The Dealio

Sheila Rule

I am in the midst of writing my memoir.  My friends Sheila Rule and Marcia Fingal, whom I hold in incredibly high esteem, have given me such invaluable input and I've called on them on several occasions for their expertise.  After over twenty years, Sheila retired from her career as a journalist for The New York Times newspaper to begin the second chapter of her life as the owner of Resilience Multimedia, a publishing company that gives voice to the plight of  the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated.  Marcia, a  graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in journalism, is righting the wrongs of social injustice through her work as a documentary filmmaker as she continues her career as a commercial model.

Marcia Fingal & Wilbur

Although some of their comments have been tough with very little consideration paid to my delicate artist's ego, I know that they are dispensed with the purest of intentions.  My ladies want to see me write the best book  I possibly can.  And I am grateful for that.  They have challenged me to go deep and dig through some of the unpleasant memories of my past.  But I've also been able to relive so many of  the moments when I've experienced joy or felt a sense of accomplishment.

Someone asked me why did I think my memoir will be a book that people will want to read.  And while I don't think that my life is extraordinary, I believe that I have a fine way of telling a story.  Besides, my experiences speak to the experiences of many who have dreamed a different, more fulfilled life for themselves, who have mustered the courage to pursue those dreams, and who have weathered the storms - those obstacles that, in the end, strengthen our resolve so that we become better, more resilient individuals.  I would like to have the book completed by summer's end so that I can begin to see if there is interest at some of the established publishing houses.  Even if I have to self-publish, it is a story I look forward to sharing with all of you.

Peace & Fashion!

It's All Me!

I lost track of time and before I knew it a month had passed and I hadn't posted anything to my online journal.  Truth be told, I've had a lot of things on my plate and the blog took a backseat to all my stuff.  So I am just going to have to take this moment to fill you in on all the behind-the-scenes fashion drama. 

Maryellen & Wilbur at November to Remember Event

Having nothing at all to do with fashion and just on a personal note, on October 31 I celebrated another birthday.  I am officially 43 and FANTASTIC!  It was all very low-key with the family and then I was among the thousands of people at the Halloween Day Parade down in the Village with my close friend, Chris.  There were lots of half-naked people masquerading as something ghoulish or sexy (I'm not sure which?) and I know they were cold.  In NYC, you can use any occasion to show off your stuff.  But pneumonia as a side effect is so not cool.  I'm just sayin'!  I've shunned big blowouts and costumes for awhile, but I think when I turn 45 I am going to have to reconsider. I am just happy to have reached this age in good health, loved, and pushing forward.

So you already know about my trials with Bloomingdale's and the less-than-positive meeting I had with the buyer for Special Size Dresses.  Well, it seems that all the powers-that-be are on the same page and are not interested in opening accounts with any new vendors.  This information comes directly from my favorite salesperson in the women's department at the 59th Street flagship, Scheffie, who met with the regional director and general manager.  I guess, all's well that ends well.  Next season I will perhaps have a different story to tell.  Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue also did not take the bait, so Ashanti and I have been chugging ahead and contacting the specialty boutiques.  We've heard some positive things from a couple of the stores.  So we're in talks to see what we can do to seal the deal.  I promise to keep you all in the loop.

Having written this blog for over a year now, it became apparent to many, especially my sister-in-law, that I have a voice.  And I was urged to write my book.  So I have begun.  I settled on writing my memoir and started early in the summer.  I asked certain people whose input I trust, like my friend Sheila Rule, a former New York Times journalist, to tell me if I was headed in the right direction.  Sheila assured me that I was a good writer and had an interesting enough story to tell.  But, she said, I was leaving out the meat and only providing the bones of the story.  I needed to give a full picture of my life.  I've had to re-live some parts of my life that I had forgotten or that I found painful.  But the process has been surprisingly very cathartic.  And I really like how I've been able to craft a visual by using words on a paper.  I am shooting to finish it by sometime in 2011.  And then I will have to tackle the whole publishing monster.  But right now I am just taking it one step at a time and enjoying the process.

I've also been busy supporting some of my colleagues in the curvy community.  Two Saturdays ago, On November 13, I attended my friends Jeannie Ferguson and Tasha Hill's presentation of their Big Girls United (BGU) Chameleon Collection..  And this Saturday past, my friend Dhylles Waight-Davis presented her Katwalk Katerers' November to Remember charity runway show.  I am always happy to support my friends in their endeavors and happier to be a part of the audience instead of the one running around frantic and crazy making sure everything is running smoothly.  The curvy community is tight knit and many times I see some of the same players.  But that's okay with me.  When I was creating fashions for the less ample, I always felt like an outsider and it is this sense of community that makes me feel like I am home.

Wilbur & Ashanti show some love to Jeannie of Big Birls United



P. Crawford, Wilbur, and Renee J congratulate Dhylles on her Novemeber to Remember Event



Ashanti and Wilbur meet face-to-face with Renee Jennings 

I am busy working on the next collection which my team and I will present here in New York City in March.  I've already started fittings!  We've got a full plate already for 2011 including a trip to Los Angeles to participate in a runway show for a fashion initiative called Kiss The Curves.  I feel like there are just not enough hours in the day.  For real!  But I promise to be more diligent about documenting my odyssey.  I'll be back after the holiday.  But until then, Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Peace & Fashion!

If The Shoe Fits. . .

I have not designed a collection of tailored clothes for a minute now, but it is almost like riding a bike. I really enjoy the creative process and mapping out the details of each look. But I become anxious sometimes when I think about the cost of putting a collection together. How will I be able to afford this latest endeavor? But I just push on through because I know I am just following my destiny. My friend Sheila Rule says that I am "walking my prayer". Buying the fabrics and trims and then taking it all to the seamstress who will bring my illustrations to life is probably the first step after sketching. But I must also employ a fit model. This will allow us to refine the pattern of each piece so that we know my dresses are actually wearable on a live person. The task of finding someone who fits the bill wears me out. Of course, I could go to an agency, but I am trying to keep my costs down. So I let my fingers do the walking to craigslist.com - the new yellow pages - where I place an ad for a fit model. This Friday past my posting went up live and read like this:

Immediate hire for a fit model for the launch of a new line of cocktail dresses. Please be professional and punctual. You must have the following measurements - Bust - 34", Waist - 26", Hips - 37". Please be 5'9" or taller.

I got several responses from a gaggle of models and model wannabes. All of the women were lovely, but some didn't quite have the measurement requirements and others didn't quite have the height. But I was able to set up 5 appointments for the following Saturday afternoon at my local Starbucks. At 2:30 p.m. a call comes in from one of the candidates, "Hi Wilbur. I am here." To which I replied, "So am I. Please come on upstairs." Up the stairs comes the very statuesque goddess Valencia. She hails from Virginia and oozes Southern charm and grace. We talk like old friends. I am almost certain that the job is hers. But I must see all the ladies first. Fair is fair. Although I have scheduled each candidate 30 minutes apart, no one else has shown up. My watch is fast approaching 4:00 and I am about to hit it when another candidate calls. "Wilbur, I am only a few blocks away. Please wait for me." I am fine with that. The lovely and buxom Daniela and I are talking less than 10 minutes later. She, too, is very personable, but I think her bust measurement may be a little too large. We end our meet and greet and I tell her that even if she is not chosen to work with me on this project, there are certain to be other projects in the future. I am convinced that I have found my Cinderella. And her name is Valencia. After all, she is wearing the shoe so it must fit.

Peace & Fashion!