All through my fashion career I felt like I’ve been swimming against the tide. At university, I got interested in designing for plus sizes. When I mentioned it, I would often be encountered by snobbish looks of disdain from other people in the industry. Perhaps they were questioning my talent or true allegiance to the holy altar of fashion. King Karl, having been at it’s helm for the better part of the past 3 decades, has never been shy of making his views public on the subject of women’s sizes. To his fans, I warn you, the following text may contain traces of political correctness. I tried to ignore the sighs and stay focused on this newfound interest, which finally allowed me to find purpose in a craft I loved but seemed so superficial. It also forced me to look at my own prejudices towards what a stylish person should vs can look like.
Looking for work experience designing for Plus Sizes
After my MA studies, living as an expat in London, I was desperate to find work experience in this new field of interest. After many closed doors from plus size High Street brands, one designer told me flat out “honey, you just got an MA, you need to go do the dreamy thing and get work experience in a fashion house, then in 10 years when you’re disillusioned, you come back to see us.”
So, I decided to muster up the courage and knock on the door of my dream company: Marina Rinaldi, the plus size division of Max Mara. MR was the only plus size high end brand that 20 years ago, had a standalone shop in every elite department store of the western world. What can I say, I worship craftsmanship and the classics more than fashion.
After a scheduled interview, flight to Milan and a two hour train ride to the outskirts of Reggio Emilia, I finally got the job offer I was dreaming of. I will never forget what the art director told me at the end of my 30 minutes interview: “I’m not hiring you because of your talent. I’m hiring you because you are the first one who actually has come knocking on the door here and you want to work at Marina Rinaldi. Not because you applied to Max Mara and they sent you to us.” It was the polar opposite storyline of Devil Wear’s Prada and I was in heaven.
“If you’re a designer, I highly recommend looking into catering to [the plus size market]. Your fan base will grow and the investment will be well worth it.”
The plus size industry as a multi billion dollar market
Well, that gamble was worth it because unbeknownst to most fashion focused designers, the plus size industry is a 46 billion dollar market, only poised to grow with the increase of offer. Yes 20 years after my Italian love affair in the kingdom of coats, and despite the Kaiser’s opinions, more brands are finally catching on to the reality that beauty comes in different shapes and sizes, and hey are finally catering to the plus size market. If you’re a designer, I highly recommend looking into it. Your fan base will grow and the investment will be well worth it. Not only from a financial perspective, but because you will be bringing joy to thousands of not millions of women who have felt excluded for far too long.
Back at work designing for all body types
Today, after a decade long maternal hiatus, I am back at the drawing table and I am most certainly designing with the intent to serve people of all shapes and sizes. This is the reason why each Modern Mending women’s pattern is graded to fit a size 0 or 26 and each kid pattern is graded to accommodate all ages. I also offer an additional tutorial in the Curved Patch Pattern for customization so it fits perfectly with you or your child’s unique figure.
The future of fashion is finally getting inclusive in it’s exclusivity and should only be limited by one’s personal style preference, certainly not one’s waist line. Regardless of what King Karl professed.
May he rest in peace.