Gisela Ramirez is a Sydney based plus size designer (and an amazing blogger) whom I've admired for a while. I was very excited when she kindly invited me to her launch and runway show in Darlinghurst last week. She makes the type of clothes that often larger women are told not to wear, think sheer tops, cut out panels and figure hugging bodysuits, which if you have been reading my blog for a while you will know I love. Remember this post where I wore a red sheer dress and bike shorts? Did I ever tell you about the negative comments I got from anonymous commenter's afterwards? Apparently I'm disgusting and fat people should never ever wear such things. Oh and the other night when I wore my sheer blouse from this post to a fashion industry event I came home to aggressive anonymous tweets from someone who said they were at the same event and apparently I was the laughing stock of the party, cos you know I'm fat (shock horror) and wearing sheer! I deal with this shit all the time and I don't let it ever get me down. People need to learn that I wear what I like, always have and always will. Deal with it!
Anyway, back to Gisela Ramirez's kick arse show. Here are some back stage shots of the models during the runway rehearsal, looking hot in lycra. I'm ordering a pair of the leggings as I type.
Bold n gold, loves it.
The styling was perfect, bold earrings and chic up-do's.
Waiting in line to make their entrance.
This event had some of the best dressed attendees of any event I have been to in Sydney. People who weren't wearing the usual paint by numbers style that industry types seem to stick to, give me some frigging gutsy street fash pleeeeaaaasssse. So over beachy.
Thank god for these kids, doing colour blocking without the rules.
A pretty radical front row.
The fashion on show. Perfect pieces for the "beach to bar" vibe that magazines always talk of that I have never actually experienced (Hey I'm from Melbourne, we pretty much don't have beaches ok?) We do have bars though, lots of them dotted around the city in lane-ways. I'd wear these looks there.
The final walk saw the models all parade down the catwalk in cropped t-shirts with the words "FUCK FLATTERING" printed in bold across the chest. Um yes please. I'm as guilty as Paula Joye or any of the current STYD team of writing bullshit about flattering bodies when writing about fashion as my job, but I actually don't believe in any of it (unlike those mag hags). What I do believe in though is wearing what YOU WANT, and what YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE in. So for some people that may be an outfit that they, due to social conditioning and/or years of fash mag reading, believe is flattering then so be it. For me it means feeling good about myself in my clothes, which has taken a few years (my teenage years were hellish) but has got to the point where blog comment and twitter bullying don't bother me in the slightest. Talk to my arse cos the face ain't listening.
*photo not actually of my arse.
**I actually like lots of people who work at STYD, I just was trying to make a humorous point.
interesting read great post xx A Fox That Meows ♥
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS!!!! MY FRIEND IS WEAARING F* FLATTERING TEE :)
ReplyDeleteIt never stops making me laugh how that fashion biz lauds itself for being so forward thinking and artistic when really it's full of the most scared, rule-following little lemmings. If you're spending an entire party laughing at a girl for wearing a sheer blouse and she's not a size 10, then it's about time you re-thought your life. And in my opinion actual fashion (i.e the industry and its hangers on) is so fucking dull. Gisela Ramirez, fat girls wearing what they want without fear of being laughed at... THAT's exciting, you know?
ReplyDeleteJust, grrr! x
Hi Hayley, LOVE this post. So over rules for fat chicks into fashion. As they say, 'F**K Flattering'.
ReplyDeletethe models are GORGEOUS!! Love your post & more power to you for having the inner strength & conviction to be who you are/wear what you want despite these comments you mention receiving. I hope you get that tee & rock it, sounds like it's your personal fashion mantra :) xx
ReplyDeleteThis is really fabulous! Whoever said that fashion is only for those skinny people must see how these ladies flaunt whatever they have! I am amazed with this post. I love how they showcased themselves and I can see their confidence. It's a perfect kill! Fierce!
ReplyDeleteI'll put my name to this and say that there are some things that people of ANY shapes and sizes should not wear.
ReplyDeleteWe should respect our bodies and people around us and cover up certain imperfections.
A size 6 or 26 can have cellulite and frankly, I don't want to see it on a girl of any size or age.
'so over beachy'..! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteI am a size 6 and probably wouldn't wear any of that stuff anyway, but that is more of a personal taste thing.
ReplyDeleteI try to highlight the postive and eliminate the negative. (Thank God for the a-line.)
ReplyDeleteFashion is about being creative... but your clothes must flatter.
No-one wants to be laughed at. More important than fashion... good manners.
i hate to be such a party-killer, but no matter if you wear flattering clothes (zomg cellulite) and make sure to shame people who don't, you're still going to die (but... but... i always hide my "ugly" thigh veins!), you still have to piss and shit (what! I work out ten hours a week!) and you have to pay taxes (humph, only people who dress themselves in unflattering clothing should have to pay taxes!).
