Fashion label Plus Fab, the apparel house that placed "fabulous" into plus sized, is embarking on a road to corner the market of fully figured brides.

Having carved a niche in the world of high-fashion, creatives and founding director Ouma Tema has launched her latest product, named Plus-Fab Bridal, a bridal line which, in a world where the needs of curvier body shapes are often seen as secondary. 

Tema aims to give plus-size women the confidence all women want on their big day by offering "options to fit not only their sizing needs but also style preferences".

Tema said the idea came after she was approached by many plus-size brides who were finding it difficult to find a dream wedding dress for their bodies.

To that end, she roped in notable curvaceous ladies such as award winning singer-songwriter Busiswa, chef Mogau Seshoene (affectionately known as The Lazy Makoti) and comedian and actress Celeste Ntuli, among others, to be a part of the shoot and the range.

“I chose to work with these amazing women because we have a relationship that started from when I started my business, to this day. They also represent different types of plus sized or curvy women in our society. The range encompasses white wedding dresses, traditional wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses,” she  said.

The 36-year-old force of nature was born and raised in Namakgale township in Phalaborwa, Limpopo. She  started her journey when she finally grew tired of struggling to find stylish, age-appropriate clothes in her size whenever she went shopping

“Shopping was truly a nightmare for me. I would find what I really liked, but it was never in my size. On the other hand, everything in my size had grandma written all over it,” Tema said.

Quite the disheartening message that experience would send to an impressionable young person, but the sizeable helping of lemons only served a determination in her to make her own special brew of lemonade.

Ten long, hard years later, the proof that she indeed succeeded and continues to thrive lies in her longevity and ability to expand her business. Still, she remains razor-focused on her original vision: to make full-figured women feel simply sexy and special, especially on their wedding day.

“Just like we made droves of plus-size women feel and look sexy in their clothes with Plus-Fab for 10 years, through Plus-Fab Bridal we want curvy brides to feel sexy in their wedding gowns. The line does not only feature different styles and sizes ranging from size 14-20, but it also embraces contemporary bridal trends with a gorgeous collection of stylish and breath-taking wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses for every body type. This line perfectly captures my vision of a sexy and confident plus-size woman.”

As for her dreams for the future, Tema would like not only local brides to see her label as their first stop when looking for a show-stopper to get married in, but others beyond our borders as well.