Ann always has fabulous outfits (both onscreen and in real life). She has talked specifically about the stylist she uses, some of the brands that both fit her aesthetic and carry her size, and getting to feel beautiful. Some excerpts:
As a fat, Filipino woman, I know how rare it is to see someone who looks like me on television. Fat women are often the mothers, the caretakers, or the comedic relief as the skinny heroine's best friend. We rarely get to be seen as the object of desire; the pretty one. For the first time maybe ever in my life, in the tent, I get to be one of the pretty ones. I'm eye candy.
Now you might think that's incredibly shallow, or worse, like I'm objectifying myself by reducing what I do to being a walking, talking doll. But as someone who has never fit into the North American standards of beauty, or even most of the Asian standards of beauty, to have the opportunity to just look like an absolute snack is meaningful. Because it's not like my physical appearance has changed: I'm still fat, I'm still tanned, I've still got a little nose, and I still have little eyes that disappear when I smile too big. I'm still all of those things that were never deemed to be "beautiful," but here I am, getting to wear amazing outfits on national television. The Great Canadian Baking Show has not only given me the gift of being part of an iconic franchise, but it's also given me the opportunity to work with stylist/artist/general superhero Vanessa Magic, who is every bit as special as her name would suggest.
I full-on cried when I "unboxed" three of the outfits she had picked for this latest season. They were from VINTA Gallery, a Filipino-Canadian designer, and all were modernized versions of traditional Filipino garments: two different dresses, both with the classic terno sleeve, and a hand-embroidered barong.
I had no idea how much I wanted to wear those traditional silhouettes until she presented them to me. In fact, it was the first time I'd ever put on something traditionally Filipino. I didn't even know it was an option because when you're fat, you have limited options.
Ann always has fabulous outfits (both onscreen and in real life). She has talked specifically about the stylist she uses, some of the brands that both fit her aesthetic and carry her size, and getting to feel beautiful. Some excerpts:
As a fat, Filipino woman, I know how rare it is to see someone who looks like me on television. Fat women are often the mothers, the caretakers, or the comedic relief as the skinny heroine's best friend. We rarely get to be seen as the object of desire; the pretty one. For the first time maybe ever in my life, in the tent, I get to be one of the pretty ones. I'm eye candy.
Now you might think that's incredibly shallow, or worse, like I'm objectifying myself by reducing what I do to being a walking, talking doll. But as someone who has never fit into the North American standards of beauty, or even most of the Asian standards of beauty, to have the opportunity to just look like an absolute snack is meaningful. Because it's not like my physical appearance has changed: I'm still fat, I'm still tanned, I've still got a little nose, and I still have little eyes that disappear when I smile too big. I'm still all of those things that were never deemed to be "beautiful," but here I am, getting to wear amazing outfits on national television. The Great Canadian Baking Show has not only given me the gift of being part of an iconic franchise, but it's also given me the opportunity to work with stylist/artist/general superhero Vanessa Magic, who is every bit as special as her name would suggest.
I full-on cried when I "unboxed" three of the outfits she had picked for this latest season. They were from VINTA Gallery, a Filipino-Canadian designer, and all were modernized versions of traditional Filipino garments: two different dresses, both with the classic terno sleeve, and a hand-embroidered barong.
I had no idea how much I wanted to wear those traditional silhouettes until she presented them to me. In fact, it was the first time I'd ever put on something traditionally Filipino. I didn't even know it was an option because when you're fat, you have limited options.
https://www.cbc.ca/life/greatcanadianbakingshow/i-full-on-cried-host-of-the-great-canadian-baking-show-on-why-her-flirty-wardrobe-was-a-game-changer-1.6224579
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