Check Yourself B4 You Wreck Yourself!

All the attention that I've been receiving as a result of my appearance on 24 Hour Catwalk has been validating.  Mind-blowing, in fact.  First, when the commercials began to air before my episode did and people were reaching out to me on Twitter and Facebook, it was very flattering.  I grinned excitedly.  Once the previews began to pop up on movie screens in multiplexes everywhere and everybody from my LinkedIN connections to people I know through the plantation started to hit me up, it became so surreal.

Since I taped the show almost 6 months ago, I hoped that my "fans" would not be disappointed with my showing.  But what was done was done.  There just was no use tripping on it now. So I watched, just like everybody else, to see how the editors would make me look and what the episode's final outcome was.  There has still been an outpouring of compliments and congrats.  And I am so appreciative.  But I have also received an email that made the devil rise up inside of me.  It might have been easier to ignore it, but I felt the sender deserved a tailor-made response. Below is the original email followed by my response.  What do you think?

You can't be serious. I saw you on Lifetime and came to your site to see your line. It looks like the stuff you see at Torrid and Lane Bryant. I am so disappointed. I am a tall, athletic (yes I work out) plus size woman.  Size 18. And, I can't find a grown up, sexy dress for a 42 year old. I want to wear dresses like the real housewives of Atlanta. Is there a real "plus" size designer anywhere? Plus size doesn't mean bigger ugly. The clothes still need to be fashion forward and pretty.

Greetings ------,

My business partners and I are in receipt of your email and have carefully reviewed it. While I can certainly understand your frustration with finding "grown up, sexy dresses" for your "athletic" PLUS size frame, I take issue with your approach. Perhaps you were having a bad day when you sent the email, as I've had a few of my own a time or two. But there really is no excuse for your bad manners and poor email etiquette. If there is nothing to your liking on the company site, the more polite, dare I say, adult, thing to do would have been to dismiss us as another plus size design company who just cannot get it right. But your slam against my designs was really unnecessary. Since I am 44, it is clear we are from the same generation, but my parents taught me not to comment at all if I didn't have anything constructive or nice to say. In light of my mother's advice, I am going to end this response now. I hope you are able to find a designer who does PLUS size clothing suited for you that looks like something from "The Housewives of Atlanta".

Peace & Fashion!

Wilbur E Pack, Jr.

Designer/Principal

SK WiLBUR/Sorta Kinda Enterprises, LLC

We need to think about what we say and what we write to people because we just don't know the kind of effect it's going to have on them.  As my friend Deborah G. told me many years ago, "Words have power."   If I was teetering on the brink of a psychotic break, this email might have pushed me over the edge.  I might have even gone postal on the sender.  Please try to remember, nasty and rude behavior is uncalled for and never in style.

 

Peace & Fashion!

Reality Show Update!

Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers, Alissa Wilson of Stylish Curves, tagged me in a post on Twitter.  Of course I had to check out what my curvy friend was saying because it's not every day that I receive Twitter love.  To my surprise, she had spotted the new teaser for the reality show I taped this past summer.

The Judges & Host
of
24 HOUR CATWALK

24 Hour Catwalk is set to start airing next month on Lifetime on January 10, 2012 at 10 p.m.  Get ready to park yourselves in front of the television or set your DVRs because I don't want you to miss any of the fashion drama unfold.  And I want to get lots of feedback.  It's going to be INSANE!

Just in case you are not on Facebook or don't follow me on Twitter, click on the link below to get a sneak peek at my reality show debut.  Enjoy!

24 HOUR CATWALK

Peace & Fashion!

My Date With Style

For me, the cogs of the fashion wheel are always turning. It's not long after I present one collection that I am working on the next. For budgeting reasons, it just makes more financial sense for my partners and I to do it that way. My collection for Fall 2012 called EYE CANDY has already been conceptualized and sketched. I will begin the intense process of having the samples produced in the next week or so. We've already set the date to photograph the collection - March 31. And I have already begun casting. In order to really refine our image and have a definitive point of view, we've decided to bring accessible luxury to the curvy woman via our website www.skwilbur.com. Coming September 2012, our website will have a brand new look and feel. I'm SO thrilled with the changes that Ashanti, Serosh and I have decided on and I am sure my curvy coterie of lovelies will be, too. So please be patient with us and stay tuned.

The DYNAMIC & EFFERVESCENT Sarah Conley

On this Saturday past, I met with the dynamic and effervescent Sarah Conley, founder and writer of the blog StyleIT. It has always been important to me to feature a couple of full-figured women in our photo campaigns who are NOT models, but just fabulous & stylish in their own right. Sarah just seems like the perfect choice. (The other non-model is my eternally stylish mother - now a seasoned veteran in the SK WiLBUR cavalcade of photographed beauties.)


Over brunch at Le Pain Quotidian near Union Square, we discussed design, inspiration, and concepts. She was pleased with the care and detail I put into her design and we're both psyched to start the fitting process in the coming weeks.

