Making its first appearance at London Fashion was the first ever plus size catwalk show. The show featured a fantastic collaboration of many international designers who recreated and reworked designs from current top designer’s collections. Behind the scenes, was the United Kingdom’s largest plus-size retailer, Evans. The company says that it is proud to have been able to put on the show, noting that plus size fashion “is a big and important part of the market, and we need to be seen to embrace it. You cannot ignore the market place.”
The main emphasis of their collection was to show the world that “high fashion is for all,” and they pulled if off effortlessly. The Design Collective for Evans featured bold colors, patterns, and silhouettes which showcased sheer, flowy, and lightweight fabrics contributing to an overall movement. The looks themselves flatter the models, yet enhance their curves. The flowing lines of the pieces and fabrics add movement to the looks, making them fun and playful. Each outfit has a simplistic glamor to it, and can be effortlessly transformed into either casual or formal, day or night, simply by dressing the look with jewelry, handbags, shoes, or head pieces. This was shown on the runway with visors and flip-flops.
Although making a statement against fashion misconceptions, and paving the way for other plus size shows, there could have been more of a focus on the curves. I would love to have seen more form-fitting clothing to show off the model’s curves and really make a stand against the current status quo of high fashion. But I applaud Evans for taking the first steps. “This is day one. It’s a good start — and it’s the product that has to do the talking” Just like age, size is only a number and should in no way define who you are or how you dress. “You can’t be defensive about it, or apologize about plus-size fashion,” Sir Philip Green, Evans CEO, told WWD. “Why should the category be any different from petite?” Amen to that!
Check out the full show here.