Size 20 And Proud Of It

Proud enough to take part in an international beauty pageant. Winning the crown helped her find her voice to be an advocate for body inclusivity.

- Hoe I Yune

Fiona Tan turns up at our photo shoot nursing a terrible cold, but is determined to make things work. Her body may be under the weather, but her spirit doesn’t flag – talking to her, you feel that this is a woman who gets you, and is in your corner.

Fiona, 31, stands at 1.70m tall and weighs in at 102kg. At her heaviest, she was 106kg. A self-taught makeover artist who offers beauty and styling advice, Fiona is proof of her ethos: If you feel good and make an effort with your dressing, you’ll exude confidence in the body you’re in. She runs a makeover business that operates on body inclusivity; 10 per cent of her clients are plus-sized.

Fiona knew she wanted to spread a message of body positivity, but what really catapulted her into the public eye was when she won the inaugural edition of the international beauty pageant, Ms Top of the World Plus Size, in 2016. It was the platform she needed to build a community of like-minded people.

It began by chance. Fiona was approached to audition for the pageant, which was open to women of a UK size 16 and above. Seeing it as an opportunity to share her story, she travelled to Latvia, where the pageant was held. She was the only Asian participant, but she bonded with her fellow contestants. The group was close-knit, sharing stories about bullies who fat-shamed them in their childhood. She eventually walked away with more than just the title and a tiara – she also got a sisterhood.

HER OPTIMISM SAW HER THROUGH CHILDHOOD BULLYING

But Fiona hadn’t always championed her size. She ballooned at the age of eight, when her concerned grandmother kept encouraging her to eat after a bout of chickenpox. Her weight gain was also down to genetics – she comes from a family that puts on weight easily (case in point: one of her brothers gained 5kg in as many days while on holiday).