Jessica Biffi launches Plus Size Clothing Collection
An article by Sarah
Posted April 12, 2010 
Jessica Biffi sees her latest endeavour designing collections for fuller figured women as a “perfect fit” — and not just because she has experience in the world of plus-sized style.
“I know the customer, I am the customer,” Biffi said at the media launch event for her plus-sized capsule collections for Addition Elle and Penningtons during Toronto’s LG Fashion Week.
Prior to taking part in Season 2 of the design competition series Project Runway Canada, the designer worked at Addition Elle’s flagship Toronto store as a visual merchandiser after graduating from the fashion program at Ryerson University.
Biffi has since established her own signature line, showcasing her spring/summer collection during Fashion Week last fall. But the designer said she was glad to have the chance to team up with her former employer to create looks specifically for plus-sized women.
She’s created the contemporary Jessica Biffi for Addition Elle collection, in addition to the Bold Biffi for MXM for Penningtons, featuring youthful, exotic designs.
Biffi said she wanted to bring her own signature to the designs. To that end, there is a lot of draping, gold embellishments and pleating integrated into the looks, which include brightly coloured tops, tunics and dresses in addition to more streamlined separates, like a red trench and zippered leggings.
“I wanted the customer to recognize it as Jessica Biffi, but I also wanted it to be a push to what the customer was used to seeing, and bring her a little bit more sophistication and a little bit more funk and edginess,” she said.
Biffi said there is also inspiration from Morocco and India in the pieces, through looking at everything from bellydancer chains to saris, which influenced some of the metal work seen in the designs.
Janice Leclerc, vice-president of merchandising for Addition Elle, said in addition to Biffi bringing what’s current in design to her work, she also exemplifies the customers themselves.
“She’s bright, she’s talented, she’s confident, she’s plus-size, she looks beautiful being plus-size, and I think that’s the most important thing that our customer can relate to,” she said.
To find out more and view Jessica’s collection visit her website.
