by Louisa Cohen 

This week in Vancouver’s rail-town: a trunk show for women who, for once, are not rail-thin.

Women with money, power, and style come in all sizes, and Laura Caravaggio of the web-boutique Lola & Gigi is helping to pave the way to bring +SIZE fashions to curvy women. Curvy women who already have the “it” bag, Louboutin shoes…but are frustrated trying to find clothing to match.

Lola & Gigi is a Canadian, online high-end fashion boutique that features a carefully edited selection of designer pieces that showcase the curvy figure, along with styling tips for women sizes 12 to 24.

Below, a chat with Laura Caravaggio – the +size stylist behind it all.

Shedoesthecity: How did you get into plus size styling?
Laura Caravaggio:  Being a stylish size 14 (and over) most of my adult life forced me to get to know my body and to know what suited my shape.  It helped to really hone in on what worked for me and in the process, what worked for other curvy women.  It meant that I could walk into a store or shop online and pick out the pieces that would flatter my figure the most.

I found myself being called in by all the curvy women in my life (and the not so curvy for that matter) when they needed help finding something to wear.  They would go shopping and end up feeling terrible because they couldn’t find something that worked for their body.   Inevitably, I would either lend them something from my own closet that would work or we’d go shopping together to choose the right look to make them feel fabulous. 

We all have parts of our body that we like & want to highlight and other bits that we’d like to skim over.  It is just a matter of identifying those things and working with them to feel comfortable in our own skin and let who we are on the inside shine out.

SDTC: What has changed in plus size fashion over the past few years?
LC:  Choice!  There are a lot more designers and clothing companies extending their size ranges.We’re now seeing some great high-end designers who are figuring out how to cut clothing to enhance a curvy figure, instead of trying to hide it.  I’m lucky enough to have found some great boutique brands to carry at LolaandGigi.com that are right on trend.  For example, both Melissa Masse and Anna Scholz design their own digital prints and MonifC constantly pushes the envelope with pieces like her St. Tropez Fringe Swimsuit.  It also doesn’t hurt to have so many gorgeous, strong, curvy role models in the media and on the pages of magazines.

SDTC: As a curvy girl, did you always embrace your body?
LC:  I have always tried to focus on the great things about my figure and not worry too much about what I like to downplay.  I certainly have always had days when I put on something black because I want to hide a bit.  Who doesn’t?  The important thing is to give myself a break when I’m feeling a little less than fabulous.  I think about what my body does for me everyday and how far it takes me.  Then I put on some red shoes and a statement necklace with that black outfit and I go about my business.

SDTC: What voluptuous celebrities would you love to dress?
LC:  One of my mottos is “What would Queen Latifah wear?”  I think she is so bold & elegant in her choices and she always looks so well put together.  I also love Christina Hendricks from “Mad Men”.   She’s taken some flack for her red carpet looks, so I’d love to help her knock the next one out of the park.

SDTC: I think Marilyn Monroe was a size 14… do you think the celebrity culture will ever revert back and begin to embrace full figures again?
LC:  I certainly think we are getting there!  The media attention right now on “plus size” models is amazing and I think it helps retrain our brains into seeing all different shapes & sizes as beautiful.  Hopefully one day it won’t be such a big deal and we can lose the labels.

SDTC: What is the most common mistake made when a curvacious lady is shopping for clothes or putting together an outfit?
LC:  I think that most women need a little help understanding their shape and knowing what enhances it.  We shouldn’t be afraid of the fitting room.  Try things on!  Try on different shapes and sizes, experiment to see what works.You might be surprised that something you thought you’d love just doesn’t suit you, or that a dress that looks completely unappealing on the hanger just needs your curves inside it to make it pop.

My other tip is to have a proper bra fitting.  You might hear a letter of the alphabet you never thought existed in a bra, but it will make a huge difference to how your clothes fit.

Trunk show June 2 & 3 @ 11am – 7pm, 130 – 49 Dunlevy Ave (Railtown).
www.lolaandgigi.ca