By Nomali Cele
On an unseasonably chilly spring morning, Ouma Teme unveiled her new swimwear collection while she was a guest for the My Top 10 at 10 feature on the Best T in The City with T-bose Mokwele. Ouma Tema’s 4 October appearance on the show coincided with the launch of her brand’s first plus size swimwear collection.
Born and raised in Namakgale, Limpopo, Ouma Tema went on to study Public Management at TUT in Garankuwa, where she was a student leader. In conversation with Tbose, Ouma Tema shared her journey to becoming a fashion designer after having grown up struggling shopping. Her fashion business, Plus-Fab, grew out of her own frustration with the fashion available to plus size women, which she was constantly altering to fit her style. She got positive feedback for her altered fashions and that’s where the seed for her business was planted.
“Sales assistants don’t treat you right,” said Tema speaking about her experience as a plus size customer. “It’s like your money has calories!”
Ouma Tema said she wanted to be the change she wanted to see in the world and that was the foundations of her business.
Sharing her new line of swimwear, Ouma Tema and her entourage of models spent the duration of the interview wearing the new garments. She showcased four swimming costumes as well as two cover-ups. The swimwear that was showed to our Kaya TV audience, where we broadcast all our My Top 10 at 10 interviews, comprised of three one-piece costumes and one two-piece bikini. Tema highlighted that each costume was designed with the plus size customer’s concerns in mind: a bit of a runch in the stomach area, a fuller bikini bottom.
“I design what I want to buy with my own money and I buy my stuff,” Tema told T-bose.
The Plus-Fab swimwear Ouma Tema showcased on The Best T in The City is fun and flirty. From slogans to playful prints and the classic polka dots. The hum around Kaya House was all about how confident and inspiring Ouma Tema and the models all were — not to mention fabulous!
“You don’t have to like us but we are here,” said Tema.
Listen to the conversation below and look out for the video on Kaya TV