Jeannie Ferguson, Christina Mendez, Full Blossom Magazine, Samantha Lebbie, Skorch Magazine/TV, Nina Taylor, Curves Rock, Nikki G, Domonique Revere-Lincoln, Charity Lynette, Plus Model 411, Asia Mone’t, Liris Crosse, Doria Pagnotta, Ashley Stewart & hundreds of Plus Models/Aspiring Models along with a number of clients and vendors……..

This reads like a “Who’s Who” in the plus fashion industry, and for a very special day in January 2013, these ladies and businesses were brought together by Joy Ashley, CEO of NYC Plus Model Network, and her team. To produce the 1^st Annual “Ultimate Plus Model Casting” event in New York City. This event was an opportunity for clients to cast plus size models for their various campaigns, runway shows, advertisements, etc and attendees came from all over the country to participate.  Along with casting models, there was a Q&A session with industry leaders, a vendor area to purchase all types of products, and a networking mixer. There were also media outlets present to capture all aspects of the day.

I caught up with Joy Ashley after this amazing event, to find out what inspired her to take on such a big venture, and to find out more about NYC Plus Model Network.

Joy Ashley

 For those who aren’t aware, please tell us what the NYC Plus Model Network is and how this company came to be?

NYC Plus Model Network is a company dedicated to producing groundbreaking, genre tailored opportunities that fit the needs of the plus size model. Our mission; is to provide a platform that showcases their viability, appeal and earning potential in today’s marketplace. By producing seminars, networking and casting events that are conducive to reducing the curvy models struggles, we aim to change the fashion industries landscape, which currently is an environment that is remiss in its efforts to change. Our network’s goal is to present opportunities that promote preparedness, career advancement and inspiration for change. We also wish to introduce clients to fresh, undiscovered faces that they normally wouldn’t come across as they mostly only consider agency models.

 What was the inspiration for the Ultimate Plus Model Casting?

Being a working signed model, women reach out all the time asking for advice, suggestions and guidance on their modeling careers. The main question being “How do I get started?” So, after waiting for someone to help them to no avail I decided to earn my model angel wings and do it myself.  I also wanted a large platform to answer those questions no one is else is willing to answer or give aspiring plus models the opportunities that as a novice are extremely hard to come by.

 There were many young ladies who participated in the casting, did you anticipate or even imagine the large turn out?

I knew it would be a large turnout but the amount of women that showed the day of the event was overwhelming and very exciting. God blessed every aspect of the event from the entire planning process to the smallest of details and I am so very thankful.

 How long had you been planning this event?

About 1 year in total full Throttle and very little sleep. I spent about 6 months plotting the idea and figuring out logistics and then reaching out to panelist, sponsors and promotional opportunities.

 Now that it has been a few weeks since the casting, what has the feedback been from models, clients, and media?

Everyone has been extremely kind in giving feedback, sharing ideas and expressing satisfaction and joy with the outcome. The plus size fashion community has reached out continuously with words of encouragement, advice, and appreciation for what I’m doing and well wishes for the future of the company.

I also love all of the emails from clients and girls alike sharing their booking for upcoming projects.

The bar has been set really high now, the event was wonderful! Will this now be an annual casting event produced by NYC Plus Model Network?

As for now the event will be annual but who knows what God has in store, as they say “We make plans and God laughs”

My Main goal is producing events that create not only a revolution but momentum pushing plus size women closer to their dreams.

To find out all the happenings with NYC Plus Model Network please follow them on Instagram and Twitter @ NYCPlusModelNTK, checkout their website www.nycplusmodelnetwork.com and on Facebook –   NYC Plus Model Network

I can’t stay long as today is a busy day at Britain’s Plus Size Fashion weekend, so looking forward to being a panelist and can’t wait to see the fashion show!!! But I wanted to share some photos from yesterday. I hope you enjoy!

I loved wearing my custom designed dress from www.onoz.com,

which was a huge hit, with my amazing hat created by my friend and muse, Ava Sfez http://www.etsy.com/shop/parisnarcissus !

