Beauty may be skin-deep. But, clothing has the power to boost the soul when it effortlessly falls perfectly on its live canvas, no matter the stature, frame, or degree of curviness.
Meet two fashion designers who thrive in a space where mainstream sizes fail to fit all.
Angela Zdrale
LivTall
Blessed with supermodel stature, 6-foot-1-inch Angela Zdrale didn’t feel super when hunting for clothing that fit her frame properly.
The fashion industry veteran set out to change that for those who share her struggle when she founded LivTall, her clothing line tailored to flatter every feature that comes with being a woman 5-foot-9 or taller by giving them quality, stylish pieces.
“A tall woman just doesn’t need 3 more inches in length … It has to do with the design and proportion of the entire garment,” Zdrale says of the company named after her daughter Olive, 4.
Zdrale talks about a 6-foot-1 LivTall customer who purchased an elegant jumpsuit and wore it on vacation, saying how amazing it felt to finally wear clothes that fit.
“It boosted her confidence infinitely,” Zdrale says. “And that’s exactly why I do what I do.”
Joanna C. de'Shay
Black Russian Label
Crying in a dressing room with her newborn and 3-year-old while trying on 30 pairs of jeans was a key moment for Joanna C. de'Shay, corporate America professional-turned-designer whose quest for curve-accommodating clothing led to Black Russian Label (BRL), her line created for a real woman’s body.
Her love for fashion turned professional after having her second child. She was still a size 6 or 8, but her physique had changed.
She used her own body to craft her pieces. A manufacturer told her the measurements she sent were not standard. Her response? “Oh good.”
Another tearful dressing room story de'Shay shares is of a woman at a pop-up event who tried on a pair of BRL pants. She emerged looking amazing. Not used to clothing fitting her at the first try, the woman shed tears of joy.
“And now I’m almost crying,” de'Shay says. “You are empowering women to feel their very best in their own skin.”