ReplyDeleteoccasionally, disgusting hollow troll-wretches might laugh at someone at a party. it's always been my personal stance that if you have to go to parties (you know, events, not beers with a few friends), if you're drawn to them, you have a high likelihood of being so goddamn disconnected from reality that you're not really a good barometer of what is or isn't "cool" or worthwhile.
i don't understand this, why is there such praise for plus size models.. it's REALLY unhealthy to have that much weight on you. Lets get real guys. Why does it have to be one extreme to another?
ReplyDeleteWell kudos to them! But personally, I just couldn't wear any of it. I've had so much negative conditioning rammed down my throat for 40+ years, that I just wouldn't feel positive wearing it. I wish I could.
ReplyDeleteWomen come in all shapes and sizes.
ReplyDeleteTo be proud and strut your stuff when you dont have the 'accepted' small frame that most clothes seem to be made for, takes guts!
it is depressing but true to say that sometimes in fashion unless you are an ethereal, waifish beauty with no tits, it feels like a lot of designers leave you out.
Be proud. Be big. Be cool with it. It's refreshing to see this show happening in body conscious Sydney. Designers take note...Women come in all shapes and sizes and we all have some cash to spend! x
LOVE your attitude!
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand why some people are so negative, especially in the blogging world. If I read or see something I don't like, I close the page. End of story.
Notice how that person tweeted you instead of coming up to you at the party? COWARD!
Whether you would wear the clothes yourself or not isn't the issue for me, it's appreciating the female form (and talented designers who clothe them!), no matter what shape or size :)
I thought you looked great in that sheer top. Anonymous cunty douchebags can fuck off and drown in a sea of spite! xoxo
ReplyDeleteHoly Shit who is so bitter and twisted that they feel the need to criticize peoples choices of what they want to wear or whether they want to hide their cellulite or not? When Kate Moss hit the runway a few months back with her cellulite hanging out proudly everyone said good on her. I dont see the difference between her cellulite and any body elses and nearly everyone has it so why pretend it dosnt exist? Are the fashion followers going to be told they have to hide their noses next winter because the 'industry' has decided noses are unsightly?
ReplyDeleteKeep doing what you are doing because its real fashion and thats what us kool kids wanna look at!
Very different from my taste but these ladies all look wonderful. Its good to see plus size models who really are plus size. I can imagine some larger ladies cant really relate to the plus size models who are just a size medium. But im not speaking from experience.
ReplyDeleteIm honestly shocked and angered that someone would react to sheer top like that, but you set a wonderful example.
Love from melbourne.
I don't know why people feel the need to body shame. I can't imagine walking around judging people on their bodies, or even their clothes. Thanks for all your feedback, its been interesting. x
ReplyDeleteHayley, I fucking love you and your attitude! Gisela Ramirez is absolutley amazing, and I absolutely agree, fuck flattering! Life is about living and expressing who you are and doing what YOU want, stuff playing by the rules set by a closeminded society. All the people that have rude things to say will just have to live with the bad karma that they accumulate from being a massive twat faced jerk. <3
ReplyDeleteGreat! Today fashion world does not belong to those skinnies alone!!
ReplyDeleteThis blog post has had me troubled from the first time i read it, and after numerous re-readings I feel compelled to leave a comment.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I'm a huge fan of the kids at Gisela Ramirez, secondly I am a larger lass myself, thirdly have been an avid follower of Fashion Hayley for years.
I have to sadly say I think you have lost your way Hayley. I read the tweets you referred to regarding your look at the fashion event and they did not mention your size or say people were laughing at you. I agree they were not nice tweets but I think in mentioning them here is both disingenuous and very disappointing. I feel you do us all a disservice by playing the "fat card" when no such thing was meant. Any criticism of you (valid or not) is met by that response. Its undignified and is in direct conflict with your oft avowed "rising above it" declarations. Perhaps a thoughtful silence is a better more dignified response.
Its disappointing because you have included this petty tit for tat twitter feud in what should be a post only about the incredible Gisela Ramirez. The two do not belong together and it does you no credit.
I sadly feel that more and more you indulge in this pettiness and that you seem to enjoy in engaging with these vile people as much as they bate you.
Gisela I salute you.
Hayley, onwards and upwards please
SUCH a great post!!! You're so right about EVERYTHING. Fuck flattering indeed! I think confidence is what makes someone attractive and these haters clearly don't like themselves very much or they wouldn't be putting all this crap on you (and others).
ReplyDeleteGisela Ramirez is amazing, as are her clothes!
X
polway.blogspot.com
Whhhaa? I am shocked that people go out of their way to insult your style? pfft. What shmucks.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! Australia is SO in need of more fun plus size stuff. When I was a plus size teen I was constantly made to feel awful that I didn't fit into anything I liked. This new line is wonderful!
Gisela Ramirez still makes hideous clothes - plus size or not. The material is cheap, the designs beyond basic and the colour palette is tacky. It's like you slap 'plus size' or 'body celebration' on a piece of crap and everybody forgets that it's crap.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to the day there is as much quality and diversity in plus sizes as there is in mainstream sizes.
I'm closing the comments on this post (first time ever doing something of the sore). Didn't your parents ever teach you that if you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything at all?
ReplyDelete