Designers are on my mind this week especially those with styles that will be gracing the runway this June at Full Figured Fashion Week™. There are some great names on the table for the events and for this week’s Full  Figured Fashion Week™ Fashion Front update I wanted to give some details on the fab designers to keep your eye on!

• Curvaceous Boutique- Curvaceous Boutique offers plus size trendy clothing for curvy women. It is the source for unique and head turning fashions and concentrates on women’s wear sizes 14-24. Curvaceous Boutique not only serves as an undeniable threshold for fashion, but also implants radiant beauty on the inside of its customer by building her from the inside out. Each client is given unique individualized customer service by listening to her needs and wants. Exceptional service is the foundation of Curvaceous Boutique and it aims to make her feel exactly that–exceptional. 

• Evie Foster- Evie Foster is a curvy woman on a mission, following her passion, to provide curvy women with beautiful choices in fashion. Evie is joining us all the way from Australia and intends on focusing on the US market.  She describes her life as ‘never a dull moment’ and is preparing to show the World what happens when you have a dream, passion and determination and never ever give up! Evie has been a single mother for 10 years now and as her children have grown, is now able to concentrate on her dreams and goals and passions. She describes her life as ‘never a dull moment’ and has done everything in her career from serving in the Royal Australian Air Force, working in retail, business development and executive assistant roles but fashion is her ‘thing’.  The Evie Foster label is designed to fit and accentuate the beauty of curves. The label is about style, fit, versatility and comfort. The designs are created to fit the body properly by accentuating a woman’s most alluring asset, her curves. Rather than hiding a voluptuous frame under a large ‘tent of shame’, Evie Foster designs celebrate the female form and brings sexy back to plus size clothing.

• Sonsi- For every style, shape, age or occasion… Sonsi® is the online destination for women sizes 12 and above.
  Awarded “Best Plus-Size Multi-Brand” by About.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards, Sonsi is one of the largest assortments for full figured women, featuring fashions from over 380 brands including Lane Bryant®, Cacique®, Lane Bryant Outlet®, Fashion Bug®, Catherines®, Kiyonna™, alight, Sydney’s Closet® and many more.

• Curvysta-From classic to contemporary to trend setting, Curvysta has it all. As the premiere site for emerging independent designers, Curvysta offers modernity and quality to the plus size community.  Annie and Jade by Annie Le is an eco-luxurious line for the contemporary woman who cares about the environment. Annie Le, the designer of Annie and Jade by Annie Le, only uses natural, organic, recycled and fair trade fabrics. Her goal is to make every client feel like a woman in her modern, body conscious designs.  Chabri creates her designs using the lines of a woman’s body. Draping and movement are essential, vital elements to each piece. For Jennifer, designer of Chabri, her garments are her artistic fashionable expression. “Curvysta offers alternatives for the plus size woman who loves her curves and loves being seen,” says the owner Jovanna Reyes. “We wanted our Curvystas to have access to designers that are fashion forward, pay attention to detail and offer great quality fabrics.”

• Plush Boutique is a unique designer retailer inspired by owner Wendy Brown’s love for both the urban style and the slick, chic & sophisticated. Once a tiny boutique carrying only sizes 12+, Plush has blossomed into a retail mainstay on the Atlanta fashion scene. The boutique carries brands such as Vitamin C Clothing, The Cotrice Collection, Igigi, Monif C. and more. Plush has been featured on CBS Atlanta’s Ambush Makeover, J’adore Magazine, Honey Magazine, Jezebel Magazine, Atlanta & Co. and more.

• Vikki Vi® has been dedicated to dressing plus size women for over 25 years. Our soft luxurious stretch knits are fashionable and drape beautifully. Whether you need travel-wear, career clothing, or just something to wear for leisure, Vikki Vi® is perfect for the modern woman. With a great variety of styles to choose from, Vikki Vi® Fashions are sure to flatter every unique shape. Contemporary prints and traditional styles can be mixed and matched to create beautiful ensembles that reflect your own personal style. Soft knit suiting by Vikki Vi® offers elegance, style and comfort. Shop the complete collection of Vikki Vi Clothing at http://www.plusbydesign.com/.

