Project Runway has always been one of my guilty secrets. Of all the reality shows this is the one where I sit quietly with a cup of tea and absorb. Warning – don’t talk to me or interrupt – this is my program.
Season 14 kicked off and I was even more excited to meet Ashley Nell Tipton, a big beautiful woman who wanted to win to launch her own plus sized range. This was a woman living my dream.
Ashley is all about self acceptance and loving you.
Her mission: to represent for full-figured women and to enable them to have options to express their style and individuality through fashion just like women who wear “standard” size.
Project Runway Season 14
Throughout the challenges on Project Runway, Ashley designed for the standard models and early on she began to shine. It wasn’t about designing plus sized fashion, it was about designing beautiful garments. I loved her quirky taste and very wearable fashion sense. I wanted to buy her clothes already.
Early on in the season during a team challenge some of the other very trendy girl competitors tried to ‘throw her under the bus’. It was ugly and quite obviously planned. I was delighted when Kelly Osbourne called them on it! Bullying is never ok in my book, and despite showing vulnerability, Ashley showed them by winning challenge after challenge.
Ashley Nell Tipton’s finale show stole my heart. I was metaphorically ordering everything that came down the runway, other than the shorts, because I am beyond wearing shorts really! I didn’t love this fashion because it was for plus sized woman and was being modelled by plus size models. I loved it because it was fresh and wearable. It had style and was simply fabulous.
The finale show was themed around Mexico City in the 50s and featured the most wonderful head pieces full of flowers. If I get invited to Ladies Day at the Galway Races this year, I will make myself one of these!
All the fabrics were hand dyed in unique shades of my perennial favourites of pink, aqua and violet.
I have to admit that I created my own spoiler. About ten minutes before the Project Runway winner was announced I picked up my iPad and started googling to see if I could buy something from Ashely’s collection. I immediately found out that she had won, but to be honest it didn’t take away from the joy of watching the results.
Clothes and confidence
When it comes to clothes and fashion I believe that it is all about how you feel wearing the clothes. If you feel fabulous you will exude confidence and that will make your inner beauty shine.
On the other hand if you are uncomfortable or conscious of a bad fit you will feel awkward and this will filter through to the rest of your demeanour.
I am so excited that Ashley has secured a deal with JC Penney to produce a line of clothing for them. The clothes are expected in Autumn and Winter this year.
This way all the fabulous girls will get to wear gorgeous clothes!
Fun, funky and fat. Why not just say it like Ashley does and not be apologetic about it.
Thanks for reading and celebrating a truly fabulous woman.
Kerry x
