Month: December 2013

Future of Fashion: What Year Will “Plus Size” Be Considered Mainstream?

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Eden Miller Makes NYFW History

My random fashion thought for 2013. So what year do you predict plus-size fashion will be considered somewhat mainstream fashion? 2040? 2050?

Colourful 2014 in fiery sparklers

On the heels of 2014 and another year passed, I reflected today on what will be the future of the fashion industry. Online trade shows, market weeks and incoming fashion for ‘curvy’ women? This year Paris held its first plus-size fashion week, Pulp Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week debuted its first plus-size collection from Eden Miller. It felt like a small victory for the curves in the world and was kind of a ‘new’ thing for NYFW. So, when will plus-size fashion be considered mainstream? When will designers go up in size and possible have spin-off ‘curvy’ collections just as they do petite? I mean, the average American woman is a size 14 and many women complain about not being able to find fashionable clothing appropriate for their size.

This is quite the opportunity. But, as designers, are we really thinking about how a fabric might drape from a curvy arm or leg? If you read my Sketch Model Wasnt Skinny Enough post, you definitely saw that most of us fashion students aren’t trained to think about the plus size woman (or average American size)! It’s quite possibly insane but from the looks of it, the industry is starting to make some strides to change. So, I ask again, what year do you think we’ll see ‘plus-size’ as simply ‘average’ size?

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles

Kim’s George Condo Hand-Painted Birkin Bag

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So this week Kanye West gave Kim Kardashian a George Condo hand-painted Hermes Birkin bag for Christmas and Kim showed it off on a shopping trip. Condo did the artwork for my favorite Kanye album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. June Ambrose photoshopped a photo of her with a George Condo painted Birkin on Instagram to generate chatter. Needless to say the art world has officially infiltrated fashion. And, well, although I like the provocative artwork on Kanye’s album cover, I can’t say the same about the Birkins. It just doesn’t do it for me. What do you think?

Sincerely,

“Fashionably-Late”

Malinda Knowles