Taje Prest: Life In The Curvy Lane

Millennials are different, they push boundaries, question the norms and refuse to be labelled by society. Whether it’s in business, fashion or personality, they strive for versatility with a passion for stepping outside the box.

You can’t miss Taje Prest’s constant face on blogs, TV and our timelines! When she’s not modelling or travelling the world on the show, Here and Now: The Adventures of TASA, she’s The Wedding Guest, a real-life wedding crasher for DZRPT TV and also the proud owner of her footwear business, Taje Slides.

Prest describes herself as “a media personality” who is passionate about the “curvy girl” lifestyle, travelling and building her brand. She further explains, “I am waiting to be rich enough to travel exactly wherever I want, whenever I want.”

Guardian Life has a short chat with Prest who talks about her travels and shares some “curvy girl” advice!

How did you build your brand identity?
I just sort of do exactly what I want and what I’m comfortable with, never compromising my beliefs and values or who I am as an individual. I’ve always been adventurous, from my hair colour choices to my choice in clothes. Building my brand identity is really me being me so it came naturally I guess.

What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Definitely starting my own eponymous business. It took me a lot of trial and error to get the quality I wanted and was satisfied with putting my name on. It’s still so challenging, from staff that try to ruin your business by doing absolute rubbish, to even very difficult customers.

Regarding Here and Now, what has been a major highlight during your travels?
Sourcing material for my new collection of Taje Slides, it was such a fun experience for me, I even got involved in the making process of one of them in Burkina Faso. It was a pricey experience but it was so worth it because the new collection is looking so amazing. I honestly can’t wait to share it with the world.

You’re considered a curvy life expert what’s your major advice to curvy girls looking up to you?
To all my curvy babies, my thick madams, my plus size queens. I live by this, it’s important to be yourself and be confident in your skin. The minute you’re confident in your skin, no one can bring you down, true confidence brings happiness and self-satisfaction. Confidence starts to make you look hotter, more attractive. Find your inner confidence, it’s in there somewhere and love yourself, love the skin you’re in, do your best to live a healthy lifestyle, you don’t have to be society’s views of the perfect size to live a healthy lifestyle or to love yourself.

How do you think the societal views towards curvy girls have changed so far?
It’s finally changing. It took us long enough to get here but it’s finally changing!! We’re finally being accepted as any other girl. Even the men are starting to appreciate us and our bodies more. I love the fact that the fashion industry is finally embracing the plus size community. Nigeria as a society is still a bit slow with catching on but we’re getting there. I mean there’s the Plus-size Fashion Week coming up, which I feel is a great initiative and confidence booster for the young plus size girls to have something to look up to. Brands are trying to include bigger sizes in their collection, they aren’t all getting their sizing right but at least they’re trying. Slow progress is better than none.

An interesting fact about yourself?
I’m such a sucker for romance; you know cute dates, single roses type of girl, even though I swear I’m truly gangster.