The Curvy Spot

By far, 17 Sundays has the most impressive “about us” page I have read for a designer thus far.  Not because it tells the biography of the design team or it boasts on their accomplishments in the industry … but because it is open and honest.  How many of us can remember what it was like to be “17”?  Knowing all the lyrics to every song performed by your favorite artist, practicing the latest dances moves and the rush to be an adult while our parents were screaming “not in my house” – okay maybe that was just my Mom. Lol.   Nonetheless, these are the memories that flooded my mind as a browsed the website for 17 Sundays a few weeks ago.

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.

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More often than not, I can be a little erratic. In April I joined three different sample sale sites including BirchBox. For the longest I really couldn’t bring myself to pay for “samples”; I kept thinking – “who really does that?” Much to my surprise there are a whole lot of people taking part in the BirchBox program!

Shortly after I joined the program, I was please to find out that my first BirchBox would be a part of the special month dedicated to Gossip Girl. 1: I <3 this show! 2: As a native New Yorker I adored the idea that the contents are geared towards the city’s lifestyle.  There are rumored to be several different versions of the Gossip Girl Birchbox.  I received the Hampton Beach Party. Photos from the box are below. 

I am however a little disappointed.  I logged into BirchBox.com today to get my referral link for a friend and realized one of the items listed as a part of my May box was not in there.   I would of really loved to have tried Keihl’s Abyssine Cream!

Note: posted from iPhone

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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.

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When you truly love fashion it doesn’t matter where you get your inspiration from, I read everything from Harpar’s Bazaar to Essence.  So as I was traveling the world wide web of Glamour magazine today, I was stopped by this article:  10 Dresses Every Woman Should Own!  I will admit when Danico Lo from Glamour put the styles together, even I thought to myself – yes, this is perfect.  So of course, that put me on a mission to duplicate the styles she picked for the curvy girl in mind.

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

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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.

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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.
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