Alter Ego Clothing

Pssst. If you didn’t already know, a plus-size fashion movement is underway. From established events to start-up style weekends, simple tweet-ups and day seminars, fashion forums catering to curvy girls are popping up all over the country. The nation’s capital region is the latest to jump on the plus fashion bandwagon.

Plus Size Events 2012

Curves Rock Fashion Weekend

Over 300 participants attended the inaugural Baltimore event founded by sisters Chanell Jones and Tykesha Reed, July 27-29. Driven by their passion for serving the community and business backgrounds, Jones and Reed wanted to make CRFW more than just a place to look at clothes, but even more holistic by complimenting the typical runway shows with modeling and empowerment seminars.

Chanell Jones

“The support and love we received was so huge,” says Jones of launching the idea for a fashion weekend dedicated to the curvy community – a community in search of such inspiration, according to Baltimore native and Curves Rock co-host, professional model Liris Crosse. Now a New York resident, “we needed something back home” says Crosse, to remind local plus-size women to have confidence in themselves and nurture their own self-love.

Healthy Curves

Finding that source of self-love can be tough in a fashion and beauty culture biased toward the skinny minority. And amid intensifying debate on the real health issues associated with obesity, curvy girls who express interest in slimming down sometimes experience backlash from their plus-size peers. Both sides of this polarizing issue challenge women to find the place between embracing a fuller figure and optimizing health.

As much as CRFW is about the fashion and the search for curvy empowerment, it’s clear this is also about business.

CRFW organizers made their own statement on the relationship between size and health by offering “Healthy Curves” workshops including fitness classes and nutrition information by day and an unabashedly plus-size fashion show by night. The implication? Believing in fitness doesn’t make a curvy girl a self-hater intent on getting skinny nor does celebrating a thicker, curvier frame mean ignoring good health. “We should all respect everyone’s [body] expectations for themselves,” says Jones.

True Diva Designs

Fashion

The Saturday night runway event showcased eleven brands including retailers Ashley Stewart, Dress Barn, Fashion to Figure and local boutique Couture Queen along with independent labels including Project Runway alumna Qristyl Frazier. Dress Barn received a strong audience reaction showing on-trend separates like colorful blazers and blocked sequin tops, flower print shorts and deep orange belted shift dresses under cheetah print toppers. DB clearly surprised the crowd and the twitosphere with its fashion forward looks and younger overall style. Definitely wasn’t your mama’s Dress Barn, showing that maybe this is one retailer that gets where plus-size fashion is going.

CRFW introduced many row-sitters to new brands boasting high fashion statement looks sure to become consumer hits. Modeled with masks and often trailed by dramatic hi-lo waisted trains, Toronto-based Alter Ego Clothing channeled the Victorian era in a truly modern way with bespoke corsets. Sew Sew Kool’s super heavy wide-leg linen pantsuits made an elegant and well-tailored day-to-night dress alternative. Haute Chocolate’s all-white presentation boasted Kardashian-worthy structured dresses reminiscent of Lanvin’s architectural creations. Tru Diva Design’s Missoni-inspired knit pants and studded “True Love” moto jacket with sequin pencil skirt were immensely wearable and were among the most street-ready and designer-inspired looks of the show. And before announcing plans to sell through Macy’s, keynote designer Qristyl Frazier offered fitted jersey confections including a deeply V-necked lavender pantsuit with pockets and a decidedly 1940’s Rosie the Riveter chic quality.

Qristyl Frazier

The Benjamins

As much as CRFW is about the fashion and the search for curvy empowerment, it’s clear this is also about business. According to Jones, the best way to get more and better plus-size options is to remind the fashion industry there’s money to be made for the brands that see the opportunity.

This sentiment was echoed by the founder and Executive Producer of New York’s Full Figured Fashion Week (FFFW), Gwendolyn DeVoe, who made a special appearance with top members of her team. While it validates her concept to see so many plus fashion events blooming, she agreed that it’s really the assembly of the plus-size fashion consumer in large numbers that gets her excited. It’s proving that curvy women have dollars, crave fashion and will embrace new design options that will drive credibility for the niche market, entice sponsors and encourage the design community to provide more options, she suggested.

DeVoe’s presence at Curves Rock also demonstrates how close-knit the plus fashion world is right now and how much mentorship and motivation is happening across event and state lines. She offered praise and support for the Baltimore sisters’ initiative saying, “People say they are inspired by me, but it’s me that’s inspired by them; it takes a lot to do this.”

What’s Next

June’s FFFW was certainly the best in the flagship event’s history. How to top it? DeVoe says she’d like to expand the events and designer showcases to a full week. But ultimately she’d like to create more business forums for the entrepreneurs ooking to fill the demands of the growing base of plus-size consumers. And supporting new events like Curves Rock is one way to do that. After its successful launch, Jones and Reed plan to make Curves Rock an annual event and if this first go-round is any indication, we bet the future’s plenty bright for this enterprising duo.

Sources: runway photos c. ThirdGenMedia at CRFW