Cape Town is preparing to bid farewell to fashion personality, influencer and entrepreneur Jade Campbell, who died on September 7 at the age of 37
Jade Campbell, the Cape Town fashion personality, content creator and entrepreneur who became known for championing body positivity and greater representation in the fashion industry, will be laid to rest on September 18.
Jade was born on December 27, 1988, and died on September 7, 2026.
His funeral will be held at Hillsong Church in Century City, Cape Town, where family, friends, colleagues and members of the city’s creative and fashion communities are expected to gather to celebrate his life and say their final goodbyes.
His death has marked the loss of a familiar face in Cape Town’s fashion, lifestyle and entertainment circles.
From stylist to fashion trailblazer
Jade’s career was built around fashion, creativity and an ability to make people take notice.
Before becoming widely recognised as a fashion personality and content creator, he worked in the events industry and developed his skills as a stylist. He was involved in styling celebrities for red-carpet events.
His own experiences with fashion eventually inspired him to create something of his own.
Jade had spoken publicly about the difficulty of finding fashionable clothing for bigger men. After losing more than 20kg, he still found himself struggling to find clothing that suited his body and personal style.
Rather than accept the limitations of the market, he decided to create a solution himself.
That vision became CAMPBELL by Jade Campbell, a fashion label designed with inclusivity at its centre. His work was particularly focused on giving plus-size men access to stylish clothing while challenging the idea that fashion was primarily designed for one body type.
Making history with Plus Is Equal
One of the defining moments of Jade’s career came through the #PlusIsEqual campaign.
In 2019, he was involved in South Africa’s first fashion show featuring an all-plus-size male modelling cast at the Radisson RED Hotel at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
Jade designed the clothing showcased at the event, which brought greater attention to the lack of representation of bigger-bodied men in the fashion industry.
The campaign became an important part of his work as an advocate for body positivity and inclusivity. Contemporary profiles described him as South Africa’s first male plus-size model, while Jade himself used his visibility to encourage other men to feel comfortable expressing themselves through fashion.
His message was simple – fashion should not be restricted by someone’s size.
“I want to speak for the man who can’t find his perfect fit,” Jade said in a previous interview, explaining his motivation for creating his fashion label.
A life beyond fashion
Jade’s career continued to evolve beyond modelling and clothing.
He became a recognisable social-media personality, sharing fashion, lifestyle, food, travel, events and aspects of his personal journey with his audience.
A later profile described him as a fashionista, socialite and content creator whose social-media platforms had become a prominent part of his public profile.
He also ventured into the lifestyle and marketing space through The Guest List Agency, a premium lifestyle PR and marketing agency he established with business partner Llewellyn Devereaux. The agency focused on events, brand experiences and creating connections between brands and consumers.
Jade also entered a new chapter of his personal journey by focusing on fitness, health and self-care.
In one of his final major published profiles, he spoke about transforming his lifestyle while maintaining the confidence and lessons he had gained during his years as a plus-size fashion advocate.
“Even though I am not that plus-size version anymore, he still lives in me,” he said, reflecting on the person he had been and the journey he had undertaken.
Remembering Jade
For many who followed his career, Jade’s influence went beyond the clothes he designed or the photographs he shared online.
He helped create visibility for men who had often been overlooked by the fashion industry and used his own experiences to challenge stereotypes around body size, confidence and masculinity.
His work also showed how social media could be used to build a personal brand across fashion, entertainment, lifestyle and events.
As news of his death spread, tributes from people who knew and worked with him have highlighted the impact he had on those around him.
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Final farewell on September 18
Jade will be laid to rest on Friday, September 18, at Hillsong Church in Century City.
The service will bring together those closest to him as they remember his life, career and the mark he left on Cape Town’s creative and fashion landscape.
Born on December 27, 1988, Jade Campbell lived 37 years and built a public life around creativity, fashion, self-expression and inclusion.
While his death brings his journey to an end, the conversations he helped start around representation and body positivity remain part of his legacy.
