Which is when I began to think, imagine a market where folks walked in and felt that about EVERY stall. From your small-fats, to mid-size, all the way to superfat – where thrifted fashion and secondhand style was truly something every ~body~ could enjoy.
And thus The Plus Size Market was conceived. A market with a kaupapa to celebrate plus size fashion and focus on accessibility. We want to create a space where people feel beautiful, celebrated, and catered for; no matter their shape or size.
In addition to this kaupapa, we also seek to prioritise intersectionality through the people we work with to make the market happen. From the photographer to the DJ, kai provider and graphic designer – we are committed to prioritizing and amplifying the voices of those who are BBIPOC, disabled or from the rainbow community when paid work is involved
Tayla Taylor, Project Lead on Leadership Lab’s Puāwai programme | Founder of The Curve Collective
Our Leadership Lab NZ Rourou programme focusses on amplifying marginalised voices for advocacy and to provoke system change. A wide range of initiatives are being created which all focus on this Kaupapa.
September 1st, 2022
The Curve Collective: Plus Size Market
Kia ora koutou! I’m Tayla Taylor – Project Lead for Puāwai, Founder of The Curve Collective and the organiser of the LinC Rourou collaboration – THE PLUS SIZE MARKET!
What is The Plus Size Market? Well, it’s a market celebrating exactly that – all things plus size. Every stall is either selling pre-loved or new plus size clothes size 14 – 30+ OR are fat creators selling handmade goods such as earrings, arts, plants, and more.
Fat? “You can’t say that!” Well, that’s what I imagine some of you might be saying. But actually, we’re part of the fat acceptance movement. Fat acceptance is a social movement that seeks to eliminate the social stigma of fatness from social attitudes by pointing out the social obstacles which are faced by fat people to the general public. In this case, we’re showcasing fat pride through fashion, and challenging the lack of options for plus-size folk by creating a safe and inclusive space just for us!
How did this all come about? In 2019 I noticed more people moving towards promoting and buying second-hand, and wanted to be a part of that shift to help do my bit for the environment. However when I started looking through online sellers I got a rude awakening regarding what was – or more accurately wasn’t – out there for folks my size. So instead of giving up I decided to instead provide what seemed to be missing and launched my own side hustle selling second-hand plus-size clothes through Instagram and at markets.
Thus, The Curve Collective was born. It was successful from the get-go. I enjoyed selling at markets the most, and meeting people with the same struggles as me when it came to shopping second hand. Which is when something happened I didn’t quite expect – the name “Collective’ rang true as I started feeling part of a growing community around fat acceptance and liberation. People would come up to my stalls and breathe a sigh of relief as they said “oh finally, a stall with clothes that will fit.” Which is when I began to think, imagine a market where folks walked in and felt that about EVERY stall. From your small-fats, to mid-size, all the way to superfat – where thrifted fashion and secondhand style was truly something every ~body~ could enjoy.
And thus The Plus Size Market was conceived. A market with a kaupapa to celebrate plus size fashion and focus on accessibility. We want to create a space where people feel beautiful, celebrated, and catered for; no matter their shape or size.
In addition to this kaupapa, we also seek to prioritise intersectionality through the people we work with to make the market happen. From the photographer to the DJ, kai provider and graphic designer – we are committed to prioritizing and amplifying the voices of those who are BBIPOC, disabled or from the rainbow community when paid work is involved
Tayla Taylor, Project Lead on Leadership Lab’s Puāwai programme | Founder of The Curve Collective
Our Leadership Lab NZ Rourou programme focusses on amplifying marginalised voices for advocacy and to provoke system change. A wide range of initiatives are being created which all focus on this Kaupapa.
Authors