• Anna Margaux of  Margaux Kouture- For as long as Anna can remember, she has received praise from many art teachers & family members for her artistic ability and has been infatuated with art since she was a child. The mastery of designs are geared towards women in its couture element with dresses, pant suits, two pieces & evening gowns where one would think they are the Cinderella of the Ball. Her life consists of many talents, abilities, and accomplishments in which she has several companies entitled, “A Clothes Mind founded in 2005″ which is a fashion/image consultant service, “Diva Amor’e founded in 2009″, and an online clothing boutique and a clothing line entitled “Solace”. “Solace” was birthed so that women can feel comfortable in being able to express & wear their feminine qualities. Her newest clothing line , “Margaux Kouture” which launched January 2011 demonstrates her brilliance for high fashion clothing styles which will include evening gowns and party dresses that exhibits glitz and glam.  Her styles exude unique and classiness which cater to the feminine essence of a lady. She knows exactly what it takes to be a star-both on the red carpet and in life.

• Jill Alexander is a fashion designer whose specialty is beautiful clothing for the curvy woman. She is the founder and owner of Jill Alexander Designs, which has established a reputation for fit, versatility and attention to detail. An expert in fabric and tailoring, Jill brings to the plus-size woman designs that are comfortable, flattering and easy to care for. It was her work as a stylist and custom designer that gave her the focus for Jill Alexander Designs. She understands firsthand the challenges curvy women face in finding high quality clothes that not only fit well but stand the test of time to become lifetime wardrobe classics.

• La’Tresa Harper and Danyelle Freeland  of  LaDan’s Closet -Danyelle Freeland, maternal granddaughter of a self- taught designer and seamstress & paternal granddaughter of a fashion “DIVA”, realized early on that shopping for the clothes she desired was very difficult. She would piece together items but was really never satisfied with what was in her closet. Latresa Harper struggled with the same dilemma. Growing up with nothing for kids or teens her size to wear, and admiring the trendy styles that her peers were wearing, she decided that it was up to her to make a change. She wanted to create what she felt was glamorous for the plus sized women. After over 20 years of friendship, nature took it’s course . Designers Latresa and Danyelle have a keen sense of what’s ”HOT” and what’s “NOT”. They set out to create a line that’s fashion forward, trendy, and of high quality. Incorporating LA’Tresa and DANyelle in 2009, “La’Dan’s Closet” was born.

• Marina Zelner of Queen Grace Collection-The Queen Grace collection was born out of the vision to help a full-figured woman celebrate who she is – her body, her confidence, her desire to stand out and embrace the natural beauty of graceful curves. The founder, Marina Zelner, believes that inspired, graceful, elegant clothing should no longer be illusive to the discerning and fashion-forward full figured women.  Queen Grace is proud to launch its first collection for Fall 2011 and offer a variety of sophisticated looks and timeless fashions that flatter the curvy female form. All Queen Grace garments are made from quality, comfortable material tailored to fit perfectly in motion or at rest. From a pencil skirt to an evening gown, from a silk blouse to a day dress, every piece in the collection celebrates a confident, modern woman who knows what she wants out of life.

• Rachel Kacenjar  of  Sweetooth Couture-  Rachel Kacenjar designs extravagant party dresses and modern couture staples inspired by her passion for vintage style. A self taught designer, who gleaned her sewing skills from her Grandmother, Rachel comes from a lineage of plus sized women who have altered their own clothing for decades. Sweetooth Couture has walked the runway at both 2009 and 2010 Indie + Fashion Shows in Brooklyn, NY and is sold online globally and in a handful of exclusive boutiques around the country.

• Tene Charles and Julie Thomson  of  Ashaki Charles Designs-Ashaki Charles Designs combines the creative jewelry design with the added flare of precious metals and semi-precious stones. When paired with our vintage clothing line, ACD, the result is a complete look. Style. Sophistication. Inspiration. Out of love and necessity, Ashaki Charles Designs was created by Toronto-born pair Tene Charles and Julie Thomson. These fashion-loving friends found themselves in need of jewelry that fit and looked fabulous. In 2007 the team began styling photo shoots with vintage fashion they redesigned. The positive response was overwhelming and resulted in both the clothing and accessories being highly praised and sought after.

I highly recommend you check out all of these HOT designers and get a taste for what we will see hitting the runway this June at Full Figured Fashion Week™! 

Tickets for all of the runway events as well as panels, shopping events and more are now available. Get your tickets today and don’t miss out on a great experience!  I will be there, will you?