Plus Size Fashion, News & Events

Posts tagged Miss Plus America

An Enchanting “Evening Of Jazz and Arts Under The Stars”

Dec24
2010 Written by Gen V. Caracena

Posted by: Gen V. Caracena
Experience a magical and enchanting moment at the “Evening of Jazz and Arts Under the Stars” being presented to you by the IAEDP Foundation  during the  4th Annual IAEDP Southern California. The event shall be held in honor and celebration of the National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

IAEDP An Enchanting “Evening Of Jazz and Arts Under The Stars”

The special evening features Art Exhibits, Jazz Trio, Special Guest Appearances, Author Book Signing and Silent Auction.

What makes the event a more delightful evening is the appearance of Chenese Lewis to emcee the event.  Miss Lewis is Miss Plus America 2003, the most sought after keynote speaker, expert commentator, and a positive body image and self-esteem advocate.

Likewise, making the event a more enchanting evening is their special guest Crystal Renn, Ford Model and author of Hungry: “A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves”.  The top American model was named as  The Ultimate Catwalk Queen during the Cosmopolitan Woman of the Year Awards 2010 held in London.

The event shall be held on February 19, 2011, 4-8 pm at the magical and enchanting  Calamigos Ranch, Malibu California.  This is RSVP, for  event information please click here.

IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals) was established in 1985. Today it is well recognized for its excellence in providing first-quality education and high-level training standards to an international multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions, who treat the full spectrum of eating disorder problems.

Posted in Plus Size Events - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“HUGE” TV Series On ABC Family

Jul02
2010 Written by Gen V. Caracena

The biggest one-hour drama series  ‘HUGE’ had  premiered on ABC Family last June 28, 2010, 9PM.  ABC News/Entertainment  Nikki Blonsky2 “HUGE” TV Series On ABC Family reported that according to ratings data, the new series has drawn 2.5 million viewers, making it the ABC Family’s biggest series ever, targeting 18-49 year-old women viewers.

Airs Monday nights, the new TV series  is about a group of seven male and female teens who in their effort to gain acceptance, struggle to reduce pounds while at a summer weight loss camp. The awesome story character of Willamina being played by 21-year old 2007 Hairspray star Nikki Blonsky, is a rebellious girl who goes against the rules at the series’ fitness program.  She was mad at her parents sending her to the fat camp.   She thinks weight loss is foolish, she does not want to do anything that the camp wants her to do.  She is happy with her size and refuses to  believe she is ugly just because she is fat.  Sadly, almost everyone is against her.

Nikki Blonsky proudly spoke  to “On the Red Carpet‘s Chris Balish”,  “This is showing that plus sized people are beautiful as well.”

Obesity is an issue of concern in America.  It has become a source of discrimination and ridicule,  not to mention the potential health risks involved in being overweight.  Obesity can be a cause of serious medical conditions such as stroke, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, and a major cause of depression and low self-worth especially among women and young girls.

There have been many anti-obesity groups and activists rallying against the issue of obesity.  On the other hand, there are also plus size advocate groups and individuals that have emerged through the years sympathetic to the sentiments and issues of the plus community embracing rather than stigmatizing them, making them feel beautiful inside and out.  Although  these plus size advocates embrace size diversity, they recognize that being overweight can lead to bad health in many.  Thus, they promote healthy living,  positive imagery and emphasize self acceptance regardless of size.   They premise on the fact that unless there is size acceptance, there will never be self acceptance, self respect and love for one’s self.

Size acceptance is not about neglecting your body.  It is about knowing and understanding  your body condition/needs and how to nurture it, and discovering or unleashing your greatest potential.  If you love yourself (body), you take every effort in modifying or maintaining a healthy lifestyle in a holistic approach towards a beautiful and happy life.

The evolution of the curvy revolution has created several avenues for the plus size woman, to bring out the best in her, and to live a healthier, happier and fulfilled life. To name a few, Miss Plus America is a beauty pageant that started in 2003 which is dedicated to plus sized women sized 14W and above.   There is also the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, which is a non-profit human rights organization established to protecting the rights, and promoting the welfare or improving the quality of life for fat people.

Many other plus events have been organized  like the Full Figured Fashion Week, the Project Curve Appeal, The Curvy Cast of Huge3 300x206 “HUGE” TV Series On ABC Family Revolution Convention, Plus Teen USA, International Fuller Woman Expo, and a lot more showcasing plus size fashion at its best.  But other than fashion, these events create avenues  celebrating, embracing, and empowering the plus size woman of today.  The essence of the curvy revolution is to correct the distorted perception on plus size women and to redefine the core meaning of beauty.

