Clothing the CURVY woman
Fashion designer Dene Chung is not bowing to the pressure of creating outfits that only tall, leggy, skinny models can wear.
In fact, she’s doing just the opposite by channelling her creative juices in dressing ‘real women,’ average females who aren’t likely to be featured in a top international fashion magazine – due in part to their full figures, of course, pop culture dictates otherwise.
So Chung, a former fashion model and a woman who is tall and curvy herself, got inspired to really change the focus of today’s designs for bigger women, and showcased her 2005 ‘Summer Breezes and Butterfly Kisses’ collection recently, at the Red Bones Cafe in Kingston.
She unveiled a collection of fluid pieces, 100 in all, including swimwear and formal wear segments. The garments were ready-to-wear pieces that basically hit all the right spots on the curvaceous models. You could tell they felt sexy, which is, perhaps, just the attitude one needs after stepping into one of Chung’s designs.
“Clothes should complement and accentuate the softness and femininity of the curvier figure,” she says.
No, they weren’t at all boxy, nor did they bear the ‘big woman’ image of loose lines to camouflage every flaw. In fact, some of the fabrics used were bright and appealing, and the textured kinds were not limited in their usage.
Styles ran the gamut from halter tops to hip-hugging bottoms. Pants flowed and draped elegantly, while some tops played peek-a-boo at the right places. Of course, cleavages could be seen and splits on some designs drew welcome glances while adding subtle mobility.
Her designs are not labelled the conventional way of Small, Medium and Large but you can ask for Scrumptious, Marvelush, Luscious and Extra Luscious.
She says her designs, since her Dreamer collection debut in 2001, are clothes that fit real bodies with an unmatched beauty, ease and vibrancy.
After her modelling stint, thereby being exposed to the sometimes unforgiving ways of the fashion and beauty market, Chung is convinced that she should be a catalyst in promoting confidence and comfort to those marginalised women on the heavy side.
She thinks it’s utterly wrong for any of her clients to apologise for the way they look. A woman sized at 22 or 28, who wears her designs should feel gorgeous and strong, not the opposite, she argues. “When some clients come in, they are so wounded…Plumper and taller women should feel just as good about themselves as a size 6. These women are our mothers and sisters.”
