Every Sunday I look forward to reading the newspaper and online for all the sale ads and promotions for the upcoming week, oh and also for what’s happening in the world too, lol. So this past Sunday I saw the announcement of actress Sofia Vergara’s new clothing line for K-Mart. Sofia currently plays on “Modern Family” but her most memorable character to me was that of the sassy friend to Angela Basset in Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Brown’s” movie. Anyway upon checking into the collection further I see that she has quite a few cute pieces, including shoes & accessories, and the line goes up to a size XL (size 18). Sofia even enlisted curvy-cutie model Christina Mendez on some of her promotional interviews this past week.
Below are some promotional images from the collection, which feature modern & comfortable separates, fitted dresses for going out, bomber jackets, mini skirts, & trendy accessories that can be mixed & matched with other pieces in your wardrobe. Sizes on all items range from small to extra large. The prices are very affordable, ranging from $9.99 – $49.99, perfect for the average Kmart shopper & savvy Style Darling.
eloquii by The Limited is set to launch a plus size fashion website in late October that features a range of trendy plus size clothing such as dresses, suits, tops, pants, shirts, sweaters, outerwear and other accessories.
The inspiration for the plus-size women’s clothing collection started with customers and bloggers voicing their frustration to The Limited CEO, Linda Heasley, wanting to know when The Limited was going to turn its focus toward trendy plus-sized women who actively want to participate in fashion. “Women with curves are going to ‘Rejoice in the Double-Takes’ they will be getting from family, friends, and acquaintances as they learn a whole new fashion vocabulary with eloquii by The Limited.” says Linda Heasley.
eloquii by The Limited celebrates a woman’s true fashion sense and showcases her individuality by giving her well made clothing that fits and looks great. eloquii by The Limited has taken the uncompromising fashion standards of The Limited and tailored them to deliver a spectrum of silhouettes inspired by designs right off the runway.
eloquii by The Limited carries women’s clothing which ranges from professional chic to fashionable flair, featuring looks that fit your body and your sense of style. From clothes that make you look sharp at the office, to dresses that take you to any occasion, this is fashion designed for you and inspired by you..
Premiere fashion blogger GabiFresh is collaborating with eloquii by The Limited for launch. Gabi is the top plus-size fashion blogger in New York. She will serve as the voice of eloquii, bringing her knowledge of her plus-size audience and the market alike to eloquii, as a brand.
As an added feature, the “Shape My Style” tab on eloquii by The Limited website will provide personal styling suggestions based off your body type, guiding you to the best fashion options to enhance your curves.
This collection pays attention to the fit details that matter, delivering modified inseams and waist levels, adjusted sleeve lengths, and two pant fits, all to flatter her curves. Trend driven stand-out pieces include; custom fit skinny jeans, the classic wrap dress, oversized sweaters, he bomber jacket, and belted stylish cape.
Specializing in plus size clothing for women, the site features a range of fashionable designer apparel, the online store features women’s dresses, suits, tops, pants, shirts, sweaters, outerwear and other accessories. Find out more at www.eloquii.com
Yesterday while in New York on set for the new Ashley Stewart photoshoot, I also was wearing the brand. It is the “taffeta bubble trim trench coat” but I wore it as a dress. It comes in 3 colors and I’m wearing it in “Diva Blue”. I was originally supposed to wear this last week as my finale dress in my fashion show for Ashley Stewart but had a change of plans. It worked out best because at that time I didn’t really have shoes to match it and low and behold, just as I was about to leave for NYC Thursday, my shoes that I ordered months ago from Nordstrom arrived on my porch. (They are replica Dior shoes, check out the comparison pic below). It’s amazing sometimes how outfits come together at the last minute. Anyway, since this was just a coat that I was wearing I just wore a plain black slip under it in case it happened to pop open at some point during the day, but it didn’t. The coat comes with a black belt but I swapped it out for this coral belt that was from the spring Ashley Stewart collection. (Great thing is if you like the coat, go in by today and get it for 30% off during the “Friends and Family” savings event). All accessories are also in the store and brought out the coral color in the belt and shoes (But you can’t see them fully in my pics, sorry). These shoes may look uncomfortable but if it wasn’t for my feet being swollen from traveling I could have kept them on all day. They are showstoppers!
As I stated above my shoes are a top designer replica. Although the pair I’m wearing are designer too, they are at a fraction of the price of the original Dior shoes that they look like. Here’s the comparison:
Still celebrating my Birthday week celebration, today I had the pleasure of being invited to the photoshoot for Ashley Stewart’s Holiday 2011 campaign. (I must have done something right for my fashion show last week for them because) Ashley Stewart was so generous enough to send me to NYC for the day to join their staff and top super models, Marquita Pring and Tara Lynn on set. Alongside with me were two other plus-size bloggers, Nadia Aboulhosn and Tiffany of “The Fat Shopoholic” who were also chosen to participate in this project. We all got the opportunity to style 3 outfits each from the upcoming Fall collection. You will be seeing these outfits on the Ashley Stewart website, mailers, YouTube and more. I couldn’t be more thrilled at this opportunity!
Although I can’t post pics of the models in their outfits just yet, please believe me when I tell you that this upcoming season you’re in for a treat. Not to mention a new “accessory” item that Ashley Stewart is launching soon that I’m sure my fashionistas are going to go crazy behind. I know, I know, I’m teasing a bit with the info but for confidentiality reasons I have to wait just a lil’ while longer to share everything. Hopefully you’ll be seeing a lot more of “Bella Styles” along with the Ashley Stewart brand, wink wink.
