The Curvy Fashionista Curvy.Confident.Chic.
Tuesday night I landed back in Oakland, two hours late, hungry, tired, exhausted, and sticky- BUT, it was all worth it to spend the week in New York to celebrate and be an active participant in the first ever Full Figured Fashion Week!
To be surrounded by Curvy.Confident.Chic plus size fashionistas and those aspiring to be was fantabulous and awe inspiring! Let me tell you, my trip was so jam packed and such an amazing whirlwind, that I must stop and apologize for my delay in my recap!
Qristyl Frazier was the most gracious hostess with the moistest, opening up her doors and allowing me to stay with her in Brooklyn! Thank you!
The Curvy Collective were so welcoming and fun, felt like I had finally met my extended family! To Johara, my East Coast twin- we really are two peas in a distant pod!
To the lovely production team of FFFweek, amazing! It is one thing to attend a fashion show and revel in the beauty of the production, but it is another thing to be behind the scenes to watch this production from inception transform into a monumental event for plus size divas everywhere!
Not forgetting the lovely models, reporters, bloggers, and attendees- I thank you for such a warm reception into New York!
Throughout my trip, I met with women from all walks of life express their gratitude and appreciation for a production of this magnitude. If I could sum my experience up in one word, I would have to say magical. As a thick soul sister myself, meeting other fashionistas who have the same discerning eye and tastes was such a bittersweet sigh of elation!
In addition, meeting the ladies of which I read about, or write about in person was thrilling, not because of their celebrity, but because of their graciousness and accessibility. I did not meet one person who was too “Hollywood,†and it is because of this that I am even more in awe!
What did and has bothered me though are the naysayers, nitpickers, the elitists within our own community.
There were some who ridiculed the fact that FFFweek was only three days- SO WHAT!? You have to start somewhere!
There were those who knocked, trashed, belittled the efforts of this movement- Keep on talking, your words only push us to do it again and even better!
There were those who compared the events to traditional NYFW- this is not, and why would you expect such a production when we already have limited resources at best? We make do with what we have!
I could go on with those who had complaints about every detail, but why? Were there things that could have been better? There are always things you could have done differently, but rather than nitpick and tear down such an inspirational and motivational event representing the 60% of American women sized 14+, let us celebrate the successes of this moment in history!
Full Figured Fashion Week, as with every production in its infancy has its beginnings. What we must do as a community is pull together and support those who aspire to cater, support, fashion, motivate, or inspire our curves to be the best!
I have never felt so humbled and appreciative to be in the presence of all the ladies and men who all came together in the name of CURVES! From Re/Dress NYC to the Finale, my trip will stay with me throughout my endeavors.
Thank you Miss Gwen DeVoe, production team, and Curvy Collective for bringing together an event that can only inspire and make a its mark on the fashion world!
Keep it Curvy.Confident.Chic.
