New York Fashion Week: A Focus on Curvier Models

Sept. 15, 2010 - PRLog -- New York City’s Fall Fashion Week has taken center stage in Bryant Park this week, highlighting fashion trends and showcasing the runway collections of many top designers.  One exciting new trend at this year’s event is the first ever runway show to feature only plus-sized women.  

“I embrace the concept of featuring curvier women on the runway rather than the waif-like models we’re used to seeing in Bryant Park,” says Gayle Burslie, fashion designer with St. Michael, MN-based online fashion startup, ThatsWhatIWant.com.  “And since the average American woman is a size 14, I think it’s a trend that will prevail.”

“I believe average-sized women – that is women between the sizes of 12 and 16 -- have been largely ignored by both by the runway and by major fashion retailers,” says Burslie.  “These sizes are the most common and most commonly sold-out sizes in retail shops nationwide.   Even when they are available, it is difficult to find the proper fit for our shape.  We’ve decided to do something about it, and that’s what spawned the whole concept behind ThatsWhatIWant.com.”

Burslie explains that most standard missy size designers use a size 8 fit model and most plus size designers use a size 18 fit model.  “It just seems obvious to me that since the average American woman is a size 14, it would be logical to use a size 14 fit model,” says Burslie.  “And that’s precisely what we are doing at ThatsWhatIWant.com.”

To illustrate her point, Burslie cites a recent post on a fashion blog:  “What we really need are designers for the average woman's figure. An interior designer wouldn’t take a design from a small room and try to apply it to a larger space by taking the approach of just adding a larger couch and a bigger rug, and calling it a day. No…they would design for the larger room.”

“Here at ThatsWhatIWant.com, we are taking a design and manufacturing approach that nobody else has ever done.  That is to design apparel exclusively for the most common sizes of American women – sizes 12, 14 and 16,” says Burslie. “We pay special attention to designing fashion-forward pieces that use fabrics and design processes that especially flatter her figure.”

Burslie says there is a good reason there is a lot of buzz in the print and online media recently about women’s fashions and size issues.  “This is a big concern for women and it’s about time someone steps up to the plate to do something about it,” she says.

For more information about ThatsWhatIWant.com visit their website at www.thatswhatiwant.com.

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Note to Editors:  More information about ThatsWhatIWant.com, including photographs and logo graphics, are available online at www.thatswhatiwant.com/mediarelations.  To arrange a personal interview, contact Burslie at gayle@thatswhatiwant.com or call (763) 497-0730.

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ThatsWhatIWant.com is an online fashion retailer that designs and manufactures fashion forward clothing for the average sized women; sizes 12-14-16 the most common and most commonly sold out sizes in America.

thatswhatiwant.com