If you were to drive down Mission Street, you would almost drive right pass this hidden gem headquartered in the city. IGIGI, a leader in plus size high fashion, is headquartered in San Francisco, and it houses some of the best contemporary plus size fashion to date. Whether it be a casual dress or a wedding dress (YES!) the fashion forward curvy fashionista now has options to dress her curvy frame. With every garment and resource produced within the Bay Area, Igigi shows their support not only for the plus size fashionista, but for the community as well!
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of being invited by Ozlem to tour the inner- workings of Igigi. What an amazing visit! From the polite and sweet quality inspector to the vivacious designer, Yuliya, my experience with Igigi was one that will always be remembered.
Founded by Designer Yuliya Zeltser in 2000, IGIGI fulfills the fashion fantasies of curvaceous and voluptuous women with smart, stylish, and sophisticated collections that accentuate and celebrate their curves.
The definition of IGIGI is defined from their site:
IGIGI is pronounced as “ee-zhee-zhee” in French manner and has a funny history behind it. Originally a friend helped me create “sexy” name by taking a French name Gigi and making it ‘symmetrical’ by placing an ‘I’ at the beginning of the word. When I heard ‘Igigi’, it instantly ‘felt’ right to me, and I absolutely loved the way it sounded. Later on, I researched online and found out that IGIGI was the name of an ancient civilization’s gods; and the main goddess of the group was Ishtar - an ancient Phoenician goddess of love and fertility. And to make it even more serendipitous there was a poem translated from the ancient language; part of it I would like to recite. It still gives me goose bumps when I read it.“Praise the goddess, the most awesome of the goddesses.Let one revere the mistress of the peoples, the greatest of the Igigi.She is clothed in pleasure and love.She is laden with vitality, charm, and voluptuousness.”
How befitting of IGIGI. As I continue with my visit, my gracious host began the tour with an extended invitation to their potluck, allowing me to be the fly on the wall to their diverse and warm culture! How fun it must be to work in a place that inspires such confidence and style!
Ozlem introduces me to the lovely Yuliya and from our introduction; and I am instantly enamored with her. Her passion for this trade exudes from every story she shares with me. Sharing her story of how IGIGI was born, she reveals their modest beginnings- in her friends’ garage! From there, IGIGI has transformed into the premier label for contemporary fashion for the plus size fashionista.
Sitting down with Yuliya and Ozlem, offered an open conversation about the state of plus size fashion and how women like she and I are tasked with championing this movement. Transitioning from this conversation, we delve into how Yuliya entered into designing for the plus size woman.
Yuliya shares her story of how she entered into this market with such conviction. As a couturier, she recalls a beautiful woman coming in, in need of a dress, standing tall at a size 12. As she tries on dresses, she falls to tears, as she realizes that even she, a size 12, can be just as beautiful as the size 2’s she sees.
Yuliya was so affected with this transformation of her client before her eyes, that she realized the tribulations and transformations plus size women endure every day. Wanting to leave her mark on this industry, Yuliya started IGIGI. While it was fabulous creating these one-of-a-kind dresses, she wanted to reach more than a handful of plus size women.
After we happily stuff our faces, it is time to try on their fabulous frocks. However, before we go there, Yuliya takes me through their inspiration boards and their creative area. My mind is racing with excitement, delightful inspiration, and joy! To see how and where IGIGI’s inspiration is transformed is overwhelming!
So, we head back downstairs, to try on looks from their newest delivery. Immersing myself in Igigi pieces is pure joy! As an online shopper, shopping online can be intimidating as many times you see something online and when you get it, the color is off or the dress looks different. With Igigi, this is not the case!
IGIGI’s items offer and deliver an amazing quality; delivering what you see online to just what you get at home! On top of that, the lining of their dresses is an added pleasant surprise! The hand of the fabrics is like butter and the cuts are superb! (Thank you Dana, the fit model and merchandiser, for providing an amazing fit!) Their color choices are divine; providing rich hues and tones!
Thank you to IGIGI and all their staff for extending your home to me! I am extremely grateful and ladies, if you have not had the chance to make your way over to their website and browse their fits, you must do it NOW! Not later but NOW!
Visit IGIGI here!
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