As many of you know New Jersey based designer Douglas Says is one of my favorite designers, I am a long time fan.....he creates the sexy slinky wrap dresses that I love to wear....
but I am betting that many of you didn't know that he wasn't a "plus sized" designer per se (lol), he's custom made clothing for the big gals over the years but never really put his "stamp" on an official plus sized line.Well the wait is apparently over family!!! On Sunday, August 10, 2008 Douglas Says will officially unveil his new plus sized line...christened "Plus U" at Club Escuelita (301 West 39th St).
So you KNOW I got excited when I got the call from Douglas about his new line and I took it upon myself to do an impromptu interview to ask the questions that the juicy gals REALLY want to know:
Douglas, tell me WHY after all this time were you finally inspired to produce a plus sized line?
(D.S.) This journey started out when my life long girlfriend/model/muse Rosemary Cousar opened a store in Easton, PA and called on me to place my clothes in it. The response was great but the initial designs were made with standard industry model body in mind. The reality is that my original collection was only an illusion from the door, I realized immediately that real women have more curves; So I opted to do a just a few pieces for the store and it was while I was going through my archives, trying to consider which silhouettes worked best that suddenly a plus sized show began building in my head. So I believe that God used Rosemary to direct this path and then he cleared the way for me! Before that I was trying to figure out how to challenge myself from my last showing.
What do you hope to accomplish with this new line?
(D.S.) A relationship, an understanding with the plus sized community as well as building more skills for myself as a designer. But the support of the plus sized community does matter here. It is crucial in deciding where "I and/or We" can go with this collection and it is the determining factor in whether or not there will be another season after this one! I didn't enter into the field of fashion expecting anything more than to follow my heart's passion and do what I wanted to do...and this remains..."I am my own boss and I do what I do for the love of it all"!
When will the collection fully launch?
(D.S.) August 10th 2008 at Club Escuelita in New York City. The premiere of "PLUS-U" will be unlike any other full figured experiences of the past! I can honestly say that this collection feels completely different from any of my other collections that I have created in the past. I am sure that everyone will be pleasantly surprised!!
What's the price range for the line?
(D.S) The price range is still being considered because as you know my operation is a one man show. These are all one of a kind items, custom produced by my hands from sketch to finish...The question is how much are you (the consumer) willing to pay to keep it going?! In truth, it costs a bit more to produce this collection than the collections that I normally produce. With my original collections items have range from $150.00 to $600.00; it depends on the item and the work and hours that go into creating it. I'd prefer that a potential client experience the fit before they judge the the price tag!
Tell me a little bit about the line.
(D.S.) This particular showing of Plus U is a fall collection and with this being my first time at bat I've chosen to focus on my fit. As with all of my designs, these are custom made items because I believe it is important to try and remove all the taboos that come with the idea of combining stretch fabrics and real women's bodies. I love working with stretch fabrics and I believe it just has to be cut for YOU, with YOUR body in mind. I don't believe a plus sized woman should have to sacrifice quality for fit.
What plus sized celebs or famous women have you dressed?
(D.S) I addition to having The ORIGINAL Runway Diva wear my designs, I have had the pleasure of dressing Angela Bofill, Toukie Smith and 3 time American Vogue cover model Peggy Dillard (who is the signature model on the flyer for this collection). For me this is a very personal show, the most important one of them all for me.
So there you have it my plus sized fashionistas, I hope that you will all make the time to come and preview this very important showcase for the plus sized industry. You know we spend most of our time (or at least I do...lol) about a LACK of stylish clothing for plus sized women....so it's important that we show some solidarity and come out and support those who listen to our pleas and try to fulfill our needs.
So come on out rain or shine and check out his new line "Plus U" and watch some fabulous plus sized models (including myself!!!) work the runway at Club Escuelita on Sunday, August 10th in NYC. Doors open at 7:45pm and show time is 8:15pm Sharp!!!
Hope to see you all there family!!!
“The genius of investing is recognizing the direction of a trend - not catching highs and lows”
No comments:
Post a Comment