by Paula Fischer-Fodor and Marta Aiello
“Fed up of being told what to wear and how to look by society I thought ‘I’m just going to redefine that by myself’.”
Queen MoJo, also known as Josephine Morondiya, is a dancer, model, reality TV star and mental health advocate. The 30-year-old is a powerful woman who decided to embrace her size rather than hide away from it.
She sings Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ to remind herself to not stop believing, and to place down her hopes in the direction of better things.
You might know her from ITV’s Peckham’s Finest or Celebrity MasterChef, but her fans know her through her social media presence in advocating for body positivity and campaigning against body shaming. That’s why she was invited to speak at the London Metropolitan University Newsweek panel on sizeism in fashion, and what we can do to make the industry more inclusive.
A physical activity enthusiast
Queen Mojo loves cycling. She has been brought up in the countryside and bike riding has always been one of her favourite things to do. Unfortunately, she has been ridiculed by society for doing something she loves just because of her physical appearance.
“Whenever I’m cycling past a car or just a group of men, they start clapping and say, ‘well done’. And I’m thinking ‘Do you think I’m exercising for you? Do you think this is just a weight loss program?’ No. I’m actually just a fat woman having some fun.”
A hobby that turned into a dream come true
Queen Mojo is a professional dancer and has featured in music videos for artists of the likes of John Legend and Wiley. A big opportunity arose in 2019, as she was selected to share the stage with Lizzo at Glastonbury. She talks about how she landed the job and their recent collaboration for the BRITs down below.
Becoming a plus-size model
Back then, she was working a full-time office job which no longer fulfilled her. She stopped and asked herself what her dreams were and how she could get back on the stage, the environment she thrived and felt happy in.
“I just said ‘You literally have nothing to lose. Go for it. What’s stopping you from just achieving those dreams. You’ve lost everything else that didn’t fulfill you anyway. So why not find something that makes you happy, that fills you up with joy, that allows you to represent a demographic of people that don’t get represented in the same way?”
She renders her experience as a plus-size model nerve-wracking.
“As much as you embody this confidence and this beautiful energy or love, I can’t help but look around me and see that I’m usually the biggest one, the darkest skinned one. You’re really having to fight those mental battles by yourself. Eventually, once you get over that hurdle, there’s nothing that you can’t do. I genuinely believe that.”
Queen Mojo on Does size matter?
On the debate of the night, ‘Does size matter?’, she argued that size always matters.
“Big people, small people, skinny people, tall people, white people, slim people, those always existed. Bodies have always existed, and it is a shame that in fashion especially that’s not accounted for. Brands extending their sizes is not genuine [and] its mostly to do with money. They realized they can make money off fat people’s tears and that frustrates me a lot.”
Gill Wood, emcee for the panel, piped in with the idea that there is a lack of spontaneity for curvier people. On this, Queen Mojo talked about the hashtag #PutThatDressOn she started a few years ago to motivate women to wear what they want, regardless of the way their body looked like.
“What I do is pretty small. You need to do it. We need to lead the change ourselves,” said Queen Mojo, emphasizing the need for wider involvement for change.
During the panel discussion, she argued that the designer expectations of their customers are set on a ‘dusty old framework’. She encourages people to give their money to support other brands that work towards size inclusivity for all. The plus-size women’s clothing market is valued at $193.9 billion, which should be reason enough for a change.
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