Guests enjoying the Nebulous activation by Infamy Apparel for FATFEB. Image by Pati Tyrell.
In the fashion world, we use the term plus size to describe clothing made for people who wear size 14+. That’s how I referred to my body for a long time, but when I joined the world of body liberation and fat activism, I started using the word fat as a self descriptor. A term that describes me in the same neutral way I’d describe myself as being short, Māori and having brown eyes.
Fat isn’t a neutral term for everyone though – for some people it’s loaded with violence and negative connotations. Memories of comments about our bodies, sharp barbs designed to cut us down and make us feel small. For FATFEB, a grassroots neighbourhood arts festival dedicated to radical fat body sovereignty, it’s a reclamation.
FATFEB 2021 is described as “a love letter to our fat, BBIPOC [Black, Brown, Indigenous, people of colour], queer community, and by centralising art and visibility of our fat bodies, stands as a call to action for society at large to destigmatise the fat experience, confront the intersectional systems of fatphobia, and divest from the perceived morality of fat.”
Nebulous activation by Infamy Apparel. Images by Pati Tyrell.
A wave of sheer delight rippled through the crowd as we entered the Vunilagi Vou gallery in Papatoetoe for the launch night of FATFEB 2021. As we walked into a garden filled with shimmering lights, Infamy Apparel‘s Nebulous activation surprised and enchanted guests, with models moving to music on podiums that lifted them up so they were towering above us. The outfits that designer Amy Lautogo created were breathtaking (actual gasps were heard!), including a white ostrich feather tiered gown that measured ten feet in length, that I heard multiple people saying they wished they could wear.
There is something really powerful about seeing high fashion garments like this on people who look like me. People with fat brown bodies who are often not represented in fashion. That is the point of not just this launch event, but all of FATFEB. To both centre and celebrate fat people. To talk about the issues that affect us, to share art and culture and community, to come together and connect with one another.
MahMah Timoteo, Siobhan Tumai and Meagan Kerr at the FATFEB Talanoa. Photo by Pati Tyrell.
Facilitated by FATFEB 2021 Creative Director Amy Lautogo, the Talanoa with myself, Siobhan Tumai and MahMah Timoteo was full of big conversations about fat activism, being visible, finding joy and how the fat experience intersects with other aspects of our lives. We talked about mental health, navigating healthcare and dealing with fatphobia – both the overt kind and the microaggressions that chip away at us daily. Talking to other people who just get it, without having to explain why stepping into the dressing room can be an intimidating experience, or the hoops we have to jump through to get adequate medical treatment, that’s a powerful thing. Having that shared lived experience, the unspoken knowing of what it’s like, it makes you feel less alone.
MahMah Timoteo, Siobhan Tumai and Meagan Kerr at the FATFEB Talanoa. Photo by Pati Tyrell.
FATFEB also saw the launch of the FAT CHATS podcast with the FAT GAL PALS collective – Ria Hiroki, Amy Lautogo and Elyssia Wilson-Heti. This has been published over the course of three weeks (check it out on Spotify) and shares an interesting discussion between the three wāhine on the fat life experience, including their relationship with the word fat and tackling some myths about fatness.
Sometimes being fat can be isolating. Fatphobia is ingrained into our society and it is violent – at times it’s hard to be sure if a space is safe or not. Comments both in person and online can go unchallenged. Considerations about seat size/suitability can discourage us from participating in events. Even things like eating in public can bring a well founded fear of judgement. The space for FATFEB was created by our community, for our community, and the kaupapa of radical fat body sovereignty was clear. This was a safe space and it’s something that we need more of.
Life drawing at FATFEB. Photo courtesy of Vunilagi Vou.
FATFEB 2021’s programme also included the PUSSY FAT exhibition with new work from from Sara Moana and Ema Tavola on erotic energy, body sovereignty and embodied activism; and a life drawing session facilitated by artist Leilani Kake. Seeing different sizes and shapes represented in art gets you thinking about the folds and lines that make up our bodies, and the texture of our skin from an artistic perspective – it made me look at my own body differently, to appreciate it in a different way.
Life drawing at FATFEB. Photos courtesy of Vunilagi Vou.d
Two COVID-19 lockdowns in February saw the FATFEB team having to pivot, and change the way some of the programme was presented in order to protect our community. They took this in their stride, with the scheduled performances of Only I Can Name Me by Elyssia Wilson-Heti and Ria Hiroki postponed and now planned to take place online in early March.
We’ve long talked about the need for more inclusion of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, abilities and genders – not just in the fashion world, but all aspects of life. Having spaces like FATFEB that prioritise Tangata Whenua and Moana Oceania artists and audiences, and celebrate and centre fat people and experiences, that are created and run by the people they’re for is crucial. And if you’re part of the mainstream, wanting to know how you can show up and support us? Amplify our voices; buy our art or our clothes or tickets to our shows; and take the time to learn from what we’re saying instead of speaking over us.
Meagan Kerr also writes at This is Meagan Kerr.
Images: Launch event and Talanoa photography by Pati Tyrell. Life drawing photos courtesy of Vunilagi Vou.