Is the airing of a plus show on television like ‘HUGE’ an indication that acceptance of obesity in America is increasing?  Or is this  partly a positive outcome of the size acceptance movement in America?   Whatever it may be, ‘HUGE’ seems to be a beautiful TV series, but it is hoped that this show celebrates, embraces and honors size diversity. icon smile “HUGE” TV Series On ABC Family

Posted in Dynamic People, Plus Size Celebrities, Plus Size Events - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Curvy Collective Hosts A “Full Figured Fashion Week” Panel Discussion: “The State Of The Curvy Community”

May19
2010 Written by Gen V. Caracena

Curvy Collective 2010 Curvy Collective Hosts A Full Figured Fashion Week Panel Discussion: The State Of The Curvy Community

We live in a subjective society that places self-esteem on size, shape and color; a society that defines the skinny woman as a true representation of beauty.  So much has been spent on expensive commercials and glossy magazines glorifying the skinny and sexy woman.  In fact, the fashion world was conceived to meet the needs of this particular group of women.

Likewise, we live in an age where women   frequently receive endless demeaning for being a plus size. Not only has everyday society been unkind towards larger people, but also in the past decade, the medical health industry has joined the cause. Many health care professionals are enforcing the “skinny ideology” by influencing overweight women and men to submit to costly invasive surgeries.  This skinny ideology has created a mindset on young girls that only the skinny is beautiful.  This mindset creates poor self-esteem on many young girls and women.  It is sad to note that the ever-increasing number of medical illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia are no longer a hush hushed, but an acceptable fashion craze.

With so many young girls and women suffering from poor self esteem, why does society deem it necessary to place self worth so much on size?

I have run across on the site of Curvy Revolution1 (www.curvyrevolution.com.au), an Australian-based modeling Curvy Revolution Au2 Curvy Collective Hosts A Full Figured Fashion Week Panel Discussion: The State Of The Curvy Communityoutfit for women representing size 16 and above and models of Australia.  Curvy Revolution has these ideals or standard at what a curvy revolution model should be:

  • She projects positive body image and has a REAL body acceptance
  • She leads a healthy lifestyle
  • She is beautiful inside and out
  • She is not robotic, but understands the importance of technical accuracy and training
  • She is passionate about breaking the mould of model  representation
  • She believes in REAL representation of plus-size clothing
  • She believes she is deserving of making the MOST of what she is TODAY regardless of her size.

If I may add, a curvy revolution model is a woman of integrity.  I am amazed at the ideals of Curvy Revolution for a curvy revolution model.  If the society defines beauty similar to the way Curvy Revolution defines the curvy revolution model, then this world could be a fairer place to live in.

Size does not really matter at all. It does not matter if we have the most beautiful body and the most beautiful face in the world if we do not project a positive body image and REAL BODY  ACCEPTANCE.  There are health risks involved in being a plus size, but it does not guarantee that  when we are skinny, we are healthy.  Size is not an indicator of our health status.  What matters is we lead a healthy lifestyle, and live a life worthy of emulation.

Mainstream society looks at beauty at one, the same and permanent angle.  To capture a beautiful image,   a professional photographer views his or her subject at different angles.   And remember, beautiful gifts may come in plain and simple packaging and in different sizes.

Thanks to the  movement for curvy revolution, it  has brought acceptance around the full figured women in the United States to a higher level.  Thanks because in the past decade, fashion industry has transformed its standards to meet the needs of the plus size community. Thanks to the fashion leaders and enthusiasts who continue to be innovative to meet the needs of every day plus size women, dressing them up in a way that radiates the real beauty in them.

Thanks to the efforts of many individuals and support groups advocating the cause of plus size community.  Events like Miss Plus America, Full Figured Fashion Week, and a lot more have been held, and are still to be held to continue to celebrate, empower and uplift the plus size women.

Nevertheless, we can still hear some news, articles, and commentaries circulating through the internet and other media facilities discriminating the plus size woman, making them feel that they are a burden to society.  That they have no fashionable option, a second class citizen, and one who should be ashamed to exist.  If we are not critical minded enough to buy these negative news, the progress that have been done by our plus size advocates and plus size leaders for the plus size community in the last ten years  may prove futile.

For us to better understand the place of the curvy community in the society and in the eyes of the media, Curvy Collective (an elite group of plus size fashion bloggers) hosts a panel discussion, “The State of the Curvy FFF2 150x150 Curvy Collective Hosts A Full Figured Fashion Week Panel Discussion: The State Of The Curvy CommunityCommunity” on the occasion of Full Figured Fashion Week in New York City this June 2010.   Perfectly timed, in the midst of current news in the media, this panel discussion addresses the current state of the plus-size community and the significance of Full Figured Fashion Week, through the eyes of the industry’s leaders, bringing different perspectives from various experiences and points of view.

Sponsored by the Fuller Woman Expo and Life Size Radio, the “State of the Curvy Community” panel discussion will take place at Hotel Penn on June 18th, 2010 from 4-6:00PM.  Moderator is Sharon Quinn, “The Original Runway Diva”, and the panelists include:

NOTE:

1This does not refer to “The Curvy Revolution” , which is an inaugural convention for plus size women to be held on February 18-20, 2011 in Las Vegas).

Posted in "Biz Buzz", Plus Size Events, Plus Size Modelling, Plus Size Politics - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,