The struggle for plus-size visibility in China

In the context of contemporary Chinese popular aesthetics, the concept of plus-size or “fat” has long stood as the antithesis of “beauty.” Pervasive internet memes and standards — “women should weigh under 110 pounds,” “collarbones deep enough to hold a coin,” “a waist as narrow as an A4 sheet of paper” — have acted like shackles, trapping generations of women in cycles of body anxiety. However, a wave of body positivity has begun to take root. On Chinese platform Xiaohongshu (RedNote), a search for “body inclusivity” yields over 80,000 posts, while “plus-size outfit inspiration” returns 50,000. Even Vogue China, a touchstone for edgy fashion in the country, spotlighted plus-size models Chelsea Zhou and Zhao Li in major editorials last year. And yet, a Google search for “Chinese plus-size models” produces few results in international media. More tellingly, no Chinese plus-size model has risen to prominence on the international fashion week runways. Where is China’s answer to Ashley Graham and Precious Lee? "They haven’t seen us," professional plus-size model Zhao Li tells Jing Daily. The struggles of China’s plus-size models A former judo athlete from Beijing, Zhao first entered the spotlight through a plus-size reality show produced by Yang Tianzhen, widely regarded as China’s leading celebrity super-agent. With her powerful build and candid, irreverent personality, Zhao quickly amassed over 100,000 followers on RedNote. Her bio reads, “The body doesn’t need to shrink; fashion must expand” — a declaration of unapologetic strength that helped her land a contract with Gen Z modeling agency Divinemodels. “Plus-size fashion modeling is still a brand-new concept in China,” Zhao says. Chelsea Zhou’s path has been somewhat different. Before stepping into the role of a plus-size model, she was already signed with PAraS, a prominent modeling agency. Once slender and standing at 178 cm, Zhou was well-suited for both runway shows and campaigns. In 2021, she gained weight. “I hesitated for a while — wondering if I should grit my teeth and slim down again,” she recalls. “But my agent offered a different perspective, suggesting that the plus-size market had real potential. So I decided to take a leap and show the world who I truly am — as I am.” The reality is that plus-size models are still far from widely embraced in China. Even brands that publicly champion body inclusivity have, at times, pulled Zhou from shoots at the last minute. “Agents have worked hard to push me into international markets,” she says. “After interviewing with more than a dozen overseas agencies, the feedback was clear: there’s little to no demand for plus-size models in Milan or Paris. New York and London are more open, but even there, they said I wasn’t ‘big enough.’” Few opportunities at home Chinese designer and LVMH Prize finalist Rui Zhou, known for her commitment to body inclusivity, confirms this disparity. While casting for her show in New York, she encountered several plus-size Asian and Southeast Asian models — but not a single one from mainland China. The root of the problem may still lie at home. Despite the buzz around “body diversity” on Chinese social media, the number of plus-size models signed to legitimate agencies — those with the infrastructure and international reach to place talent abroad — remains vanishingly small. At present, there are three prominent names: Zhao Li with Divinemodels, Chelsea Zhou with PAraS, and Poppy with Tiffany Models. It was Poppy, known for her standout subcultural style, who made history as the first plus-size model from China to appear in Vogue. “Three years ago, with the idea of pursuing modeling as a career, I contacted every modeling agency I could find, and only Tiffany Models responded,” says Poppy. “The founder, Tiffany, told me that no one had ever attempted to work with plus-size models in the Chinese fashion market, but she was willing to give it a try.” “In my work, I slowly realized that most stylists and makeup artists don’t know how to style plus-size models. They really need my advice and help,” Poppy explains. “For some beauty shoots, I have to bring my own wardrobe because the stylists can’t find clothes in sizes larger than medium.” Casting director Airrock agrees: “For any model to break into the international scene, they need a distinct style and a strong portfolio. This is not something a model can accomplish alone — it requires the support of an entire industry. Unfortunately, most fashion professionals lack understanding for plus-size models, which means they have to work many times harder than their smaller-sized counterparts to earn their rightful place.” Is China really body positive? An even more critical issue is that in China, brands claiming to champion body inclusivity are few — and those that do rarely follow through with inclusive products. Even some American brands eager to promote diversity have never featured plus-size Chinese models in their China-based marketing campaigns. Take Victoria’s Secret, for example: despite its rebranding efforts in the U.S. toward greater inclusivity, its Chinese ads continue to showcase models who are tall, slim, and fair-skinned, revealing a stark disconnect between global messaging and local execution. “I long to be on the international stage, just as I longed to become a professional model three years ago,” says Poppy. “I want the world to see a different kind of Chinese image. And once there’s one such example, other plus-size models in China will see hope. Whether this can happen, I believe, entirely depends on how much we crave the opportunity. I’m confident that one day, I will work for a brand like Mowalola, one that truly respects diverse body types.” Here lies the question: Does China really lack a plus-size fashion market? According to global retail research firm Coresight Research, the market for plus-size clothing in China was valued at $10.9 billion in 2020, with annual sales growing by 42%. On China’s largest online retail platform, Taobao, over 600,000 stores advertise themselves as plus-size friendly, but the products are still marketed with phrases like “slimming” or “body-shaping.” From a design perspective, most items lack fashion-forward sensibility, with a focus on affordability rather than trend-driven innovation. Max Niuniu, a freelance plus-size model and dancer, shares that in many of the campaigns she’s worked on, “body inclusivity” efforts felt largely performative. This is because she often wears custom-made garments during shoots, while women with similar body types struggle to fit into the same items sold to the public. “I think many brands hire me because they want to emphasize a diverse, inclusive image, but their products just don’t align with that message,” Max Niuniu says. The gap between representation and reality A clear dichotomy emerges: brands showcase plus-size women as confident and radiant, yet fail to create the fashion conditions that would genuinely enable these women to feel confident. Zhao recalls feeling disappointed during a high-profile editorial shoot for a top fashion magazine, where her body was retouched so excessively that she appeared more like a larger version of a slim model than an authentic representation of plus-size beauty. Of course, this is a direct result of China’ long-standing aesthetic preferences. In 2024, Jia Ling — arguably the only Chinese celebrity who meets the “plus-size standard” — became a national sensation after losing 100 pounds. Following her successful weight loss, she quickly became the face of Prada and an ambassador for Lululemon. Before this transformation, however, she was mostly known as a “comedian” and was largely “fashion-averse.” In response, Zhao says, “I don’t complain about those who can’t see us, because they simply lack the capacity for understanding. But if no one speaks out about this, there will always be a blind spot in the market. Those who cannot see us will continue to think that we — and the people we represent — are unimportant or do not exist.”

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The struggle for plus-size visibility in China