Back in February I assisted local photographer Andrea Ellen Reed with a plus size photo shoot. It was in fact one of the few times I actually was able to fully style a shoot and really assist the models in letting their curves shine through. The process was a fabulous experience and I couldn’t be prouder of the final product. The photographer is a friend of mine and I absolutely adore her. Her vision for this shoot was to showcase the plus size woman. The mannequin seen in the images was meant to portray the media message of skinny being beautiful. The ladies were encouraged to fight back against the mannequin and standing strong, confident, and curvy. I think that the images turned out beautifully and I am so proud of the models for stepping outside of their comfort zones.
I have to add that preparing for a shoot is no easy task especially a plus size shoot in Minnesota where the average lady is plus size but there are really no plus size clothing boutiques other than Torrid, Lane Bryant, Avenue, and Catherine’s. Being the FATshionista that I am I went on the mad hunt and discovered Susan Metzger who in fact has had a custom clothing boutique on St.Paul’s Grand Ave for over 14 years and has been designing for 22. Susan specializes in custom clothing and her expertise is in fit, with over 350 garments in her boutique we had the luxury of hand picking items that we thought would fit the 70’s inspired vision of the photographer. Susan was a joy to work with and she has a unique collection of fabrics and colors that make up her unique label “C’est Fou” which translates to its crazy in French. If you are local and haven’t had a change to visit Susan Metzger’s boutique I strongly urge you to take a Saturday afternoon to shop. You won’t be disappointed.
In addition to using pieces from Susan Metzger we mixed in styles from B&Lu which is one of my favorite plus size lines and I adore Ms. Christine Sholl owner and designer she is truly amazing and has a great eye for fit and comfort for the plus size woman.
For more info on each of the designers follow the links: B&LU, Susan Metzger
Photography: www.andreaellenreed.com
