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.These designers address the concerns of their customers, aiming to produce fashions that fit properly and look good.Former plus-size model Nancy Baum, the owner and president of Cherished-Woman.com, an Internet retailer specialized in trendy plus size clothing, explained her transition into selling clothing:I was shocked and dismayed at how limited the choices were for women like myself.It was embarrassing and frustrating to show up to work or at a social function and have on the same outfit as my plus size peers.This has happened to me more times than I care to admit.44Another designer, Jessica Svoboda, launched her line SVOBODA because she desired fashionable clothes.“I was tired of sloppy, ill-fitting clothing and baggy jeans,” she commented.“SVOBODA is proof that the demand for fashionable finds extends well beyond a size ‘double zero.’”45 Svoboda understood what her customers wanted because she, herself, was a woman with curves.In designing her fashions, she completely altered the garments to better fit a curvy body and relied on visual tricks, such as using larger buttons and thicker waistbands, to create a slenderizing silhouette.46 Similarly, when The Limited introduced its plus-size line Eloquii, the designers paid special attention to fit, e.g., more fabric was added to the back of skirts to accommodate ample behinds, the diameters of bracelets were increased, and even purses were enlarged to look more proportional on larger bodies.47Adjusting the fit of a garment for curvy women requires molding the fabric to the body, as Pat Hink, merchandise manager of the plus-size line at Denver-based Rocky Mountain Clothing Co., explained, “Designers can’t just add fabric to make a garment plus-size.It’s about body shape.”48 That is why Yuliya Zeltser, designer and creator of Igigi.com, and Catherine Schuller, former plus-size model and image consultant, collaborated on the development of a size system that categorized the body into different shapes, such as the hourglass and the triangle.49 This system, adopted by other plus-size retailers such as Lane Bryant, revolutionized the market and reaffirmed that the body comes in many different shapes and sizes.With the rise of the Internet and blogging, customers have an easier time expressing their complaints and providing feedback to designers and retailers.Fashion blogger for Curvy Fashionist, Marie Denee, admitted, “We will give brands feedback on social media and tell them what works.The plus-size woman is now speaking up for what she wants.”50 Yes, the plus-size woman has spoken.She demands both proper fit and style.As these independent designers gain momentum in the fashion marketplace, the women who proudly wear their clothes have the opportunity to challenge hegemonic beauty standards.As long as these designers continue to produce their collections, women will flaunt their bodies in them.While the plus-size retail market is growing—both in terms of the increase of plus-size specific fashion lines and other brands that are increasing their size offerings—the ultimate goal is an end to this market segmentation on the basis of size.Plus-size is its own market—retailers specializing their lines for larger bodied women.This approach, then, necessarily treats the plus-size individual as a distinct consumer and potentially provides designers and brands, like the aforementioned cases of Lagerfeld and Abercrombie and Fitch, an excuse to ignore them, i.e., it is the “not my market” argument.When Eden Miller found out that her plus-size line Cabiria would be the first of its kind to show at New York Fashion Week, she reflected on her history-making opportunity:I’m hoping it becomes a non-issue.I hope that it’s a beautiful show.I mean, I’ll be happy to get press coverage.but I’m really hoping that it’s seen just as the other offerings at fashion week.51Bodies come in different shapes and sizes.This is a representation of the size system developed by Yuliya Zeltser and Catherine Schuller.Miller did not want to be singled out as the plus-size line at Fashion Week.She did not want differential treatment.She wanted to be recognized for her contributions to fashion design, regardless of the size of her designs and consumer, and rejected the idea of a separate plus-size fashion industry versus the fashion industry:I definitely want to open the door to other designers who have beautiful lines so they can come in with the same standards they place on the straight sizes.Exclusive, but not prohibitive.I think that if we as plus designers keep comparing ourselves only to other plus designers, it’s circular and closed.There are so many sources to draw upon in the fashion world; I don’t see why it should be separate.We are part of the fashion industry.52These plus-size designers, like Miller, created their lines because they felt pushed out and excluded from fashion.These women strove for legitimacy as designers and hope that more clothing lines will begin to cater to plus-size customers.Fat-Bottomed GirlsFor plus-size models, commercial modeling, where the model appears on websites and print media advertisements, can be lucrative in terms of both exposure and compensation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]