#‎wearethethey‬ ‪‎stylehasnosize‬ ‪‎fatacceptance‬ ‪‎bodypositive‬

[ravendreamsltd]

WTF Am I Doing?

People, when asked after an earthquake, what it was like when the final tremors stopped responded, “Is it over yet?” That’s how I feel about UK Plus Size Fashion Week. #UKPSFW did a lot to focus me on what my vision is, on what my goals are and what message I want to put forth as what identities not just my brand but what I personally stand for.

First some hard truths. RavenDreams Plus Size Lingerie is a one woman show. There is only me (and a great group of friends whom I love and cherish who are nuts and willing to do silly things like get naked in front of cameras and fashion shows and sit in London traffic for 7 hours to get me there and talk bollocks to complete strangers… etc.). I am the Designer, Manufacturer, Web Developer, Photographer – you name any job in the company, it’s me. This is what Indie Business truly is – hard slog. I get the credit for the success of a project and all the blame of a failure. For a while I have been using the royal “we” to make it sound like RD is somehow larger and therefore more reliable a company. UKPSFW showed me that I don’t need to do that and that stops today.

And what’s my message to the world? It’s fashion week all around the world and I can’t help but agree with the Daily Fail (erm Mail) that’s there is nothing new on the catwalks. What little innovation there is has been swamped and marginalized by the conglomerate ready to wear. I am really disappointed by what I have seen that the press have covered. And here’s the thing – that the “press have covered”. Plus Size Shows are so busy finding funding that they are forced to go to big Ready to Wear companies who then hog the catwalk and I suspect force true design out to the margin to prevent being shown how awful their products have become and often always were. Even “bold new” lines are … unimpressive. Ex: All I had to do was type into google black lace halter bra… abd there were hundreds of them. This was just the first result )on sale at New Look for £12.99). Addition Elle – now don’t get me wrong – bringing “On Trend” items into the hands of plus size women is laudable but don’t start calling it new or high fashion. And it is still as the DM said, “They’re just not good enough. For the most part, they are simply scaled-up versions of something a person who’s a size 10 might wear.”

  Sure, I would love to make a bra like that for the line – but IT’S COPYING! Fashion Week is for Haute Couture to inspire ready to wear(R2W – tired of typing it out)! Something has gone terribly wrong in Plus Size that R2W is running the trend and innovation and design just isn’t there. (Btw, that halter bra isn’t even on sale in Addition Elle as of this publication date.)

So, what’s my vision? Innovation; new shapes, new patterns, not trend lend. RavenDreams is a Couture Experience. I am not here to be “on trend” – I will be the design two years in front of the trend. So far I have been creating pieces for my own needs, like the Melanie, and I will continue to do that. Piece by  piece, I intend to up the bar on the quality and fit and shape of plus size lingerie. I fully expect to be copied. But that’s the point of Haute Couture isn’t it? To Inspire!

My mission? (I should really put that in all caps but CBA…) To change the way the industry looks at fit. Or at least start a meaningful conversation that isn’t ignored. So, I am going to use this blog to rant. No one is safe, especially me. As Eminem said, “Tell me something else I don’t know about me.” To all you plus size bloggers out there feel free to join in! I am not after your market share – I want to change the world through fit and design. Weigh in with what you want!

So – Innovation, Design, Couture, and taking no prisoners!

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

    PS. those with no sense of humor need not apply ;p

WTF Am I Doing? was originally published on RavenDreams - Confessions