It all started with my wonderful, sweet mom. Ever since I was a little girl, my mom has always been a gorgeous, plus size lady. I had never once given any thought to the fact that my mom was a bigger lady. To me, she was simply the most amazing and beautiful mom any girl could wish for. Little did I know that my mom had been struggling with her weight and self image for a very long time.
A love letter to curvy women around the world
The first time I was confronted with my mom’s struggles with her weight, I was about 6 or 7 years old. One day, we went shopping together for new clothes and I remember waiting outside of the dressing room and hearing my mom silently sob because she didn’t feel good or pretty in anything she put on. I vividly remember the sad look on her face when she came out of the dressing room to have a look in the mirror.
After every shopping trip, her words were always the same … “I don’t look good in this at all.”, “Look at my arms, I can’t wear this shirt in public.”, “I just can’t even look at myself in the mirror” … Eventually, we would leave the store without buying any clothes for her.
It really broke my heart every time to see my mom so sad and, from then on, I vowed to one day make clothes that would show my mom and every other curvy woman just how beautiful they are. I desperately wanted my mom to see herself as I saw her: the most beautiful woman in the world. And, with the right clothes, she would feel and see it too. It was my biggest wish, and still is, to make clothes for curvy women around the world so they can see how gorgeous they really are.
As the years went on, the idea of making clothes for curvy women was always in the back of my mind. However, after graduating from college, my life took a different turn. I met my then-husband who had just started an IT company and decided to join him and run the company together. My dream to become a plus size designer was then pushed all the way to the very back of my head.
In 2001, my perfect little girl, Zoë was born. The most beautiful gift I ever received. Not only did I gain the most precious baby girl, I also gained 15 extra kgs. Over the next few years, I continued to gain weight and one day I found myself in the exact same spot where my mom was 20 years earlier. I was standing in a dressing room with my daughter, trying on all sorts of clothes and none of them fit in a way that they made me feel beautiful and good about myself.
I became so sad and angry because after all those years, nothing had changed. Clothing brands still weren’t taking curvy and plus size women seriously. Before I gave birth to my daughter, my fashion options were endless. I could wear anything I wanted and shop in any store I liked. One beautiful baby and 30kgs richer, there were so few brands and stores I could shop at. The clothes that were my size were outdated and didn’t fit well at all.
At the age of 34, my life took another turn and I got divorced, quit the company that I had built with my ex-husband, and started all over. It was finally time to chase my dream of making clothes for women like my mom and myself. Women that had been forgotten by the fashion industry. Beautiful, gorgeous women that just couldn’t find nice clothes in their size.
I really love jeans. I’ve always been a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl. I think they’re the perfect piece of clothing for any occasion, at any point in your life. So in 2005, I started learning everything I could about jeans and how to make the perfect fit for fuller bodies. I spent 2 years doing research and development to create the perfect jeans fit. Together with the best pattern maker in the world, we started making jean after jean after jean until we had created the perfect curvy jeans fit.
And here we are today … we did it! We created the perfect fitting jeans for curvy and plus size women. Jeans that make you look and feel amazing. That make you feel like a million bucks. Because you really are the most beautiful woman in the world and I sincerely hope when you put on our jeans, you see it too.
Love,
Kim