Full Figured Fashion Week New York (FFFweek) June 2011 Part 1: The Movement

I had to split this blog post into several parts. There's so much to write about and I want to make sure I cover as much as I can. Here is  Part 1; which is just to give you a little background on  how I was introduced to FFFweek.

One day a few years ago I was out shopping and a woman approached me asking if I was a plus-sized model. I will admit I gave her the " excuse me" look for more reasons than one. My thoughts were " the nerve of this woman to call me plus-size". Forget the fact that she said the word "MODEL". All I heard was "FAT". The woman took notice to my expression and she quickly apologized if she had offended me. She explained she was giving me a compliment and continued talking. I had this sarcastic grin as she spoke so proudly and passionate  about this industry I didn't know existed. Plus-size models, young, old, all races, fashion shows just for us "curvy girls"...... I thought..wow there's all these fabulous events going on for plus size women and I'm not a part of it. If anyone knows me, they know that I love to be part of EVERYTHING!!! My mom always tells me "tu quieres estar como el arroz blanco" ... translation : "I want to be like white rice".. haha it sounds better in Spanish but it basically means white rice is everywhere and so am I!

Now back to my story- My feelings of being annoyed at this woman quickly transcended into something positive. I was so grateful to her for sharing the news of a movement that was in progress. What movement you ask..... THE PLUS SIZE MOVEMENT!!! After doing some on line research I came across a woman who was starting to change the way the fashion industry looked and treated the curvy girl consumer, her name is Gwen DeVoe. Ms. DeVoe started The Plus Size Academy in NYC which is like a training bootcamp for aspiring plus size models. Her career includes everything from being a motivational speaker to being the Founder and CEO of DeVoe Signature Events (DSE), an event production and management company for plus size affairs. She is also the founder and producer of FFFweek. Her mission is clear, empower women of all sizes, to increase the amount of full figured models on fashion runways and demand fashion retailers to stop ignoring the needs of the curvy consumer. I wanted to be involved so I got in touch with Ms. DeVoe after finding out she was looking for volunteers to assist with casting calls. One thing led to another and I found myself ALL IN!!! I volunteered at The Plus Size Academy for a year and left to explore more of the fashion/entertainment industry. Even though I began getting into different projects I still followed up with Ms. DeVoe and kept myself informed on what was happening in the plus size industry.

Its now 2011 and this movement is still growing strong. When high end designers such as Roberto Cavalli,  Michael Kors, Chanel, and  Yves Saint Laurent  begin designing clothes for us curvy girls it says a lot. Noise was made and designers listened!!! Don't mistake my message... just because plus size women are able to buy a Robert Cavalli skirt in a size 18 it doesn't mean the fight is over. Plus Size women shouldn't have to be limited in where they shop just because the fashion industry has a problem with anyone over a size 12.  But because we live in a society where beauty is often seen  as a size 6  FFFweek was created to change that. If there was ever a moment when a curvy female, young or old felt insecure, ugly, lacking a sense of style, or even so frustrated at not being able to find a sexy dress in your size; attending Full Figured Fashion Week would immediately change your mind.   From panel discussions on positive self body image, to empowering the young and curvy, networking social gatherings, to a fashion show which debuts plus size designers. How could you not be excited about this ??

Hopefully I've informed those reading this blog, especially my curvy ladies, that there is an industry that embraces curves. So whether you're thinking about modeling, styling or anything else in the fashion industry, never let anyone tell you " you're to big to.........". Be confident and go for it!!


FFFweek Part 2 coming soon!!!

Stay Pretty
Tee Tee