After brunch, we decided to do a little window shopping. Fish's Eddy was a tight maze of breakable dishes that left me feeling confined and claustrophobic. I couldn't wait to get out of there! At Gap Kids, they were all out of the sparkly gold bubble skirt I'd like to buy for my niece. Shucks! We were nearly mobbed by the eager salespeople at Sephora who instantly recognized Sarah from her blog. With that kind of reception, I half expected the paparazzi to jump from behind the nail polish display with cameras at the ready.  Afterwards, we headed over to the Ted Gibson Salon where Sassy Sarah had an appointment with her "hair strategist", Eric, and Greg, her colorist. Everyone was lovely and it brought back memories of my long gone days as a hairstylist. After awhile, though, I was ready to head home to peacefulness and Christmas movies on Lifetime, so I gave Sarah B. a kiss and hit the streets making my way to Penn Station to catch my train.


I'll keep you posted on the progress of her dress. Less than a year from now, you'll be able to buy your very own version, too. So keep up. The wheels of fashion are constantly spinning.


Peace & Fashion!

Ending The Week With A BANG

Emily M.

Today I met with Emily M., a fabulous plus-sized model, who will be wearing one of the pieces for my runway show on September 13.  The dress needed to be tailored just a little more to accentuate her glorious curves.  Once my tailor, Carl, had pinned the dress in all the pertinent places, I could visualize Emily setting my runway on fire.  It's a shame that there are not many opportunities for curvy models to parade the catwalk.  Luckily, Emily has a career doing hair and makeup on television shows like Royal Pains on USA and The Good Wife on CBS.  The woman is multi-talented and I am very fortunate to have found an ally in her.

This afternoon I received a call from Matilda from the production company that is working on the as-yet-untitled reality show for the Lifetime network.  She left a message on my voicemail while I was at the plantation congratulating me on getting to the next step in the process to being chosen for the show.  YAY!  When I called Matilda back she was eager to conduct a telephone interview with me.  "Are you available at four o'clock today, Wilbur?" she asked in her proper British lilt.  "It will take about forty-five minutes," she advised.  "That would be great, Matilda," I answered.  At almost 4:15, Matilda and I were deep into my interrogation, I mean, interview.  I felt good afterwards when Matilda informed me that she would be sending an email with a release for my photographers to sign off the use of their images.  She also told me that the powers-that-be would be making their final decision soon, as the series is set to begin shooting on August 9.

As I get close to the end of this reality show process, I cannot help believing that my chances are really good and this time I will finally make the cut.  Persistence, I guess, really does pay off.

Peace & Fashion!

A BlackFashionDude News Brief

One of my favorite lines from the movie Up Close & Personal, a love story between 2 network news journalists, is "If it bleeds it leads." Robert Redford's character is referring to the practice on the local news level of opening the program with the most horrific and gruesome, oftentimes fatal stories that cause us to shake our heads or gasp. Thankfully, I do not have those kind of details to share with you, so I am just going to report my story chronologically.

Late Monday afternoon, I received a call from Dorothea, the church's administrative assistant. She and I have forged quite a bond since I accepted the invitation to produce the church's fashion extravaganza. "I've got bad news," she conveyed in a hushed tone that instantly distressed me. "Okay, what's wrong," I responded almost not wanting to know. Apparently, the church fashion show has been postponed until 2010 due to calendar conflicts. This news is a blessing in disguise. I wondered how I was going to stage the most awe-inspiring fashion show Mount Moriah had ever witnessed and simultaneously launch the Wilbur collection over the next few months without compromising the integrity of either endeavor. And now I won't have to. But stay tuned, I am hoping to resuscitate the church's event possibly for Black History Month in February.

Last night, my business partners and I met with James C. He responded to our item for a sales rep that we posted on craigslist. After speaking with him last week over the phone, I immediately got a sense that James is straightforward and polished. He knows how to engage you - which was obvious when I realized that we clocked almost 45 minutes for our first phone chat. Initially I had reservations about his ability to get the line into stores as he is fairly new to the New York fashion scene. As a Brit, however, James sparkles with determination and an elegance that will bring a new level of panache to the line. As the three of us asked questions and listened intently, we learned that James, caught up in a whirlwind romance, followed his sweetheart, who happens to be American, to the States. The newlyweds tied the knot only four months ago. A romantic at heart, I found the story very Lifetime Television. We think he is especially charming and will be able to get my frocks into stores. We just have to iron out the details of the contract and then we can hit the ground running.

Tonight, I met with a furniture store that is hosting a cross-marketing event that will include visual artists as well as fashion designers. On Friday, September 25 invited guests will have the opportunity to enjoy cocktails, fine art, and a runway presentation featuring the work of some talented emerging designers. The organizers are still nailing down how many and whom, but if I am a part of it, I will definitely keep you posted.

That's it for now. This is BlackFashionDude signing off.

Peace & Fashion!