Last week, Designer, Mark Fast, the Canadian born knitwear designer sent plus size model Crystal Renn, a size 16, out on the London catwalk wearing two clingy, knit dresses from his Fall 2010 Collection.

This red dress

And this beige-colored dress

Photos: www.Imaxtree.com/Matteo Volta

His point? Women can look good in couture at any size.  Fast said, “Modeling should be about personality and variety.  It is about beautiful women.  Size should not come into the equation.”

Last season, Fast used models in his show in a range of sizes from 0 to 14.

What to think?  I don’t know.  I have to ponder a bit.

But, I am  liking it.

The story continues.

More as it happens.   Jodell

Every now and then I am blown away by something and just want to share it! Enjoy!

In this month’s podcast scheduled for Wednesday, January 13, 2009 at 3:00-3:45 p.m. EST. Black Cat Plus Radio will feature Sarah Maria, body image expert and Author of “Love Your Body, Love Your Life.”

Listeners can log onto the show live at on Wedensday, January 13, at 3:00 p.m. EST.  Shows are also archived for easy access.

Sarah Maria, a reknown body-image expert who helps people love their bodies no matter how they look, shows people how to discover the beauty that is already inside of them, right now, in this moment. Once people lconnect with this beauty, they will discover that anything is possible – that they can create a body and a life that they truly love. Sarah Maria’s mission is to create a world where every person sees the beauty in themselves and in others. Sarah Maria has trained with well-known teachers and physicians, including Deepak Chopra, Dr. David Simon, Wayne Dyer, and Jack Canfield, among others. Her work has been endorsed by Deepak Chopra, Dr. David Simon, and NY Times best-selling author Marci Shimoff, as well as many other notable physicians, psychologists, and educators. Before writing her first book, she received a law degree from Stanford and a Master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University.

Is it a revolution, cost cutting measure, publicity stunt or just good common marketing sense to more accurately reflect the audience you serve?

Recently Glamour Magazine made headlines when it announced that it was featuring a pictorial of normal to plus size nude models in its November issue. Debuting the image last week on the Ellen DeGeneres show, Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Leive, commented about Glamour’s decision to include women of all shapes and sizes in their ads and said how Glamour was inspired by reader comments about model Lizzie Miller and how women reacted to that ad because they finally saw a part of themselves reflected in a magazine advertisement.

Photo: Matthias Vriens-McGrath for Glamour

And now, Brigitte Magazine, one of the more popular magazines from Germany announced that starting in 2010 it would only use women with “normal figures.” Brigitte sells 700,000 copies and offers readers  fitness, lifestyle, recipes and sex related articles which appeals to an upwardly mobile, younger career women demographic. Editor-in-Chief Andreas Lebert, said the change was, “in response to complaints by readers who said they had no connection with the women depicted in fashion features and no longer wanted to see protruding bones.”   How exciting! Two magazines! Who is next?

Stay tuned on Wednesday, October 14 at 3:00 p.m. EST for our next show featuring Robert Gruber, CEO of one of our featured lines, A People United.  You will hear the story of his company and about their commitment to social responsibility.  We are excited to offer selections from this wonderful line.  We will also be talking to Elizabeth Patch, author and illustrator of More to Love.  We are excited to talk to this talented artist who has set out to make a positive contribution to combat negative stereotypes of plus size women by showing them as attractive, adorable, sassy and sexy women who live life to the fullest through her illustrations.  Don’t forget to tune in to Black Cat Plus Radio at 3 p.m. on October 14! Give-a-ways, promos, surprises and more!!  See you on the catwalk!

Kudos to Kelly Bliss for launching her new Lifestyle Watchers Program!

Congratulations to Black Cat Plus radio Lifestyles segment contributor, Kelly Bliss, for offering this new and innovative program!

As Kelly says, “Self Care works better than self hate!” Amen to that! Striving to live the healthiest lifestyle that we possibly can is the best gift we can give to ourselves and to those we love.

So, I promise for today to live the healthiest lifestyle I possibly can in body, mind and spirit! How about you?   WE look forward to talking with Kelly about her new Lifestyle Watchers program on our next show which airs live on Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

And, if you live in the Philadelphia, Pa area, check out one of Kelly’s Lifestyle Watcher Classes

Wow! I love Project Runway on Lifetime! Always drama, always fashion, always entertaining and now a plus size fashion designer named Qristyl Frazier as one of the Project Runways Fashion Designers! Finally.  If you haven’t seen the show.  Log onto Lifetime and watch past episodes. Check out first run episodes on Thursday at 10 p.m. est.  Now, perhaps more aspiring fashion designers will take note?  We need more plus size designers.  Best of luck Qristyl! We’ll be watching and cheering you on!

Join us on Wednesday, August 12 at 3 p.m. on Blogtalkradio as we talk to our featured guest, Kelly Bliss.  We are so excited to have Kelly as our special guest in our Lifestyles Segment!

Kelly will be discussing Three Secrets to Your Healthy Living.

And, One lucky listener will win a package deal from Kelly! Call in and talk to Kelly at (347) 857-1670

You can also Live Chat with us during the show!

We’ll  have a Fall Fashion preview, the latest news, tips and trends, specials and promotions, and more!

Can’t tune in?  Not to worry—you will be able to listen at your convenience, just go to our site and find our on demand episodes links and hit play!

