Tamia Carey Heroine of full figure fashion
ONLY A plus-sized woman can describe her horror stories of trying to find the right size and/or style a la mode for a fabulous occasion.
Now, those nightmares are over. Haute couture heroine Tamia Carey has come to save the day, leaving you confident to strut in fantastic fashion.
Carey noticed a garment gap for curvier women. Ardent on creating a viable option, especially for the professional woman, she embarked on a new artistic journey of creating her own line. Starting out as Posh, she added a more personal touch, renaming her business Tamia Carey Collection. “I started my brand with $60,000 almost nine years ago and I have never looked back. I believe I have beaten a lot of odds as many designers told me they wouldn’t do plus (size) because it’s too much fabric, the cost too high to cut into profit. Funny enough, they are now all offering plus sizes!” Learning how to import and discovering you get no breaks, how to record everything (including all money used) were among the lessons she learned the hard way in the fashion industry.
“Very few designers will give you advice freely, so I must publicly thank Courtney Washington and Mark Anthony, stalwarts in the business, for helping me as a stranger walking into their stores.”
Enamoured by vibrant colours, bold prints and patterns, and alluring styles of dresses, jumpsuits, and even swimsuits, Carey uses runway fashion as her inspiration. The compulsive fabric buyer spends hours purchasing and wandering around in Pablos because they have the largest collection. “I buy what I like and store it in my cutting room. I am an addict.”
She continued, “I only sew what I would like to personally wear. I boast a curvy body, too! So I try to sew for different body types in every collection. We have standard silhouettes that we modify and boast tremendous success with.”
Once you’ve stepped into the luxurious store-sized closet, you will be warmly greeted by the store manager or stylist, who is already rocking the brand in confidence.
“Usually, some full-figured women desire a solid black dress, especially because they don’t want too much fabric: they think they will look bigger. They don’t celebrate themselves and embrace themselves enough, so sometimes they come in flustered or frustrated.”
Carey, who prides herself on catering to your styling needs, says she tries different outfits, boasting myriad shapes and cuts, until they ‘emotionally’ find a fit. After that, the vision is then tweaked to colour or patterns the customer enjoys.
“The process has to be done with no rush, moving at the pace of the customer. You will walk in average, but you will leave sexy, saucy and vivacious.”
Describing her personal style as resort wear, she enjoys the free flow of the fabric floating in the wind, found in maxi length and midi lengths loose clothing, showing hints of silhouette in real island girl sophistication. She also adores clothing that can be dressed up and down and doesn’t conform to being worn on one occasion.
“I dress just because it’s Tuesday!” She appreciates the unconditional support she receives from her husband and children. And she spends quality time with her fashionista girls, baking every Sunday.
‘I believe I have beaten a lot of odds as many designers told me they wouldn’t do plus (size) because it’s too much fabric, the cost too high to cut into profit.’