Running with a big booty. No, seriously, as a plus-size woman, I have found that my calling is in running and even when I was averaging 30 miles a week, my booty didn’t seem to want to go anywhere but on runs with me. How cool is that? You’re never alone when you’ve got your booty with you. In fact, I’d say that in life, if all you have is your booty, you’re in good hands. Or something like that. I took up running in 2004 shortly after my mom

L’Ouverature de le nouveau boutique lingerie grande taille , VIKSEN!

Had a blast last night at the opening of what’s sure to be France’s top plus size lingerie (and coming soon, swimsuit’s!!!) boutique.

J’ai passé un très bon moment hier à l’inauguration de ce qui sera sans aucun doute une boutique de reference pour la lingerie grande taille en France (et bientôt, des maillots de bain !) 

I was excited as I exited the taxi to stroll down the typically Parisian cobble-stoned street towards the brightly lit boutique, as I was finally going to meet Constance Caylar, whom you die-hard VOLUP2 Blog fans will recognize, as she has been a major help in translating a number of blog post’s into her native French.

En quittant le taxi et en marchant le long d’une petite rue pavée typiquement parisienne, j’étais excitée à l’idée d’enfin rencontrer Constance Caylar, que ceux d’entre vous qui suivent attentivement le blog Volup2 reconnaîtront, puisqu’elle a été d’une grande aide dans la traduction de plusieurs articles depuis l’anglais vers sa langue maternelle, le français.

Constance grew up in Montpellier, one of my favorite  cities in the South of France, which explained to me her easy and kind demeanor,lol (as I find French folks from the South oftentimes shine as brightly as the sun that kisses them).  Constance wore a lovely ASOS ensemble and her pretty face was framed by waves of curls and indeed a sunny smile!

Constance a grandi à Montpellier, l’une de mes villes préférées du Sud de la France, ce qui explique sans doute sa personnalité agréable et facile d’abord (j’ai souvent remarqué que les Français du Sud rayonnent tout autant que le soleil au-dessus de leur tête !) Constance portait une superbe robe d’Asos, et son joli visage était encadré de boucles, et illuminé… d’un sourire rayonnant !

    The first thing I had asked when Constance shared her promo video http://youtu.be/FPJgI5xTGB4 with me was, ‘Who is the girl with the afro? She has amazing energy!’ Turns out the bubbly gal ’working dat body’ and ‘dat big afro’, (aptly edited to the song I’M SEXY AND I KNOW IT) is indeed her biz partner and they met whilst studying in the same university.

La première chose que j’ai demandée lorsque Constance m’a envoyé son clip promotionnel, http://youtu.be/FPJgI5xTGB4, c’était : « Qui est la fille avec une coupe afro ? Elle a une énergie incroyable ! » Il se trouve que la jeune fille pétillante qui bougeait son sexy body et sa grande afro (en accord avec les paroles de la chanson I’m sexy and I know it !) était en fait l’associée de Constance ! Elles se sont rencontrées pendant leurs études dans la même classe préparatoire.

Another model featured bouncing on a ball in the video, Laura, VOLUP2 readers will catch in the upcoming SIMPLICITY issue out February 14.

Vous pourrez retrouver Laurie, une autre mannequin du clip (celle qui pose sur le ballon doré), dans le prochain numéro de Volup2, Simplicité, qui sortira le 14 Février.

Lastly we also see popular French plus model, Kaoutar Mouhim (AGENCE PLUS) in the video who recently returned from a modeling stint in Australia, very fun to catch up with her.

En outre, on retrouve aussi dans le clip la mannequin grande taille française Kaoutar Mouhim (Agence Plus). Elle revient tout juste d’un shooting en Australie, c’était très amusant de la revoir !

The walls framed the room filled with indeed…

Les murs de la pièce étaient ornés de plein de petites choses…

My favorites were the pointy lace bra’s and black girdles with hanging  gartergrips and lace panels, that and the cool mask that hung up by the wall, definitely want to shoot a VOLUP2 model in that!

