The first London Plus Size Fashion Weekend (LPSFW) will take place from 15-16 February 2013.
It is being organaised by fashion boutique Trapped in a Skinny World and plus size magazine Evolve, who hope it will attract at least 500 people.
Split between Beach Blanket Babylon and Shoreditch Town Hall, LPSFW will showcase the work of designers, speakers, models and retailers focusing on women who wear dress size 14 and above.
Professional models supplied by Milk Management will showcase collections from Europe and America on the catwalk sponsored by clothing brand Simply Be.
A styling masterclass and plus size marketplace will be held, as well as a ‘swap shop’ hosted by French fashion blogger Gaelle Vanessa Prudencio.
A discussion on the plus size market will take place with panellists including Velvet D'Armour, the first plus size model to walk in a Jean Paul Gautier show and Jessica Kane, chief executive of American plus size magazine Skorch.
LPSFW founder Remi Ray studied at the London College of Fashion and founded boutique Trapped in a Skinny World after graduating. She also runs events at Cass Business School, part of City University in London.
Ray told Event the weekend is inspired be similar events in the US: "When I finished university I struggled to get into fashion because I wasn’t the average blonde, size zero lady. I was driven to provide things for plus size women and to allow them to be accepted. I went over to New York in 2010 for their event called Full Figured Fashion Week, and thought it would be amazing to have something like this for the UK. We recently had our model casting and we had people flying in from Hungary, Germany, and France so there is a definitely a demand for this."
Basement Jaxx lead vocalist Vula Malinga will perform at the weekend with her new band, and Big Brother 2012 contestant Rebecca Hannon has signed up as one of the official ‘curvy ambassadors’ for the event.
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