Two days ago (17 April 2018), a Facebook post by a Malaysian fashion critic, Zaihani Mohd Zain, had caused massive outrage amongst netizens as it went viral all over the internet.
Many people, including fellow fashion designers, slammed Zaihani over her post that fat-shamed people over 60kg and she even advised them not to attend fashion shows.
“If you weigh above 60kg, then you should not come, because your thighs will spill over onto the chairs on your left and right.”
“It’s so awkward and uncomfortable for the persons seated next to you!” she wrote on her Facebook post.
Of course, many netizens slammed her for the bold statement, with some even responding sarcastically, such as the comment below:
However, even though her controversial post went viral within hours, she chose to keep mum about the issue, up until yesterday (18 April 2018).
According to NST, Zaihani said that the post wasn’t actually meant to fat-shame plus-sized people. Instead, she claimed that it was a personal lamentation about a recent uncomfortable situation she had to go through during a fashion show.
“I was just expressing what I felt during that particular show, where I was seated next to a man who was bigger than I.”
“The man also sat with his legs wide apart, without considering the persons seated next to him. With seating arrangement at fashion shows, when one sits like that, it encroaches into the personal space of those sat next to him.”
“And I wasn’t comfortable seated next to that person that evening. That’s why I shared that status on my Facebook. I wasn’t taking a random swipe at plus-sized people,” said Zaihani during an interview with a web portal on Wednesday (18 April 2018).
Zaihani was reportedly disappointed because her statement, that was meant for her Facebook friends, was blown out of proportion. What did she mean by people over 60kg, though?
Well, it looks like she says her intention wasn’t to hurt plus-sized people as her statement was specifically directed to the person who sat next to her at that fashion show. Perhaps she should consider being more careful with her choice of words to avoid such drama in the future!
What do you think of Zaihani’s statement in defending herself over this issue? Let us know in the comments!
Also read: Those Above 60kg Should Not Attend Fashion Shows, Says M’sian Fashion Critic