Mes préférées étaient le soutien-gorge « pointu » et la gaine/porte-jarretelles en dentelle noire aux attaches métalliques, et le masque accroché au mur, j’ai définitivement envie de shooter une mannequin de Volup2 le portant !

There was champagne, savory cupcakes, and colorful macaroons but the cherry on the cake?

Il y avait du champagne, de délicieux cupcakes et des macarons de toutes les couleurs, mais la cerise sur le gâteau ?

My lovely, curvy friend Miss Anne Trophy www.missannethropy.com came from Belgium and graced us with a delectable burlesque number…

Ma sublime et sculpturale amie, Miss Anne Thropy (www.missannethropy.com) est venue de Belgique, et nous a régalé d’un numéro de burlesque à couper le souffle…

How AMAZING is she?!!!

Est-ce qu’elle n’est pas INCROYABLE ??

Ended the evening chatting amongst the crowd which included a favorite VOLUP2 model and popular blogger Gaëlle-Vanessa Prudencio (Les Pitreries de Vanoue http://www.lespitreriesdevanoue.com/ ) looking stylin’ as usual…

J’ai terminé la soirée en parlant aux invités, notamment à une mannequin fétiche de Volup2 et une blogueuse reconnue, Gaëlle-Vanessa Prudencio (Les Pitreries de Vanoue, http://www.lespitreriesdevanoue.com/), ravissante comme d’habitude.

The adorable talented designer of the French marque ONOZ www.onoz.fr , which VOLUP2  is excited to introduce you to in our 1 YEAR anniversary issue, SIMPLICITY, (Yay! Again, it’s out February 14th, a little Valentine’s present for you), pictured to the left, with VIKSEN partner and Miss Anne Trophy …

Sur la première photo, voici à gauche la styliste de talent Amélie, qui a crée la marque française ONOZ (www.onoz.fr). Volup2 est très excitée à l’idée de vous la présenter dans le numéro anniversaire de la première année du magazine : Simplicité (youpi ! Ce numéro sort donc le 14 Février, un petit cadeau de la Saint-Valentin pour vous !) Au milieu de l’image, voici Medjo de Viksen, et Miss Anne Thropy…

Finally the last snap is of VIKSEN creator’s sandwiching the darling Ma Grande Taille http://www.ma-grande-taille.com intern, Agnes who was such fun to talk to!

La dernière image vous présente les deux fondatrices de Viksen entourant l’adorable community manager de Ma Grande Taille (www.magrandetaille.com), Agnès, avec qui j’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à discuter !

All in all an enormous success, we all left with wonderful goody bags, totally spoiled by this awesome duo offering what so many plus size women in France are dying for, high quality lingerie in a plethora of sizes and styles (with alot of retro flavor going on) and a warm welcome, in a central location, as well as online http://viksen.fr/live/

L’un dans l’autre, cette soirée fut un grand succès, nous sommes toutes reparties avec de merveilleux sacs-cadeaux, complètement gâtées par cet incroyable duo qui offre ce dont rêvent tant de femmes rondes en France : de la lingerie de qualité dans une multitude de styles et de tailles (avec une certaine tendance rétro), et un accueil chaleureux, dans un emplacement central à Paris, ainsi qu’en vente sur Internet ! www.viksen.fr

Vives les Viksen’s!!!

Vive les Viksen’s !!!

Glen L. Johnson is becoming a staple in the full figure and plus size fashion circle.

Founded in 2004, Full Figure Plus http://fullfigureplus.com/ helps promote plus size fashions, but from a male perspective. Full Figure Plus’ mission is to educate plus size women about their fashion choices on the Internet. I had the pleasure to interview Glen and get a mans’ perspective on the plus size fashion revolution.

Kacie: What made you decide to launch Full Figure Plus?

Glen: My wife was looking for affordable bras as well as fashionable clothes and was not happy with what she was finding. I was in between jobs so I started searching the Internet. What started off as cataloging links in 2004, has grown to so much more.

Kacie: Since your launch, what changes have you noticed or been a part of in the industry?

