BLACKLISTED” Full-Figure Lifestyle Brand Puts Style High on Its List

Dec. 4, 2012 - PRLog -- November 20, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA – On December 11, L.A.-based designer Shellice Beharie celebrates the launch of her full-figure lifestyle brand, “Blacklisted,” with a holiday trunk show and cocktail party, at actor Tim Mar’s new bar in Downtown L.A., The Lexington.  The invitation-only event, hosted by TV Personality Marcy Guevara, will include a press preview, live-model fashion installation, signature cocktails, and Blacklisted Candy Bar at neighboring Doll Boutique.  Selected styles from the collection will be available for purchase during the trunk show.

The 20-piece collection brings a rock-and-roll edge to full-figure fashion, with body-conscious, well-cut fashion staples.  With dresses retailing between $120 and $400, Blacklisted bridges the gap between fast fashion and designer couture, providing lasting value through quality construction and fabrics.  The collection, first shown in October during Curves International Fashion Week, received a positive response from the public and media alike.  Blending rocker chic, street glam, and timeless classic into versatile, day-into-night pieces, the collection includes jersey and vegan leather dresses, tunics with leather detailing, sleek leather-look leggings, and a few satin and sequin pieces.  

Designer Shellice Beharie graduated from FIDM and worked as a stylist and designer for over 6 years before launching her line.  She brings a no-nonsense style approach to clothing, favoring clean lines, bold statements, street chic, no-frills femininity, and staple wardrobe pieces that do double-duty and can be dressed up or down.  Although Blacklisted will include other colors in future collections, the designer chose black as the only color for this one, because of its versatility: everything goes with black, and one can never under-dress or over-dress in black.  

Beharie’s work as personal shopper, stylist, and designer in LA and New York, as well as her own personal struggle to find stylish quality clothing above size 12, motivated her to create Blacklisted.  “I had a hard time finding anything in my size: I would find either trendy, inexpensive pieces that would fall apart after wearing them 2-3 times, or frilly, girly things that were not my style. There are very few edgy, fashion-forward pieces for larger sizes. I was spending a lot of money, and still had nothing to wear,” she says.

The name “Blacklisted” came as a reaction to the current state of affairs, says Beharie. “In fashion, being plus size means that you’re mostly blacklisted from a stylish, high-design experience.  If you look at mainstream media, plus size and high-fashion lifestyle are rarely portrayed together,” she says.  “Fashion and good design should have no size limits. With Blacklisted, we’re removing them.” But even if you remove size limits, she says, “it’s not ‘everything for everyone’...I create with the full-figure body type in mind, but still follow generally-accepted fashion and design rules, and exercise a certain aesthetic judgment.” Blacklisted is about high-style, quality pieces that are figure-flattering and affordable.  

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ABOUT BLACKLISTED:
Blacklisted is a lifestyle brand that caters to fashion-forward full-figured women, providing well-designed, stylish clothing and accessories at accessible prices.  For more information about Blacklisted, please contact publicrelations@fashionforwards.com.

ABOUT MARCY GUEVARA:
Marcy Guevara was seen on VH1’s second season of “You’re Cut Off” as a central character, playing the resident plus-sized princess.  She can be seen on Hearst Digital media’s new Youtube channel “Hello Style”, and host of Marie Claire’s “Big Girl in a Skinny World” webisode that provides plus-size style advice, based on the popular Marie Claire column.  She is also a regular contributor on CocoPerez.com and on the Rachel Ray Show, and runs various web shows, as well as her video blog “The Marcy Minute.” www.marcyguevara.com.

ABOUT THE LEXINGTON:
Named for his college town in Kentucky, The Lexington bar, at 129 E. 3rd St., is the latest project for actor and comedian Tim Mars.  With appearances on VH1’s Tough Love, E!’s Candy Girls, and  MTV’s Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, and years of experience running a bar and working as a restaurant General Manager, actor and comedian Tim Mars knows how to keep a crowd happy.  The Lexington wants to be downtown’s new neighborhood chill spot: A Suede Gallery mural on the outside, retro art on the walls inside, a stage for live music and comedy shows, a weekly karaoke night, beer tastings, and fun soju cocktails are some of its planned attractions.