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Livingla vida luscious | Philstar.com
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Young Star

Livingla vida luscious

AT LIBERTY - AT LIBERTY by Jackie Cohen-Antonio -
Let’s face it. Real women have curves. Never mind the constant hoopla in the media zeroing in on the Olsen twins withering away and entering eating disorder clinics or the fuss over the latest fad diet. Fergie has her humps, those lovely lady lumps, while J-Lo continues to flaunt her full figured booty and it wouldn’t shock me if the rumor of its insurance of a million bucks proved true. Kate Winslet wasn’t necessarily a skinny Minnie when she won Leo over in Titanic and Bridget Jones is forever the robust cheeky girl on a mission to conquer Mr. Darcy, even with granny panties on.

History reveals that voluptuous women represented wealth back in the day when a little flesh meant you had the dough to consume. There wasn’t a need to flaunt your worth by dripping jewels; it was solely by the presence of an ample waist. Paintings by Flemish painter Peter Paul Reubens almost always displayed substantial women, earning them the term "Rubenesque," derived from his last name. How unique.

Let’s face it. Real women have curves. Never mind the constant hoopla in the media zeroing in on the Olsen twins withering away and entering eating disorder clinics or the fuss over the latest fad diet. Fergie has her humps, those lovely lady lumps, while J-Lo continues to flaunt her full figured booty and it wouldn’t shock me if the rumor of its insurance of a million bucks proved true. Kate Winslet wasn’t necessarily a skinny Minnie when she won Leo over in Titanic and Bridget Jones is forever the robust cheeky girl on a mission to conquer Mr. Darcy, even with granny panties on.

History reveals that voluptuous women represented wealth back in the day when a little flesh meant you had the dough to consume. There wasn’t a need to flaunt your worth by dripping jewels; it was solely by the presence of an ample waist. Paintings by Flemish painter Peter Paul Reubens almost always displayed substantial women, earning them the term "Rubenesque," derived from his last name. How unique.

The wave of waifdom has been shot down. John Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier cast plus-size models in their Spring 2006 Paris showings. Emme paved the way for healthy looking ladies in the modeling arena while models like Sophie Dahl and Mia Tyler have been propelled to the top in fashion ads. The market for plus size women has grown tremendously and we’ve got dashing duo Malu Fernandez and Tara Santos to thank for bringing Luscious clothing to our shores.

There wasn’t a store in sight where plus-size women could purchase a top or pants on a spur-of-the-moment impulse. How terribly unfair that these women could not partake in a little spontaneous retail therapy! Luscious was born three and a half years ago, as necessity is the mother of invention. Frustrated by the lack of options for clothing and tired of hoarding clothes for a year’s worth when traveling abroad, Malu teamed up with Tara, who had parallel experiences. Tara, formerly with Preview magazine, would constantly receive inquiries on where to score fab full-figured frocks, but the only outlets available at that time were imported and therefore costly, or of the matronly, frumpy sort, which just didn’t cut it. So a homegrown brand was spawned, a fashion haven for the luscious maven. Luscious clothing has been around since April 2003 to help ladies nab fashion that fits and also ups the ante on confidence levels for the customer’s body type.

Most of the designing is done by Malu though Tara is a strong collaborator. The Luscious collection streamlines the hottest trends on the market and modifies them accordingly to fit the full figured customer ranging from US sizes 10 to 28. Banish those skinny jeans in favor of hot capris or the perfect pants. Luscious pants have been through a 20-year test run as the in-house tailor has worked closely with Malu to achieve the ultimate fit even before the brand was born.

These ladies seem to know exactly what the client needs and, more importantly, wants. Silhouettes are usually catered to make the customer look their best and focuses on the assets they want to highlight and expose. Best-selling items include tops of all sorts, from casual to dressy, and their signature pants. The line features a great selection of rhinestone-encrusted tees and embellished tops that are easily convertible from day to night. They are so easy to throw on and match well with skirts, jeans, capris or pants. Caftans are dressier alternatives, which provide nicely for evenings, parties and events. Whether you select a solid or a snazzy print, you’ll be sure to dazzle the socks off your crush. Available in different designs – off the shoulder, bias cut or tunic style – they jazz up any outfit. When paired with the right accessories, they instantly create a hit!

Made primarily of cotton, knits, twill and chiffon, the prices are a force to be delighted with. Costing in the area of P699 to 1,299, you’d be silly not to jump on this bandwagon. Living life to –literally – the fullest shouldn’t mean forgoing looking good. Beyoncé had a hit album entitled "Bootylicious" while Sir Mix-A-Lot sang that his baby got back. There’s no reason why plus size women cannot enjoy the fashion plate as much as the next person does. Embrace those curves and look lovely lady luscious.

Luscious is available at the second level of Gateway Mall, Araneta Center Cubao, Cinderella in Makati and Megamall and at Chimes Mall in Davao City.

ARANETA CENTER CUBAO

BRIDGET JONES

CHIMES MALL

DAVAO CITY

FERGIE

KATE WINSLET

LUSCIOUS

MALU

MR. DARCY

PETER PAUL REUBENS

WOMEN

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