Glen: Plus size women in general seem to be using their collective voices to get the attention not only of merchants but each other and moving in a positive direction. I would have to say being a small part of reporting about Full Figure Fashion Week. That has been the highlight of my blog career. Seeing hundreds of plus size women gather to promote business so well, as all the aspects of fashion, is just cool as heck.

Kacie: Plus size fashion from a man’s perspective is interesting. What advice do you have for the women out there who are still trying to come to terms with their size?

Glen: Stop measuring your worth in terms of what the tag on the inside of your clothes says. God made each of us the way we are for a reason and my faith tells me that he does not make mistakes. Ladies, you are fearfully and wonderfully made and no person, even you, should ever be allowed to steal your personal joy.

Kacie: If you could make one major change in the fashion industry today, what would it be?

Glen: I would totally ban size tags from clothes. The size tag is not meant for the consumer, so why not eliminate it. With the tag gone ladies would concentrate more on having clothes in their closet that fit their unique curves based on individual measurements instead of what dress size she is, or isn’t.

Kacie: If you could give one word of encouragement to women, regardless of their size, what would it be?

Glen: Rejoice!

Kacie: Where do you see Full Figure Plus in the next five years?

Glen: Wow, that’s a good one. I have been on the block since 2004. I honestly have no plans to leave the plus size fashion blog world. Though things have changed business wise for me over the last year, because of my passion for the community I plan to be there to report on all of the successes, and fight the battles with plus ladies, regardless as to any level of financial attainment. I think of Full Figure Plus as a service position and I am honored that the plus size community has allowed me to serve.

Full Figure Plus can be found on Facebook. You can find everything from reports on Full Figure Fashion Week, to Miss Plus America, to wardrobe staples for every plus woman. You can also find upcoming plus modeling opportunities, and great articles that will benefit a woman of any size.

Join the fanpage here-

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Full-Figure-Plus/177933292223833?fref=ts

Le fondateur de FULL FIGURE PLUS, Glen L. Johnson, interviewé par Kacie Campbell

Glen L. Johnson devient incontournable dans le cercle de la mode ronde.

Fondé en 2004, Full Figure Plus http://fullfigureplus.com/ aide à promouvoir les modes « plus size », mais d’un point de vue masculin. La mission de Full Figure Plus est d’aiguiller les femmes rondes dans leurs choix sur Internet. J’ai eu le plaisir d’interviewer Glen et d’obtenir un regard d’homme sur la révolution de la mode « plus size ».

Kacie : Qu’est-ce qui vous a décidé à lancer Full Figure Plus ?

Glen : Ma femme cherchait des soutiens-gorge abordables ainsi que des vêtements tendance, et n’était pas contente de ce qu’elle trouvait. J’étais entre deux jobs, alors j’ai commencé à chercher sur Internet. Ce qui a commencé comme du catalogage de liens web en 2004, a pris une bien plus grande ampleur.

Kacie : Depuis le lancement, de quels changements avez-vous été témoin ou acteur dans l’industrie ?

Glen : Représentant moi-même une petite partie du reporting de Full Figure Fashion Week , je dirais que les femmes rondes en général semblent utiliser leurs voix collectivement pour attirer l’attention des commerçants, mais aussi celle d’autres femmes rondes, afin de faire bouger les choses vers une direction positive.  C’est là le point fort de ma carrière de blogger. Voir des centaines de femmes rondes se réunir pour promouvoir ce commerce aussi efficacement, sur tous les aspects de la mode, est juste génial.

Kacie : La mode « plus size » vue par les yeux d’un homme est intéressante. Quel conseil donneriez-vous à toutes ces femmes qui essaient encore de trouver une harmonie avec leur taille ?

Glen : Qu’elles arrêtent de mesurer leur valeur en se basant sur ce qu’il y a d’écrit sur l’étiquette de leurs vêtements. Si Dieu nous a fait comme nous sommes, il y a une raison ; et ma foi me dit qu’il ne fait pas d’erreur. Mesdames, vous êtes des créatures merveilleuses et sans peur ; et personne, pas même vous, ne devrait avoir le droit de vous voler votre joie de vivre.

