There are even more pieces online!!! Visit them at Lola and Gigi

I have to admit, I honestly did not hear of the Australian brand until they were announced to participate in the inde designer showcase during Full Figured Fashion Week™ taking place in NYC (June 13-16^th, 2012) and I’m really disappointed in myself.  How did I miss the appeal of 17 Sundays?  Have I been living under a rock??? L <my official sad face>  If you have been following me on Pinterest, you know I have a newfound  addiction to dresses. The 17 Sundays dress collection offers pieces that are soft on the eye with a great mix of trend and edginess, the design can definitely be styled to make it very easy to go from the office to happy hour or an after work dinner date.  And their denim boutique allows to you to take on the weekend in a very chic ensemble.

Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with Claire from 17 Sundays to discuss their participation in FFFWeek™.

So tell me, where did the idea for 17 Sundays come from?  Nikala, my business partner and I were working in brand development and design for other brands for many years. One of the brands we started and incepted into the market was an Australian plus size brand called Mink Denim, which was very well received at retail; we saw a hole in the plus size offer for boutique catwalk driven dressing, so in 2010 17 Sundays was born, we left our day jobs and we haven’t looked back since.

Is this your first year participating in FFFWeek™? Yes we applied to show last year but weren’t quite ready as a brand, so we just put our noses down and worked like crazy with the goal of showing this year and we made it.

What can the audience expect to see on the runway from 17 Sundays?  We will be presenting our collection ‘Shooting Stars 2012” The audience can expect a very tight trend driven showcase, with attention to texture, pattern and luxe fabric interest. We will be showcasing all sizes so everyone will leave with a good understanding how 17 Sundays fits to the fuller figure.

Check out some images courtesy from 17 Sundays, 2012 Shooting Stars Look book (all rights reserved). www.17Sundays.com

I have also decided to add a few of my favorite pieces from their online store.

Bubble Gum Sheer Sleeve Tee

BLUE TURNED WHITE PANEL STRAIGHT LEG

Caught Out There Drape Skirt

Take Me Away Crop Jacket

I can’t believe we are already approaching the two month mark for Full Figured Fashion Week!   The closer we get to June, the more my excitement builds.  Like most of you, I am really looking forward to the inde showcase on Friday, June 15th, 2012 (purchase tickets here). As a member of the 2012 Fashion Front I recently had the opportunity to catch up with La Krisha S. Joseph-Baker, CEO & Founder  of Lavender’s Jungle.

How was Lavender’s Jungle born?

Lavender’s Jungle, LLC was born out of a necessity to find clothes to fit my body type.  I’ve always had a large muscular frame and I’ve always been tall.  So many years ago I started making my own clothes because I could not find clothes to fit me. 

After I had my son I was now plus sized and I realized that a lot of the retailers that carried plus size clothing were just “big” clothes without any regard to our actual shapes.  While many of the clothes were stylish they weren’t fashion forward.  I wanted to wear what I saw on the run way and I could not find it. 

Yes!!

As far as strengths, there are a lot of designers and retail establishments that are realizing that we don’t just come in one body type. Buyers are beginning to purchase and fill their stores with clothes that fit a variety of body types.  Not to mention, FFF Week is a testament to just how far this industry has come.

If I were to identify weaknesses I would say mainly that some still do not understand the purpose of tailoring a garment to the needs of a full figured woman.  While their intentions are good the clothes are still ill fitting. For example, when you have a larger busted woman you can’t simply just make the cup larger.  You have to add structure and stability within the garment to support the weight of a larger busted woman.

Yes … I am very excited about participating

What can the audience expect to see on the runway from Lavender’s Jungle?  

A play on femininity. This line has something for everyone.  Whether you are spending a day in the office or relaxing after work during happy hour.  This collection is about playful feminine pieces.  Taking us back to the days of how fun it was when we played dress up as little girls.

When I was doing the photo shoot for this line you could see the models really having fun with it.  Some stared at themselves in the mirror while others spent several minutes twirling around in the dresses.  That is the response I hoped to get. I want women to feel beautiful when they put on pieces from this line.

Not particularly, my focus for this line is not identified by a certain era but the focus was more towards the enjoyment of being a woman.  If I had my choice, my daily wardrobe would consist of all these pieces.

