Sarah AffiahCampus fashion troupe Curve Appeal, established under the name Curvaceous Eagles, started as a way to honor plus-size women and challenge traditional notions of beauty. It has since developed into a life-changing experience for its members.
The troupe was established by Briana Brooks and Jessiqua Pryor-Kujimiyo in 2016.
“We wanted to give women the confidence to know that their size does not define them,” Brooks said.
Out of the 35 girls who auditioned, 30 were selected to join the team. The pinnacle of Curve Appeal’s early years, according to Jessiqua Pryor-Kujimiyo, was their first Wild Out Wednesday performance — a popular on campus showcase featuring a variety of campus organizations.
“For us, it was a turning point,” Pryor-Kujimiyo said. “That evening, we received an abundance of overwhelming support and affection.”
Pryor-Kujimiyo recalled that Curve Appeal was the first modeling troupe on campus to hold a showcase in B.N. Duke Auditorium and sell 800 seats.
The troupe constantly received requests to perform.
“Everyone wanted to know where we’d be next,” she said, adding that soon other HBCUs expressed interest in forming their own “Curve Appeal.”
With every success story, there are obstacles. Curve Appeal faced financial challenges early on.
“We took the clothes the members already had and styled them because we didn’t have money,” Pryor-Kujimiyo said. “Everything was done by us.”
Despite these obstacles, the founders remained persistent in their mission.
“We occasionally rewatch our previous performances and have nostalgic moments,” said Brooks. “We were literally running the campus.”
“We are scholars first and models right after that,” said 20-year-old Theatre Arts junior Malachi Moore. “I replay my first show in my head a lot,” he said, describing this experience with the troupe as “exhilarating.”
“Curve Appeal changed my life forever. We are a family; the experience is unique. Whether it’s what we’re wearing, the dances we’re doing, or our communication style, we want everyone to feel comfortable in their skin.”
Jalyn Platt, a 21-year-old senior business administration major, said that being in the troupe requires a serious commitment, successful performances and a call for long practices, often three times a week.
“Curve Appeal has given me the strength to stand tall in a world that often tries to diminish us,” said Platt, adding that the troupe brought a lot of opportunities and changed her life.
“It has taught me to embrace who I am.”
Today, Curve Appeal remains committed to rethinking beauty norms and providing students a sense of self-worth and the confidence to be authentically themselves. It now has 46 members and it led by President Khaliyah Campbell, or KC, and Vice President Kalen House.
