So there I was: Six years in the industry as a patternmaker- waking up each day, working toward someone else’s dream. When I first made the decision to move to New York from Bridgeport, CT- my intentions were to graduate from FIT with a degree in Fashion Design (check), get a job in the industry (check), gain a little experience for a couple of years (check), then hit the ground running in pursuit of my own dreams…(crickets). This box was left unchecked for longer than I expected. Partly because I was scared to fail, but mostly because I was just scared to try. I was scared to step out of my comfort zone; afraid to be vulnerable about something I was so passionate about. So I continued seeing plus sized women in the industry being severely underserved. I continued seeing designers I worked with create garments for a size 6 model in mind, instead of a size 14. I continued seeing unforgiving fabrics, and unflattering silhouettes populate the markets for curvy women who bought them because they didn’t have much of a choice otherwise. And then a couple of things changed my mind. Firstly, I planned my wedding- alone. I made every decision about aesthetic, venue, food and budget on my own and seeing my little ideas come to fruition inspired in me a new found confidence. I learned that I was very capable of getting things done. Second, I lost weight. I had been on the losing team in the battle of the bulge for my entire life. Being overweight and wanting to still be cute, attractive and sexy is what initially gave me the desire to do plus sized clothing. But losing the weight is what gave me the confidence to step into what I believe to be my calling. Now let’s not get it twisted, I am still not considered thin by anyone’s standards. I still cannot find garments to fit my proportions properly unless I am making them myself- even in a smaller plus sized body. However, realizing that fact is what I think sets PILE NY apart. Simply put, it is a very subjective collection of garments that I wanted to find hanging in my own closet: Feminine clothing- minus the frilly, bold and sexy- without being tasteless, and most importantly, a great deal of importance given to proportion. What a prosperous fashion world it would be if every woman’s body was proportioned in the exact same way! Although this is not the case, retailers want us to shop as if it were. PILE NY will be the first plus sized collection to change the way clothing is sold. First off, we offer smaller size groupings- because a size 2 woman will look very different in a particular garment than a size 10. And a size 10 will look different than a size 24. The small range of sizing we offer gives us more creative freedom to design specifically for our targeted woman. Furthermore, we understand first hand that the fit of a garment relies on more than just the size on the label. If the proportions are wrong, wearing the correct size has very little significance. The Fall 2013 PILE NY Collection was fit on a pear shaped figure. Women with this body type will be most comfortable in the pieces (although my Hourglasses and Apples are more than welcome to make the pieces their own). Next year I hope to expand the line to include silhouettes specifically designed for hourglass and apple shapes as well. At the end of the day, I’m just a plus sized woman, living in Harlem, fed up with what fashion has to offer this body of mine. But I have finally learned not to blame my body for the limits that fashion creates. I have decided to push the limits. I hope that you will do the same. #adornyourcurves