For plus-size Asian women, body positivity still has a long way to go – even if a few role models have defied strictures to be slim

From the late comedienne and Shaw Brothers actress Lydia Sum Tin-ha, affectionately known as “Fei Fei” or “Fatty” to her audiences, to Hollywood actresses like Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson, the image of plus-size women as slapstick sidekicks and comedic relief is nothing new.

In the entertainment industry, plus-size women have traditionally been restricted to a few typecast comedic roles while in the fashion industry, they have been all but invisible over the past few decades.

Japanese beauty brands reassert themselves amid K-beauty buzz

Around the world, expectations about how a woman’s body should look exert pressure – something felt particularly strongly in the parts of Asia where being slim is seen as the norm for women. But these expectations may be starting to change in Asia, where a body positivity movement is beginning to emerge with the rise of fashion icons such as Japanese comedienne Naomi Watanabe.

Watanabe started out in comedy in Japan around a decade ago. Best known for her Beyoncé impersonations – which have led to her being nicknamed “Japanese Beyoncé” – Watanabe has done shows in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.

Over the past few years, she has transitioned from comedienne to style icon, as a front-row fixture at events like Gucci’s spring/summer 2018 show, and to entrepreneur with her own casual-wear fashion brand, Punyus.