Calling all curvy women. LUCY Clothing and Forever Yours Lingerie are searching for beautiful, confident plus size models for their new online stores launching this fall.
Specializing in plus size clothing in hard to find sizes, LUCY Clothing needs real models that wear real sizes, says Sonya Perkins, owner of both LUCY Clothing and Forever Yours Lingerie.
“Unfortunately with a lot of the vendors we deal with we don’t get photos. You buy from a line sheet or you buy from a show so you see a product in person but they don’t actually have pictures of it. And if they do, especially for this store, LUCY, they don’t have pictures of plus size models,” Perkins said.
“How can you sell a plus item if it is on a size 2 girl? It just doesn’t translate. And the problem that we’ve had for the most part with the traditional modeling agencies is that the traditional plus size model right now is between a size 8 and 12. The clothes we carry start generally at a size 14, plus. It just wouldn’t work.”
Perkins first opened the doors of Forever Yours Lingerie 16 years ago in a 600 square foot building on the one-way stretch of Fraser Highway.
Frustrated with her personal quest for nice lingerie in larger sizes for her own wedding, Perkins became inspired to create a business to meet the needs of this niche market.
“I couldn’t find anything that was something that a bride would want to wear under her dress or on her wedding night. It was all the granny gowns and the big full foundations and nothing really sexy and pretty. And I thought there’s got to be something out there that’s in those sizes that’s just not mainstream. So I started doing some research and jumped into it a year later,” Perkins explained.
Still located on the one-way portion of Fraser Highway, today Perkins shop boasts 6,000 square feet and now carries all hard to find styles and sizes ranging from small to 4X and bras from a B cup to a K cup.
In 2007 she expanded to a plus size clothing store, {LUCY} — Love. Uniquely. Curvy. You Clothing, located just up the street from Forever Yours Lingerie.
“It’s something I love to do. It’s just that feeling of putting a woman into something and to see her feeling happy and feeling great about herself,” Perkins said.
“A lot of women come in with an attitude that they’re not going to find anything, and then they find something that is fabulous, not something that they are just settling for because it is the closest things that fits. It’s amazing the difference in a person’s attitude when they get something that they love and that makes them feel good. I love that.”
Perkins is currently on the hunt for models for both of her stores. Although entrants for LUCY Clothing must be a size 14 and up, those entering the contest for Forever Yours Lingerie can range from small to large sizes to reflect the diversity of products carried there.
“We want to promote the every woman so that you look at a picture and you can see yourself wearing that,” Perkins said.
“You’ve got a lot of products that don’t come with pictures or they come with pictures that are a very unattainable look. We just want to bring it down to earth and make it attainable for people who are looking for products where they can see themselves in it.”
Models interested in entering the contest must be 18 years of age or over (there’s no cap on age), size 14 to 24 for LUCY Clothing or sizes ranging from petite to plus for Forever Yours Lingerie, must be able to travel to Langley once per week, be between 5-foot-6 and 6-foot-0 and be able to cover up any tattoos or piercings.
Winners of the contest will receive a $500 LUCY Clothing or Forever Yours Lingerie wardrobe, a three month paid contract with possible renewal, participation in a national print and web campaign and a staff discount for the duration of the contract.
“We’re looking for confidence, personality, beautiful curves and a beautiful face. Really just the every woman,” Perkins said.
“We’re looking for women that are proud of their curves, that want to show them off and love what they do.”
Details can be found at www.foreveryourslingerie.ca or www.lucyclothing.ca. Entrants must include one head shot, two full body photos and one personality shot. Contest closes at midnight on May 15.