At Paris Fashion Week, Renee Cafaro Atelier Presents The Only Collection For Plus Size Women, This season, Renee Cafaro Atelier sets a new standard by presenting the only collection exclusively for Plus Size models on the Paris Fashion Week runway.
Plus Size Collection
Renee Cafaro Atelier was the first and only plus-size haute couture collection to exhibit at Paris Fashion Week on March 4 as part of Flying Solo’s Ones to Watch. La Galerie Bourbon, which is just a few steps away from the Arc de Triomphe, hosted the runway show. Rich hues, fine fabrics, feathers, glittering crystal embellishments, and metal mesh were featured in Cafaro’s Velvet Goldmine collection, which was influenced by glam rock fashion icons like David Bowie and the critically acclaimed 1998 film of the same name.
Cafaro stated that Sandy Powell’s award-winning costume design had a significant influence on her personal style and fostered her desire to design from a young age. She has always wanted to bring the opulence of dandy and glam to plus size for the first time at this level. She enjoys combining elements of the masculine and feminine, like pairing glitter with a power tie, like her personal fashion icons, Bowie and Annie Lennox.
On her runway, in addition to plush velvets and power suits, gold and animal prints were a common theme. One example is a leopard-print metal mesh sheath that was screen-printed only at the end of the runway from underneath a fur-collared leather and bouclé overcoat. The show went from leopard jacquard 3-piece suits in gold or teal to purple and feathers. The Toni Colette-inspired Colette Caftan featured sequin-trimmed fall florals trimmed in ostrich feathers. The dramatic sequin-lined train and feather shoulder pack of the concluding purple silk faille jacket were created by Cafaro upon his arrival in Paris.
Westwood
However, her charcoal-black and teal pinstriped first look, which she dubbed “The Westwood,” may have been the most memorable. Men’s Super 80 wool was used to make the sharply tailored skirt suit, which was offset by wire, avant-garde construction, and an oddly placed pocket square on the lapel.
Because she wanted the suit to be a sculptural piece, they put copper wire in all the seams. This allowed her to mold the collar and peplum on the model and freeze them at the best angles and movement. Vivienne Westwood was the inspiration for the asymmetrical placket and corsetry on the sides, so when she was designing it on her dress form, many weeks before she passed away, she named it after her.
Her metal mesh pieces went through the same thing. She’s always enjoyed working with metal mesh, but Paco Rabanne, widely regarded as the inventor of chain mail, recently passed away. She dedicates a portion of her collection to Westwood and Rabanne, even though these were not made specifically as a posthumous tribute.
Renee Cafaro Atelier
Renee Cafaro Atelier is the haute couture design house and the parent company of Public Label, a ready-to-wear brand best known for its patented Game Changer dress with a built-in bra. Cafaro was previously well-known to the fashion industry as the US Editor of SLiNK Magazine, London’s leading print publication for curvy women.
Renee has committed to developing high-quality products with a focus on fit and functionality for the 68% of women who are plus size because she is all too aware of the industry’s pitfalls. With intention, Renee creates as she lives.
Renee Cafaro Atelier is one of the few fashion houses that puts the rights of workers, a fair wage, and ethical practices first. She and a group of BIPOC New Yorkers make everything under the company’s umbrella out of materials that they buy locally. Their goal is to revitalize the Garment District one dollar at a time, making Renee Cafaro Atelier one of the few fashion houses.
Cafaro attributes her interest to her previous political career. She began her career as a labor organizer, always advocating for social justice. According to her, the transition into plus-size fashion wasn’t as difficult for her as some may believe. Fashion is not just about trends for plus-size people; it’s also about fair treatment, access to clothing, and self-expression. She has always claimed to be “fashion on a mission OF Renee Cafaro Atelier.
” She is here to show people of all sizes in all the sartorial splendor of my inspirations (like Elsa Schiaparelli or Givenchy), while doing right by the unsung heroes cutting and sewing, and to blaze a trail for everyone who feels left out by the industry. We can have high fashion while also providing everyone with equal access to resources and wages.