Both models are so nice and very professional with their craft. They were so in tune with the photographers and modeled so graciously to the beat of the Christmas music that was playing in the background to get the holiday mood set. You would have never believed it was raining like crazy outside the studios because there was so much excitement going on inside. It was truly an honor to be a part of this and I’m sure you’re gonna be pleased when you see the pics which will drop October 11th!!!
For my fashion show the other day I chose to wear this long flowing gown by eShakti. You have heard me speak of this company before. They let you customize your dresses from what they have in stock. All you do is choose a dress that you like then submit your correct measurements and choose whatever neckline, length and sleeve-type you want and it should ship within three days. I’m wearing the the long sequin georgette crepe gown. I have been waiting for the perfect occasion to wear this dress for over four months now. I just love to dress up in gowns. Since I was the host of the fashion show I wanted to be in something that really stood out. (Plus I had already put all my models in my fave looks from the store where I held the show). This particular dress also comes in black and a chocolate brown color. To me the yellow color really stood out and the gold empire sequined waistband completed the look. Then my aunt loaned me this statement necklace that she made and I felt like a queen for the day. I literally didn’t wanna take this dress off that night. All day long I was flowing in it with every step I took. A great feature about this dress is that it has pockets on each side. So I was able to keep my cell phone close as well as notes for the show in my pockets.
This past Saturday during “London Fashion Week”, singer Beyonce and her mother Tina Knowles were there in London for the launch of the new House of Dereon collection. Beyonce says the collection was inspired by her world travels but it mostly has an African feel to it. Beyonce has really tapped into the African heritage since doing those dances derived from Africa for the “Run the World’ video. Models sauntered down the runway in dark blue lips paired with long straight hair with a side part, a short haircut or a curly afro. The lips were complemented by dark angled brows and a gold shimmery line down the models’ faces and chests that mirrored tribal paint. See below as headwraps, feathered neck-pieces and face paintings screamed TRIBAL!
Wowwwwww, is all I can say right now. I have done a lot of “look for less” post but this one has got to take the cake in my book. A while back I blogged on the Jessica Simpson “Beckery” shoes with the cutouts in them. (Read that post here). Anyway, they retail for around $100. Well low and behold I was just in Shoe City and they have a very similar pair by the company called “Wild Rose” for only $29.99. Hmmmm, you know I’m a ‘lil salty right now. I love fashion but if I can get it at a fraction of the price I will. Guess I shoulda waited a month or so longer and could have gotten 3 pair for the price of the one Jessica Simpson shoe. Checkout the similarity for yourself:
On Saturday, September 17, 2011, I hosted my birthday party and a fashion show at the Ashley Stewart store here in Richmond, VA. All of my family, friends and model buddies came out to support this event. I put together 21 looks on 7 models from the new Fall collection from Ashley Stewart. The show went perfect. My DJ, J-Roc, had the house jumping from the moment customers walked into the store and once we got started my commentator, Earl “Christmas Snow” Fleming, hyped up the crowd even more. I had models & hostesses’ come from as far as Baltimore, Northern Virginia to the Hampton Roads area to participate in this event. (Special thank you to TJ, Quan, Twannet, Kim, Autumn, Nellonda, Manaya, Crystal & LaTonya).
Since the theme for Ashley Stewart this season is “Passport to Fashion”, I divided the show into 3 parts, each one representing a different city. Scene One was Paris, Scene Two was London and Scene Three was New York. The Paris scene was filled with hues of grey and black to represent the old classic look of the city. For London I had bold bright colors to bring out the essence of “royalty”. Lastly for the New York scene I went for daring ensembles that you would see fashionistas wearing from Times Square to Madison Square Garden.
All photos by George Butler and Kermit Gresham
(george.moments.forever@gmail.com or kermitgresham@gmail.com)
P.S. – I still have more pics to add and will update this post as I go along)
London Fashion Week started on Friday and I have to say that designer label, Sass & Bide, has wowed me again with their new Spring 2012 collection. If you noticed I didn’t blog on any of the New York Fashion Week shows last week because none of the collections really caught my attention. (Or maybe I was just too busy to really give my full attention to every detail). But now that London Fashion Week has started, I see pops of color and style that is very eye catching. Sass & Bide creators, Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, have incorporated bold hues of blue, yellow and orange and the neck pieces that are a must-have!
Yesterday was the launch of the Missoni for Target collection and boy was there hoopla. I lucked up and got my hands on a few pieces but from the stories across the web some folks weren’t so lucky. There were reports of people grabbing handfuls of items at a time and then putting them on Ebay at up to three times the Target price. Since the line doesn’t have any plus-size clothes I just opted for a hat, shoes and a handbag. There are two different color schemes for the ballerina shoes so I got the “Passione” pattern that has purple, pink and green in it. I luckily found the hat and bag to match exactly. I literally grabbed the last of each item. Some stores had sold out of items within the first few minutes of opening and the website crashed early in the day from so much traffic.
The ballerina shoes are comfortable for the most part but you will need an insole for added support of your arch. Although the handbag has feet on it, which is a plus in my book, it’s made out of a thin material and I already know that I’m gonna have to be extra careful with the wear and tear of this bag. But for a fraction of the original Missoni prices I can’t complain but so much. Now the felt floppy hat is my favorite item that I purchased. It fit my head perfect and is super stylish.