Kacie : Si vous pouviez changer une seule grande chose dans l’industrie de la mode aujourd’hui, quelle serait-elle ?

Glen : Je supprimerais carrément les étiquettes de taille sur les vêtements. Ces étiquettes ne sont pas faites pour les consommateurs, alors pourquoi ne pas les éliminer ? Sans étiquettes les femmes se concentreraient davantage sur le fait d’avoir, dans leurs armoires, des vêtements basés sur des mesures individuelles, qui aillent avec leurs rondeurs, plutôt que sur la taille qu’elles font ou ne font pas.

Kacie : Si vous pouviez encourager les femmes en deux mots, quelle que soit leur taille, que leur diriez-vous ?

Glen : Réjouissez-vous ! Soyez joyeuse ! Soyez heureuse! (Velvet, pick one of the three)

Kacie: Comment voyez-vous l’avenir de Full Figure Plus, pour les 5 années à venir?

Glen : Wow, ça, c’est une bonne question. Je suis là-dedans depuis 2004. Honnêtement, je n’ai pas prévu de quitter le monde du blogging sur la mode « plus size ». Bien que les choses aient changé pour moi au niveau des affaires cette dernière année, de par ma passion pour cette communauté je prévois d’être là pour informer sur tous ses succès, et de me battre aux côtés des femmes rondes, quels que soient les buts financiers à atteindre. Je vois Full Figure Plus comme ayant une fonction de service, et je suis honoré que la communauté « plus size » me permette de défendre ses intérêts.

Full Figure Plus est sur Facebook. Vous trouverez tous nos articles sur la Fashion Week de Full Figure, de Miss Plus America aux incontournables qu’une femme ronde doit avoir dans sa garde-robe. Vous trouverez aussi des news sur les opportunités de mannequinat « plus size », et de supers articles qui seront utiles aux femmes de toutes les tailles.

Retrouvez la ‘fan page’ ici- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Full-Figure-Plus/177933292223833?fref=ts

Jessica Kane is arguably one of the busiest women in the plus fashion game. She is a wife, mother, marketing executive, business owner, and the creator of one of the most successful plus-sized lifestyle blogs, “The Life and Style of Jessica Kane“ (http://www.lifeandstyleofjessica.com), OF ALL TIME! And she’s doing it all…Eh hemm…before the age of 35! Now she’s adding Fashion Show Executive Producer to her already bustling resume. It’s no wonder that it was a task in itself to catch up with the woman of the hour. But, after a few rescheduled and a failed attempt to Skype, we finally nailed down some time to chat. No doubt, the conversation was well worth the effort, because this is one girl who truly delivers.

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As far as GREAT women go, Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown ranks up there with the upper elite.

Born Lottie Hawkins in Henderson, NC, on June 11, 1883, Dr. Brown moved north with her family in the late 1880’s. She was an exceptional student and attended high school as well as teachers college, which was almost completely unheard of in those days.  After 1 year of college, Dr. Brown went to work at the Bethany Institute, an American Missionary Association school in North Carolina. When Bethany closed, in 1902 Dr. Brown founded the Freeman Palmer Memorial Institute at Sedalia in Greensboro.

Palmer was a preparatory school for the children of affluent African Americans and earned a reputation for excellence. In the 1920’s Dr. Brown spoke out against Jim Crow laws that were primarily in the south that treated African Americans as 2^nd class citizens and denied them many rights and freedoms. Dr. Brown believed her physical body lived within segregation but her mind was elevated to a level amongst kings and queens.

Dr. Brown was married to Ed Brown from 1911-1915 and had no children of her own. She did however raise several relatives’ children, which included Maria Hawkins who later became Maria Cole, wife of singer Nat King Cole and mother of Natalie Cole. Along with Maria, Dr. Brown raised Maria’s sisters who were her brother’s children. Dr. Brown took the girls in after their mother died during childbirth.

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