Designer Cenia Paredes Expands Her Line For The Curvier Woman
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the plus size fashion industry and the lack of fashion being offered to the plus size customer. The blame of the lack of plus size quality fashion has been placed in many directions, most notably on the plus size customer and her unwillingness to spend her money on items that carry a high price point. Some believe this leads many designers to not want to design for the plus size woman because she won’t buy.
With that said, there are some designers out there who see the great need to expand their size ranges. They are listening to the voice of the plus size customer and are answering with more options in larger sizes. Cenia Paredes is one of those designers.
Cenia® is a ready-to-wear fashion brand that blends modern aesthetics and femininity with classic sophistication, to offer unique collections created to flatter and compliment all body types.
According to her official bio, designer Cenia Paredes is a native of the Dominican Republic and grew up in a family dedicated almost entirely to the fine art of dress making. After graduating from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in 2004, she then worked in New York’s competitive fashion district for various renowned brands, but always kept her dream of designing her own line as her ultimate goal. In 2009, Cenia launched her first ready-to-wear collection, a clothing line that not only represented her vision and design sensibility, but would also help real women look their best no matter what shape they were.
Cenia Paredes blends inspiration from her Latin roots with her American influence to create a modern contemporary look that appeals to today’s modern woman. Her sensibility for detail, choice of fabrics and her bold exclusive prints have set her apart as a rising star in New York’s fashion scene. Her designs are sold at Macy’s as well as other locations.
We talked to Cenia about her new fall collection, titled “My Fantasy” and why she expanded the size range:
“I chose to expand my line because my customers, the real women, demanded it. Every time I posted photos of the line on my social media outlets, there was a large number of fans asking me for large sizes and they were very disappointed to learn that the dresses were only available up to size 16. I also noticed an incredibly positive reaction and hype on my social media every time I did something that focused more on the curvy girl.”
Cenia went on to explain how expanding the size range falls in line with what her brand represents:
“My fall collection was presented at Mercedes Benz Oklahoma Fashion Week this year, which was a huge success. It is my belief that there is a need in the curvy market for dresses that are tastefully sexy, unique and that compliment and flatter us no matter what size or body type. That’s what Cenia NY stands for. I believe it is the fantasy of every woman that celebrates her curves, embraces her femininity and wants to be tastefully sexy and feel self secure. It combines rich colors such as paprika, purples, reds and exotic animal prints with luxurious fabrics such as guipure lace and beaded sequins. It is every woman’s fantasy, no matter what size, to look sexy, elegant and classy. The collection for now will go up to a size 18.”
Cenia told us that if the larger sizes sell well, she will definitely expand her size range beyond an 18. Kudos to Cenia for listening to the plus size customer and being willing to expand on sizes. We hope this will make other designers take notice and do the same.
To check out the latest from Cenia Paredes, click here.