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.

So while we are all excited about the fashion shows, the All White Cruise featuring the FIRST Big & Tall Male Fashion Showcase and *drool* the sample sale, be sure to check out the events below as well – knowing how to “be” in business can definitely make a difference on how long you “stay” in business.

In the last few years, the world of blogging has grown into a full fledge BUSINESS.  Whether you are a professional blogger or you are doing it for a hobby; whether it is a passion or you are doing it as an extended section of your corporate website then you should consider checking into the

“Building Your Brand Through Social Media: Blogging 101 Workshop”

Affinia Manhattan Hotel – Grand Ballroom (Mezzanine Level) – Thurs June 14, 2012
371 Seventh Avenue, (corner of 31st and 7th)
New York, NY

Event Summary: Tapping the vast audience of the social web is a low-cost way to catapult a small-business brand onto the global arena. Building your brand using social media allows you to develop new (and strengthen existing) relationships, which often leads to everything from brand awareness, loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing. This workshop will explore; the purpose of blogging, using social media for your brand, how to leverage the tools to give your brand a voice, how to take your brand to the next level and more.

Moderator:
Marie Denee, The Curvy Fashionista

Panelists:
The Blogger: Alissa from Stylish Curves
The Magazine: Madeline Figueroa- Jones from Plus Model Magazine
The Designer: Marina Zelner from Queen Grace

In addition to the workshop on Thursday, FFFWeek^TM directors have gathered some amazing minds to provide you with the need to know information on legal side of business.  Learn what it takes to protect your brand and start-up options in fashion and entertainment.

“Fashion And Entertainment Arts Legal Panel”

320 West 37th Street (bet. 8th and 9th Aves), 14th Floor – Fri June 15, 2012
New York, NY

Event Summary: This panel will provide an overview of valuable information about starting and operating a business in fashion, apparel and design, including jewelry. This class will touch on important issues that every fashion and design entrepreneur needs to know including: selecting and forming a business entity; financing; common issues in product development, production, marketing, and sales; regulatory issues and business licenses; branding, licensing, and intellectual property (copyright, trademark, design patents, publicity rights) and contracts. The panelists will also address specific audience questions and concerns.

Panelists:

Elena S. Paul, Esq., Executive Director, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA)

Charles Colman, Esq., Principle, Charles Colman Law, PLLC

Event Tickets can be purchased online at the http://fffweek.com/2012/schedule-tickets.  See your there!

xoxo…. Kimberly

• 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

As you browse through my choices below you will see that I picked out dresses for all coin purses in mind.

From 1-10 as listed by Danico Lo for Glamour but with the curvy girl in mind!

The Sweet & Flirty Summer Frock: I found that Forever 21 did this best with their Braided Straps High-Low Dress

The Ladylike Printed Floral: none other than Tropical Print Pencil dress by Jibri!

The Floor-Length Stunner: Now according to Danica this can be a bold color or print.  The Tropical Beauty Maxi – Floor length, bold and gorgeous was nailed by Igigi by Yuliya Raquel.

The Slip-On & Go Fail Safe Party Dress: I’m going with versatility with this selection.  The Exclusive Wrap Dress by Asos Curve will give you numerous options for many seasons to come!

The Knee-Length Tailored for Grown-Up Events: Let’s show off your curves and channel Ms Betty Paige! Take it Retro Chic with Torrid.

The Daring Mini with BIG Personality: whenever I need a party dress one of the first places I head to is Fashion to Figure! For me the Ruffle Front Jersey Dress is super cute and although it only comes in black it has a gang of personality! (hint: take it up five notches with a bright pump:)

The Super Sexy Bombshell Dress: glitz. glam. SEQUIN.  Although the Samantha Sequin Party Dress is not from Monif C.’s current collection it can still be purchased on Sonsi.com.

The Go-To Sheath for Dressing Up or Down: Sometimes black just isn’t an option.  For those day-to-night/work-to-play looks consider a semi-form fitting NAVY DRESS.  While at work the Soprano Cap Sleeve Pleated Empire cute number can be paired with a cardigan or blazer!

The Little White Dress: I don’t even have to think twice about this one… the Whitley Cut Out Shoulder Dress from Monif C.’s 2012 Summer Collection.  I mean, really… need I say more!

and last but not least….

The Little Black Dress: *sigh* everything for the curvy girl comes in black. But I want my black to be fun… calling ms. Roxanne sold by City Chic to the rescue!

Well ladies it looks my work for the night is done!  Do you have a dress or two you think should be added to the line-up?  If so, feel free to add your selections to the comments below!

Until next time… xoxo Kimberly

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.

Here are a few of my favorite looks.  Notable mention to the Lipsticky skirt in black, it isn’t a part of the Make Out Collection but isn’t it GORGEOUS! All photos courtesty of DominoDollhouse.com. 

This is My Body starring Fluvia Lacerda

We are asking all of our readers to support Plus Model Magazine  by sharing their comments and “liking” the video.  There is strength in numbers.

Every year around late summer/early fall, I begin my rigorous search for companies that have designed full boots that are stylish and offer enough stretch for closure  or even some strategic placement for an added panel.  This year my search will be short.  I will be heading over to Bennetts Boots new site, launching specially for its US market during Full Figured Fashion Week in New York City!! If you plan on attending FFFweek this week, be sure to stop by and say hello — I will be assisting the ladies from Bennetts Boots to spread the word.