Photo Courtesy of Lavender’s Jungle.

• Chastity gives us great tips on how to protect your clothing investments
• Mia is rocking All White Everything
• Brittany is showing us a simple easy going look
• Krissy reviews the new OPI Minnie Mouse Collection

It’s been a little over 18 hours since Monif C. released her 2012 Summer Collection and I have to admit – I still have not narrowed down my choices.  One thing is for sure, I have a lot of wants.  In this collection we are going from sun to fun.  Never one to disappoint Monif has hit key fashion trends with this collection including NEON!

As we have witnessed recently, the high/low trend has descended down to the fashion world (yet again) – however, Monif has taken it to another level by adding the trend to her swimwear collection with the “St. Lucia” Beaded Chiffon Cover-Up offered in burnt orange and black.  This piece is super sexy and the added beaded detailing gives the curvy woman quite a bit of glam.  Ironically, what I appreciate the most about this cover-up, is the high/low concept.  For me the added material in the back gives me a little extra comfort in knowing my derriere will be covered while walking thru the lobby of a beach resort.

The “Whitley” has a full back zipper that screamed out my name when I first noticed it.  I love back detailing on clothes.

Photos property of Monif C. Plus Sizes – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Until next time… xoxo Kimberly

Eyani Couture, based in Newark, New Jersey is a couture design firm specializing in sizes 10 and up. Previous event participation for the company includes Project Curve Appeal’s Rock the Runway & Apple Bottom’s Evolution of Curves in 2011.

Earlier this week Eyani Couture announced via their Facebook fan page their model liaison search.  Based on the information posted the Eyani Couture model liaison will serve as a brand ambassador for the company.  So if you are experienced in print, runway and/or fit modeling you may definitely want to consider entering this model search competition.

I had a chance to catch up with a representative from Eyani earlier today, when asked who their ideal candidate(s) will be,  this is what I was able to find out.

“Our ideal model liaison would need the qualities of a great spokes model.. She’d have to be relatable to the everyday woman with the professional work ethic and attitude to match. Experienced in runway and/or print, with a love for the evolving full figured fashion industry. We want models that see the growth potentional of the Eyani Couture brand and feel that they can help make us better”

Since the taping is scheduled to air in a few weeks, and we love to provide you guys with the sense of mystery (hey it makes the wow factor better) – I will only be sharing some behind the scenes photos.

Until we chat again…. xoxo Kimberly

Photos courtesy of DeVoe Signature Events All Rights Reserved.

Pop Up Plus is the most innovative retailer in the plus size industry. Through their temporary, on trend designer pop up shops for sizes 14 and up, we have started a plus size revolution for the curvy trendsetter.  When you walk through our doors you walk into your dream closet. Our mobile collections are a highly edited mix of each season’s cutting edge trends from established American, international, and emerging designers.

To register for the event popupplussale.eventbrite.com

The following is required:

• Examples of previous videos that have been published; YouTube videos are acceptable, ones published on blogs/sites are preferred
• Experience with all aspects of WordPress, Tumblr and its workings
• Able to produce a video of at least 5 mins long every week – we can be flexible on publication day
• Must be well-spoken, have knowledge of fashion industry, and present well on camera
• Candidate will be compensated per video, one video every week. Payment will only be made via Paypal
• Candidates who have a lot of ‘pull/influence’ with their social media
• Profiles and are willing to post/retweet their videos every week will be given preference also. They can in return provide a backlink from their site to yours.

If interested, please submit sample of a recent fashion vlog via a YouTube or website URL to: blog@fffweek.com. Reference FFFWeek Vlogger in subject line.

Chelsea Settles is a docu-series about a 23 year-old woman with big dreams, high hopes, and great expectations — if only Chelsea’s extra-large body and resultant lack of confidence doesn’t prevent her from fulfilling the destiny she craves so much. Born and raised in a small Pennsylvania town, Chelsea has longed for a career in fashion — but knows that few, if any, fashion marketers have a chance of reaching the pinnacle of their profession if they weigh over 320 lbs. Somehow though, Chelsea’s managed to maintain a positive attitude and develop an engaging and sparkling personality that can light up a room no matter how bad her day has been. Now, Chelsea is ready to make sweeping changes to her life and face the fears and insecurities that have dogged her for so long.