LLL Plus Size Fashion Show 2015

Over the weekend something happened – an event that was a big deal for plus size fashion in New Zealand. There was an entire weekend dedicated to plus size fashion, with catwalk shows from some of NZ’s amazing retailers and designers on the Saturday followed by a market day on the Sunday (so the public could purchase the pieces they loved). I went along to the fashion event on the Saturday, to see what these designers had in store for summer (and I spoke at the event!). Rather than sharing all of the outfits, I thought I’d pick out a few of my personal favourites to share with you.

K&K Fashions

I love the direction K&K Fashions is taking with their clothes – more pieces that can be worked into your existing wardrobe with some really great trend based pieces. These three were my favourite and although I’m aware I’ve gone with a lot of black that is my personal style choice – you can see more on K&K Fashions’ Facebook page.

Sarah Jane wears the Net Peekaboo Maxi Dress; Becca and Teresa’s outfits will be available in store at K&K Fashions.

The Carpenter’s Daughter

The first plus size fashion show I ever went to was The Carpenter’s Daughter as part of Wellington Fashion Week 2014 (I blogged about it here) and I knew their collection in this show would be killer – they didn’t disappoint. My absolute favourite dress of the entire show was the Lost and Led Astray one that Nina is wearing (above right). There is something about the way this dress moves that makes it so eyecatching, it floats and ripples like the water at night as you walk.

Becca wears Sabatini Black Mesh Dress; Nina wears Lost and Led Astray Pleat Hem Dress from The Carpenter’s Daughter.

MENA

I wasn’t familiar with MENA prior to the show, but what a lovely discovery they were! Originally from Samoa, their designs are inspired by the natural beauty of Polynesia, and their exclusively designed prints are something special – whether it’s a maxi dress, a kaftan or a modern skater dress design, those prints are what really makes MENA stand out.

Tiare wears Bella Dress; please contact MENA for more info on Sam and Tui’s dresses.

Sammy Salsa Styling Session

Stylist Sammy Salsa hit the stage to give the ladies a few styling ideas. He had some really good tips on how to change up a look, and two of my favourite looks that he put together were for Nina and Regina. Nina’s outfit would be super cute for work, and I actually bought that dress a couple of weeks ago so very handy to get another idea on how I could wear it. Regina’s dress is gorgeous and could be worn belted to define your shape or unbelted if you’re wanting something more floaty – either way it would be a perfect dress for the Christmas party season or a night out with the girls.

Nina wears Wild Child City Longline Dobby Shirt and Wild Child Urban Stripe Bodice Tea Dress; Regina’s outfit will be available in store at Farmers.

Paparazzi Dollz

Paparazzi Dollz uses a lot of bright floral fabric which isn’t usually my thing but I love the figure hugging silhouettes of Jessica Jo’s dresses. She showed this dress in black which is simple and stylish (every gal needs an LBD right?) and you can see more of her designs on her Facebook page. Get in touch with Paparazzi Dolls to place your order.

Two Lippy Ladies

I had to include a closer pic of the print for this dress because I heard so many people commenting on it – it’s cat print! For all the cat lovers among us (go on, admit it!), this print is the ultimate.

Alyssa wears Voodoo Vixen Cat Print Dress from Two Lippy Ladies

TS14

I really like the structured style of the dress that Alyssa wore for TS14 – they have some really great workwear and dresses that would be great for the races or Christmas events. I loved Regina’s poolside look, and wanted to take a moment to note how proud I was of all the women, especially the ones who came out in swimsuits and lingerie. It’s not an easy feat to walk out into a room in very little clothing when everyone else is fully clothed and looking at you!

Alyssa wears the Imelda Dress; Regina wears Cheetah Swimsuit and Kara Cover Up Dress

Roxy Ric Rac

Natalie from Roxy Ric Rac launched her first collection (and even modelled in the show!). She has super cute vintage inspired pieces – my favourite being a super simple white slip dress.

Miss Glamour La Rue Curvy

Another lovely lady launching her collection was Hannah, who you might remember as derby girl Glamerzon and pinup model Miss Glamour LaRue (she’s the one in the middle in her signature moustache skirt). She’s a very dear friend of mine, so you’ll have to forgive me, but I really love the skirts she’s made. I was there during the model fitting and all of the girls really brightened up when they put these skirts on – and how could you not when you’re wearing a ruffled petticoat? Get in touch with Miss Glamour LaRue to order your custom skirt.

Rita Sue Clothing

Rita Sue is a pretty well known name amongst lovers of all things vintage, pin up and rockabilly here. They have so many gorgeous styles to choose from that I could literally post about them a hundred times over (but to be honest my friend Miss Charlotte Cake does a wonderful job of sharing their dresses so I’ll leave that to her).

Keita wears Alika Retro Pencil Dress; Taylor and Sarah Jane’s dresses available from Rita Sue Clothing.

Here’s a wee backstage shot for you – me with the lovely Beth aka Bethany Starr. You can see my full outfit here.

So, this was different to any other fashion show I’ve been to. Not just that it was plus size women on the catwalk, but it was such a diverse range of women on that catwalk. Different ages, different races, different skin colours, and different body shapes. It was so refreshing to see so many women represented there, and I am really looking forward to next year’s show.

What was your favourite outfit?
Who would you like to see at next year’s show?