About Kelly

Kelly Bliss M.Ed., A.C.E., is a Lifestyle coach who has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a national leader in plus size fitness and wellness. She is the author of Don’t Weight, Eat Healthy and Get Moving Now as well as several exercise DVD’s. As a professional member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH), Kelly helps people find what they need for “Health At Every Size” (HAES).  Kelly also started the plus size reference web site, Plus Size Yellow Pages (yes, we’re listed!) Check it out!

Can’t wait! see you on the Catwalk Radio Network!

For additional details, Go here to view the complete press release.

Plus size woman is a fabulous, professional, sexy, successful attorney. She can get anyone she wants and knows that her destiny is in her own hands. She recognizes that she is fabulous and goes about having all the things that— Wait. That’s not the plot.
Ugh. I reaaaally wanted to like this show. I really did. I have held off reviewing it because other’s reviews have been favorable and it looks as though Lifetime has hit the jackpot with the record setting ratings for this show. The Executive Producers have resumes that read like a Who’s Who in American Television. I keep going back to this show. And I keep thinking, “Well, maybe you are not getting it. Watch it again.” It is getting to the point where one of the characters can say one line and I say the next I have watched it so many times. And I am still not enthralled.

The other night before bed, I was watching Diva and tsk tsking and rolling my eyes. My husband was like, “Now what?” I said, “I just can’t put my finger on it and I wish I could. But I just can’t.” While on one hand, I am happy that Lifetime picked up the show (Fox was supposed to pick it up), on the other hand, I just so wish that they had:
#1: Altered the plot premise. Why? Just once can we see a plus size woman who has it all and knows what to do with it! Maybe that is why I am not in a happy mood about this show? When is that going to happen—when we see the person and not the size?
#2: Female executive producers, preferably a few of size, would be a good idea. Imagine that interview? If there are women Exec. Producers where are they?

I must admit that it is good that the show addresses prejudice and preconceived notions on weight and appearance. Maybe two or ten or twenty years from now we’ll look back at this show and say, “Yup, that started the discussion.”

The debut of Drop Dead Diva introduced the story of a fashion model with an at-ti-tude, The model, Deb, played by Brooke D’Orsay, has a fatal car accident and finds herself in front of the gatekeeper to Heaven, played by Ben Feldman. The gatekeeper believes that she is a self centered size 00 individual, who has never done anything bad or good. So as part of her journey to her real self, Deb is returned to life, but in a different body. Much to Deb’s chagrin, she finds herself in the body of a size 16 lawyer, Jane Bingum, played by Brooke Elliott.

And, thus, Deb takes over the body of Jane, a donut and chocolate loving, brilliant, shy, frumpy lawyer. And, we see glimpses of the two personalities as they converge into one personality with the best traits of each.

Since we have the plot that we have, what I am hoping for is that we can see some kind of true progression with Jane, played by actress Brooke Elliott. (If anything, I think Brooke will be a breakout star!) What I am hoping for is that the writers and producers avoid the obvious and dig deeper as we see a transformation in Jane’s character. And as she transforms, we all proceed in kind. And, we can all benefit.

More as it happens. Jodell

Yes, we are a plus size e-commerce site. Yes, our livelihood depends upon plus size women who see our clothes and decide that they cannot live without what we have to offer and they want to purchase and do so.

I am always on a quest for good health and fitness and those two topics are not size specific. Some days are better than others and I have a plan and do my best to stick to that plan. Sound familiar?

I am motivated, energized, and inspired by others’ success and willingness to take charge! Talking about plus size fashions and working with our customers always reminds me that It is up to each one of us to put our best foot forward and strive to be our best selves. I just hate seeing low self-esteem and low confidence when it comes to size. Sometimes one thing makes a difference: It can be real simple: A new outfit and dressin’ up! Or more of a challenge: workin’ thru some things with a professional or losing weight to feel better.

I have a saying, “Fix it or forget it.” That phrase has gotten me out of a lot of negative self-talk, reminded me that I am in charge, reminded me that it is about my health and well-being and that of my family and that today, “it” is whatever “it” is “and I have the power to change it.  If I need help, I ask,  because that is part of my job –to–fix it or forget it.

So, when Sommer Johnson, Publisher of Gemini Magazine, emailed me and told me about her goal to get healthy I was intrigued.  She is part of a really cool project called Mamavation
where a fabulous team of trainers, nutritionists, and cheerleading moms help one mom lose weight to
become the healthier version of herself.

And so we can all learn from her experience, Sommer will blog, vlog, and tweet her progress every step of the way.

As Sommer said in her email to me, “There are several reasons for me wanting to do the project.  One of the main reasons is that I’m currently at 295 lbs and I feel awful.  I will NEVER be a size 2, and between you & me, I don’t want to be (size 14/16 would be great!).  What I do want is to be a healthy, curvy, more active woman, wife, & mom.”  She is committed to helping herself and to inspire others to get motivated to get healthier than they are right now.  In order for her to win, we need to vote for her so that the mamavation team will choose Sommer as their Mamavation Mom.

OH–AND—If you have not done so, Check out Gemini Magazine. It’s a go-to, must have resource for Fashion, Beauty, Health, Lifestyle, and Celeb Features. Well organized and easy to read, Gemini Magazine’s message to, “open minds, one cover, one article, one beautiful, sophisticated, professional, curvy, woman at a time” is right on!

And, so I don’t forget. Go Vote! Go Sommer–Cheers to your quest to Fix it! And remember, How it is is how YOU decide it is going to be!

We’ll be cheering you on!

More as it happens, Jodell